'Duuuval Cheesteak,' Gochujang wings, homemade tots: New sub shop opens in Riverside
Philly isn't the only city with cheesesteaks (hard as that might be to believe). And "Duuuval" is more than just a rallying cry at Jacksonville Jaguars games.
"The Duuuval" is the signature cheesesteak leading a fresh made-from-scratch eclectic menu at a new Jacksonville sandwich shop also featuring Korean chicken wings and homemade tater tots.
Clarke Bros Subs recently opened at 2545 Riverside Ave. at the intersection of Barrs Street across from Ascension St. Vincent's Riverside medical campus. The restaurant neighbors Carolina Jax and Barrs Street Eats.
Andy Clarke founded, owns and operates the sandwich shop at the site, the former home of Poke Burri that Clarke operated for nearly three years before launching his new restaurant on Sept. 15.
The 48-seat sandwich shop stems from Clarke's love of family, good food and the community. Adding to that is his philosophy of using "the best freshest ingredients" from bread to meat, cheeses and veggies on his sandwiches that are customized to taste.
"Eating shouldn't be boring. It should look good, taste good and make you happy … I want food to be a fun experience," Clarke said. "I try and do kind of unique takes on everything I put together."
Clarke named the restaurant in honor of his two sons — Aedan, 23, and Nolan, 20, — who work with him at the sandwich shop. It's a way for him to spend time with them as they build the business, he said.
He concedes to initially being hesitant about opening a sandwich shop because of their abundance in Jacksonville.
"But we decided we could do a good job representing what I believe a cheesesteak is. And I call it a Duuuval Cheesesteak instead of a Philly Cheesesteak just because for us it's a unique vehicle," said Clarke, noting it took about six months to perfect the sandwich.
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On the menu at Clarke Bros Subs
The "Duuuval Cheesesteak" is the restaurant's signature sandwich.
"When we decided we were going to do a cheesesteak I wanted to make sure I was using ingredients that carry it the best so I decided on fresh select ribeye, never frozen … because it makes for a juicier sandwich," he said of the cheesesteak, which is $11 for a half and $18 for a whole one.
The ribeye is seasoned, slow-cooked and shaved in-house at the restaurant. They use whole loaf premium cheeses, again sliced fresh. Customers have a choice including provolone, cheddar, gruyere, Emmentaler Swiss, white American or Cheez Whiz. Topped with onions and peppers, the cheesesteak is served on a roll from The French Pantry, he said.
Each comes "with a third of a pound of meat on each half sandwich," he said.
After the "Duuuval Cheesesteak," the shop's three chicken subs — either as a cheesesteak, grilled or fried — are customer favorites.
"I cook the chicken in duck fat confit style with a bunch of different spices then low and slow at 225 degrees for about five hours. So you get a very tender piece of chicken," he said.
Sharing the spotlight are Gochujang Chicken Wings as well as homemade tater tots. The crispy wings ($8 for a half-dozen) are tossed in a honey gochujang sauce and come with a choice of dipping sauce.
A fan of crispy wings, he had been experimenting with Korean wings. They're fried off, taken out and allowed to rest then double fried to get the consistency of crispiness that holds up to the wing sauce, which is sweet and spicy.
Developed over a month, the wing sauce as well as the ranch, blue cheese and honey mustard sauces also are made in-house.
Clarke's tater tots ($6) are served with a choice of dipping sauce. The side dish evolved from his desire to offer something different from french fries. And his personal disdain for standard, store-bought frozen tots also was a factor.
"They tend to be almost a croquette-size," he said of his gluten-free tots made from potatoes he shreds at the shop and then combined with sharp cheddar cheese to keep it from disintegrating when cooked. He's also experimenting with different flavors.
Hand-written on a chalkboard, Clarke Brothers Subs menu offerings also include:
Cubano ($12 half, $18 full): Cuban roast pork, ham, length-wise sliced pickle, spicy mustard and garlic aioli on a Cuban roll
Chicken Cheesesteak ($9 half, $13 full): Shredded chicken, onions, peppers and a choice of cheese
Grilled Chicken Sub ($9 half, $13 full): Confit-style chicken with a choice of toppings
Fried Chicken Sub ($10 half, $14 full) Fried confit-style chicken with a choice of toppings
Turkey or ham sandwich ($9 each): Each on a white or wheat wrap or roll with a choice of topping
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Bahn Mi sandwiches along with salads are being added to the menu. he said.
The restaurant also offers a kid's menu including a grilled cheese sandwich ($8), grilled hot dog ($7) and chicken nuggets ($7).
Clarke Brothers Subs is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sunday.
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on Twitter @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.
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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Clarke Bros Subs opens in former Poke Burri spot in Jacksonville
