Philadelphia chefs and restaurant owners are putting the focus on restraint in their search for the perfect sandwich that offers many delicious flavor-layered bites, writes Eric Kim for The New York Times.

Matt Cahn, owner of the Middle Child on S. 11th Street in the heart of Center City, has created a turkey sandwich that prompts dozens of people to line up in front of his shop each day waiting to order their blueberry-slicked sandwich.

Cahn got the idea from a sandwich shop in Maine that served a smoked turkey and Brie panini smeared with blueberry jam.

He slowly fine-tuned his own version of the sandwich, which now comes with melty Swiss cheese, spiced blueberry chutney, arugula dressed in vinaigrette, and house-made deli turkey. All of that sits on top of a thick smear of mayonnaise and served in a toasted ciabatta roll.

Meanwhile, the chef and Philadelphia native Melissa McGrath has helped open a hoagie deli at Palm City in San Francisco, which has immediately taken off.

For McGrath, it is clear why Philadelphia hoagies have become such a success in San Francisco.

“They make people happy,” she said.

Read more about local chefs’ take on sandwiches in The New York Times.

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