NEW ORLEANS — The recently opened Schooner Saloon has wasted little time making a name for itself at its French Quarter location at 700 Burgundy Street on the corner of St. Peter – just two blocks from Bourbon and one block from the North Rampart streetcar line.
With live music, big screen TVs and an even bigger bar room, the Schooner Saloon is a popular hangout for locals and tourists alike looking to pull up a chair, grab a drink and watch a game.
Specialty cocktails adorn the drinks menu in typical nautical flair. Patrons looking to fend off the scurvy will find Schooner Spritzers, Painkillers, Hurricanes, Dark-n-Stormy, Briny Seas and a Siren's Sunset – just to name a few.
Those looking to go booze-free can find several mocktails on offer, like the Sailor's Sunrise, which is certain to keep the wobbliest of sea legs in check.
Food is also available.
And while there's typical bar fare to be found, real foodies will welcome mouthwatering servings of chicken and sausage gumbo, along with an Italian Hoagie (hot or cold), Italian meatball sub, buffalo chicken sandwich, BBQ shrimp roll and new Schooner smash burger.
But it's the increasingly popular Philly cheesesteak that's already made headlines since the saloon's opening last fall, and that has at least one WWL Louisiana reporter regularly making the three-block walk down Burgundy to order another.
The sandwich features sliced steak, provolone cheese, sautéed peppers and onions served on Philadelphia's famous Amoroso roll – and therein lies the secret.
"We fly our bread in every day from Philadelphia," bar owner Steve Gingrich told WWL. "This bread is Italian hearth-baked rolls. It's soft. It's like eating a cloud. And I'll tell you what, everyone's loving our sandwiches. We got Italian hoagies, hot or cold, cheesesteaks, meatball subs. We just started our chef's smash burger and his homemade gumbo is one of the best gumbos in the city – and I'm not just saying that, everyone else tells us that."
The Philly-born Gingrich, who opened the Schooner Saloon with partner Jaime Coleman in October, chose to use the roll due to its super-soft texture and savory flavor.
As Gingrich said, the rolls are made from scratch and flown in for delivery daily.
He often jokes about meeting the pilots on the airport runway each morning to help unload the plane.
"Bread's here," Gingrich can be overheard upon its delivery, mimicking the 1980s Dunkin' Donuts ad slogan "It's time to make the donuts."
According to Gingrich, his Amoroso-sandwiched cheesesteaks just might give traditional New Orleans Po-boys, known for their crisper, flakier crust, a run for their money on the local festival scene.
"I would love to enter because I'm sure we would take home one of those side awards that's like, not the po-boy, but the best sandwich that wasn't a Po-boy," answered Gingrich when asked about entering his Philly cheesesteak in the annual Oak Street Po-boy Festival.
"I'm certainly going to look into if they're open to having us in their event...it'll be the best sandwich they ever had."
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On the Menu | The Schooner Saloon
With the release of the Saints' 2024 NFL schedule this week, the Pennsylvania native already has at least one home game earmarked next season.
"The third week of the season, the Eagles are coming down," explained Gingrich. "Being that early in the season, they should travel well. So, I'm looking forward to welcoming them to New Orleans for a cheesesteak before the Saints kick their ass."
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