This article has been updated since it first appeared in print.
The McKoko sandwich from Stanley’s
If there are two things sacred to Philadelphians, it’s football and hoagies. In the City of Brotherly Love, don’t dare talk smack about the Eagles or try to serve sandwiches on anything but a hard split roll.
The story goes that the term “hoagie” originated at the city’s Hog Island shipyard. Italian immigrant workers there could be seen eating overstuffed cold-cut sandwiches for lunch dubbed “hoggies.” The Philly accent shifted that pronunciation to “hoagie.” Decades later, hoagies remain an iconic culinary contribution from the area.
“Subs in New York, hoagies in Philly, it’s all essentially the same thing, but these subtle differences about it and the voracity of people in Philly … you need to respect that, and that kind of became my obsession,” says onetime Philadelphian James Kohler, former co-owner of Brenner Pass and Black Lodge and former beverage manager at Saison.
Stanley’s owners (from left) James Kohler and Mike Epps
Years later, Kohler’s daily hoagie habit has become a restaurant concept. In early April, Kohler and co-owner Mike Epps will pay homage to Philly and South Jersey classics at Stanley’s. Located at 2601 Park Ave., the sandwich shop will take over the former Robin Inn space in the Fan.
Before opening, Kohler and Epps, co-owner of Cobra Burger, trekked north for further edible R&D, paying the godfathers of hoagies a visit in hopes of capturing the nostalgic, no-frills magic of those sandwich institutions and replicating it here in Richmond.
“It’s the best food city in America,” declares Kohler of Philadelphia. “It’s this amazing melting pot, but in this kind of no-bulls---, no-nonsense way. There’s a lot of attitude, but there’s a lot of pride.”
During their trip, the Stanley’s duo called on all the hoagie heavy hitters, ordering a seeded Italian from Cosmi’s Deli, founded in 1932; visiting the iconic cash-only John’s Roast Pork; grabbing a slice of tomato pie from fifth-generation Sarcone’s Bakery, in business more than a century; devouring cheesesteaks from respected newbie Angelo's Pizzeria; and hitting up Reading Terminal for roast pork and beef from Tommy DiNic’s.
“They’re not really menus that need to change … and that’s what makes spots like that great,” Kohler says.
Hoping to achieve longevity similar to the humble hoagie establishments they admire, Kohler and Epps knew they needed to find a space that felt seasoned and settled, channeling a little South Jersey — an ambiance that cannot be created, only discovered. It presented itself to them one day as they drove down Park Avenue.
“I walked in immediately and was like, I love the space,” Kohler says of the former Robin Inn, which was shuttered last June after nearly 60 years in the Fan.
Family-owned and -operated, the Italian eatery with its neon signs reading “The Robin Inn” (which is headed for The Valentine museum) and “Pizza Spaghetti Lasagne,” was helmed by the late Manuel and Carol Loupassi, and later their daughter Niki. Manuel bought the Robin Inn in the 1960s, seven years after immigrating from Greece, and Niki took over ownership in 1996. When the time came to find a new tenant, they were very particular.
“They wanted something that felt like them a little bit. I told them, ‘I’m going to try to keep this as much like this as I can,’ ” Kohler says. “It is what a neighborhood restaurant looks like. You can’t buy the feel of this.”
Inside Stanley’s, the dining room is a time capsule dotted with framed family pictures, including shots of Kohler’s grandfather, the restaurant’s namesake, and his twin brother, Norm, along with photos of historic spots in Philadelphia. The eatery has also hit refresh on a handful of rooms split off from the main dining area, establishing a hangout area with pool tables and, eventually, a basement bar.
Kohler and Epps say they are excited to introduce the space to Richmonders, especially those who may be experiencing it for the first time.
“Mike was sending me pics from places he would go that had the good stuff, and it was like, … ‘Can we do that, and have it also be a bar and my favorite aspects of every part of Philly?’ ” Kohler says.
The tight lineup of deli offerings doesn’t stray far from the canon: the menu lists cold or hot Italians, a chicken cutlet with sharp provolone and broccoli rabe, eggplant cutlet, roast pork and, of course, a cheesesteak. The latter is offered with Cheese Whiz or Cooper Sharp White cheese and features shaved rib-eye cooked with smoked beef tallow and onions. The namesake house cheesesteak is joined by pickled sweet and hot peppers.
Fundamental to a hoagie, the oversized, crusty-on-the-outside and soft-and-chewy-on-the-inside long rolls are being sourced from an undisclosed source that is “not in Richmond,” and Stanley’s will serve deli meats from New Jersey-based Thumann’s. Close friend and Philadelphia native Zach Trotta has been on speed dial for any questions and to offer a seal of approval on authenticity.
“For me, this sort of food is like stripping the best parts of the meal down to the basic degree,” says Epps, a Richmond-area native. “You can still create this extreme layered experience with this super basic dish. That’s the stuff I chase now.”
Another authentic Philly dish at Stanley’s: Tomato pie — and it ain’t your Southern, Duke’s-spiked version from Grandma. A beloved regional specialty, spongy, focaccia-esque bread is baked in a sheet pan, cut into squares, blitzed with a sprinkle of cheese and sold by the slice at room temperature.
In the Stanley’s kitchen is Marc Rhodes, former executive chef at Saison, and Metzger Bar & Butchery’s longtime chef de cuisine, Carson Bledsoe. Behind the bar, expect to spot Kohler, in addition to a few familiar faces yet to be revealed.
The cocktail menu will be a mix of staples, along with the boozy, Philly-bred Fish House Punch featuring cognac, rum and brandy. A small, curated list of Italian wines, draft beer and cider round out the libations.
“I said to Mike, ‘Did we ironically just create “The Bear,” but in Richmond?’ ” Kohler says, referring to the restaurant dramedy show. “Everyone here is painfully good at their job, and now we’re all working at the sandwich place.”
But a sandwich place can also be a special place. A neighborhood hangout, a judgment-free zone, a casual refuge where less is more.
“There’s nothing esoteric about Stanley’s; you don’t have to explain it,” Kohler says. “I’ve desperately been trying to chase finding the Richmond ‘Cheers,’ and I really do want to help create that if I can, and I think there’s an opportunity for that here.”
