Pickles are delicious vegetables. You can add them to a perfectly prepared sandwich, pile a significant amount of it on your burger or eat it from the jar.
If you're a fan of pickles, there's only one restaurant that can satisfy your pickle needs. Elsie's restaurant in New Jersey. This eatery is located a 30 minutes drive in Hadden Township, outside Philadelphia.
Elsie's is using pickles in sandwiches in place of bread. The restaurant has been open for only nine months now, and it has already been named the "Home of the Pickle Sandwich."
According to Katherine Cohen, the co-founder of the restaurant with her husband Chad Jordan, "there's no bread in Elsie's at all."
Cohen, in an interview, said they use about 300 pickles every day. And one of the famous varieties they prefer is Kosher dill pickle. Although they offer the spicy ones, on occasion.
"Our pickles are about 7 inches on average," she said.
Cohen also pointed out that together with her husband created the "Pickle sandwich." They had this idea back in 2015 but in a different family-operated eatery. "They resurrected a family pickle sandwich," she added.
She also said that they started preparing pickle sandwiches at "pop-up events," and the responses were good. Since they could sell the whole bunch of pickles in 30 minutes. And that's when they decided to open a brick-and-mortar store.
The owner also said that two sandwich recipes have proven to crowd the favorites.
The most popular is the "Italian" which features capicola, ham, salami, and provolone. It's joined with a Home to Ketz node, the famous New York deli which comprises of corned beef, turkey breasts, coleslaw, Thousand Island dressing, and Swiss Cheese.
Pickles are having a healthy second life from their traditional roles as side items in many recipes. They've been served as substitutes for jelly in a typical PB&J sandwich and also placed on the pizza. They've also been used as slush flavors, can be turned into soda and bear, or made into fried chicken flavors.
Pickles are in full swing in Elsie's restaurant. The business is growing as many visitors in the eatery are ordering this bread-free sandwich. Cohen said that they have "solid social media followers on Facebook."
A pickle sandwich has many benefits especially to those aiming to cut back on carbs. This's because its recipe adds more pickles to it than any other type of sandwich can offer.
At Elsie's, you have a choice to build your own or select specialty sandwiches to use in split-down-the-middle kosher pickles. You also have the option to choose cheeses, meats, and toppings.
Roll-up sandwiches are also available to those who prefer thinner pickles. And this bread-free sandwich will be perfect for your quick lunch.
The restaurant opens Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m to 3 p.m.
Cohen said that they currently have limited pickles in the store. She said the restaurant is "a lunch spot" and in most of the opening hours, the place is flooded with customers. Sometimes she opens the restaurant earlier than the usual hours to accommodate frequent visitors.
