A cold Italian hoagie is one of the all-time great sandwiches. For two local hospitality veterans, the quest to create a perfect version of that simple meal inspired the creation of a great sandwich shop.
Eric Perlin and Phil Park became friends more than 15 years ago when they helped open Restaurant Guy Savoy at Caesars Palace. They used to fantasize about opening their own restaurant, and after years of grinding it out as front-of-house specialists at fine dining spots like that one, the duo departed and opened Proper Sandwich Company off the southwest Beltway on January 31.
“We didn’t think there were that many local sandwich shops, a lot of chain restaurants, so it seemed like a nice opportunity,” says Perlin. “And sandwiches gives us an opportunity to still be surrounded by great products. We’re getting great meat from specialty purveyors, fancy cheeses, we get to make our sauces. The best part of working in a restaurant is the food.”
The top-seller at the cozy, cleanly designed Proper shop is the Italian hoagie ($14), with spicy coppa ham, mortadella, salami, jambon de Paris, provolone and house-made giardiniera mandated by Park, a Chicagoan. “He grew up eating these cold sandwiches with awesome giardiniera, so trying to create that is how Proper started,” says Perlin.
The Roast Beef & Cheddar ($15), sort of like the Arby’s version but not really, is a masterpiece of six-hour-roasted beef, Irish cheddar and crispy onions on a potato roll. The Spicy Naked Meatball sandwich ($13) took hours of development and gets its “naked” name because it doesn’t need marinara—just juicy beef and pork meatballs, sharp provolone Valpadana, chili-garlic broccoli rabe, hot and sweet cherry peppers and Calabrian chili aioli.
“I think I’m very hard to impress, but people tell me it’s the best meatball sub they’ve ever had,” Perlin says. “I’d be hesitant to say that.” Better eat it for yourself.
There are lighter sandwiches available, like a turkey club with oven roasted tomatoes ($13) and a veggie creation with roasted peppers, zucchini, burrata and basil pesto ($13), along with weekly specials and house-made sides and salads. The arugula and grilled chicken salad ($11) with a bright lemon honey vinaigrette is a feel-good everyday option.
On our first visit to Proper, celebrity chef Michael Mina had stopped by to pick up a ton of takeout for a family gathering. Perlin worked for the Bay Area-based Mina on the Strip and beyond Las Vegas for years, but it’s still a reassuring sign to see a culinary expert like Mina endorsing a local spot. And it proves that everyone loves and needs a great sandwich every now and then.
PROPER SANDWICH COMPANY 6181 S. Rainbow Blvd. #106, 725-210-5224, propersandwichcompany.com. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
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