February 21, 2019
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
The grilled eggplant sandwich from High Street on Market.
Old City's restaurant High Street on Market is pitting chefs against one another during the new, month-long Sandwich Battle.
It's a March Madness-style tournament that will start with 12 participants, including 76ers' chef de cuisine Rob Marzinsky, "Top Chef" winner Nick Elmi and former Eagles player Darwin Walker. The competition will run for five continuous weeks, with the final four championship scheduled for Monday, April 1.
Three chefs/local personalities will go head-to-head each week, tasked with creating a sandwich using a secret mystery ingredient and one of High Street's award-winning breads.
"Sandwich Battle will be a mashup between two of my favorite TV shows and events: 'Chopped' on The Food Network and of course the NCAA tournament," said Andrew Farley, chef at High Street.
"Each chef will be allowed to enter the kitchen with a recipe in mind, but the challenge will be incorporating the secret ingredient...creativity should be at an all-time high."
For each weekly battle, doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the event will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $25. Guests will receive samples of the sandwiches, house-made sides and a bucket of beers from a rotating local brewery. There will also be an afterparty each week with light bites and a cash bar.
First Round – Monday, March 4
• Damon Menapace, executive chef at Le Virtu
• Jonathan Adams aka “Johnny Mac,” co-founder/owner of Rival Brothers
• Michael Strauss, chef/owner of Mike’s BBQ
Second Round – Monday, March 11
• Kiki Aranita, founder/owner of Poi Dog
• Darwin Walker, former defensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles
• TBA
Third Round, Monday, March 18
• Keith Krajewski, executive chef at Middle Child, and Matthew Cahn, founder/owner of Middle Child
• Jon Nodler, chef/owner of Cadence
• Reuben "Big Rube" Harley, "Street Gazing" founder and Philadelphia Daily News columnist
Fourth Round, Monday, March 25
• Rob Marzinsky, chef de cuisine for Philadelphia 76ers
• Matt Budenstein, executive chef at Liberty Kitchen
• Nick Elmi, chef/owner of Laurel, ITV and Royal Boucherie
Final Four Championship – Monday, April 1
• TBA
High Street is located at 308 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19106.
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