Tio Wally Eats America: Jerry & Sal’s

I’m happy to have Tio Wally (long-time Me So Hungry reader) aboard to send in his eating adventures from across America. Here he is at Jerry & Sal’s in Hanover, Pennsylvania.

Greetings from Hanover, Pennsylvania
N 39° 48.602’  W 076° 56.6333’  Elev. 609’

It’s Little League World Series time! As a result, the SS Me So Hungry’s crew is on a night-driving schedule so that, if they can stay awake, they won’t miss a game. But because the land yacht is equipped with an electronic log, there’s very little cheating that can be done as far as movement of the vessel. That’s when the illustrious crew gets creative; actually we consult certain GPS features and cast our fate to the wind.

And so it was today. I don’t know why but whenever I’m in the Northeast I jones for Hot Italian Sausage and Peppers. And tonight my jones was exacerbated by extreme fatigue, hunger and a need to watch the games.

I love good Hot Italian Sausage. But it’s hard to find really good ones. The best I’ve ever had is from Spencer’s Fresh Market, a small San Luis Obispo County, California grocery chain. They make their own complete line of sausages, although many of them are a little too designer-foofy for my taste. Besides, if you’ve got Hot Italian what do you need any other kind for?

So I fired up the GPS and called the nearest place on the list in hopes they’d deliver to a land yacht. You’d be surprised at the number of places that won’t deliver to a land yacht because it has no actual physical address. Credit cards, begging and pleading will not change their “policy.”

(Hell, you can’t even order after-hours at many McDouche’s or Jack In The Cracks unless you go through the drive-thru. While there are ways to get around it sometimes, mostly through the kindess of strangers, it’s pretty freakin’ annoying because it’s so breathtakingly stupid. Can’t they see a land yacht won’t fit in their puny-assed drive-thru!?! Morons.It’s made all the more so when you’re starving. Hell, I’ve been so pissed off by company-policy adhering twits that I’ve been tempted to go ahead and drive through. Unfortunantely some people, who shall remain nameless, frown on massive property damage claims. Go figure.)

So tonight I called the first place on the list, La Cucina  (496 Eisenhower Drive) and quizzed Armando. Yes, they deliver. And yes, they make sausage and peppers. Score! But no, not tonight. Turned out La Cucina is moving 500 feet to another building and Armando only answered the phone becuase he thought “it was one of his guys.” But all hope was not lost, he said. There was another place nearby that delivered that was “in the family.” Did he have the phone number? “Well, let me see,” he says, and puts me on hold. A minute later he apologetically admits that the place was in such disarray that he can’t find it.

Thankfully a noted graphic-artist friend on the other side of the country found the number on the InterTubes for Jerry & Sal’s Pizza  (1155 Carlisle St.). I called them and found that J&S makes an Italian Sausage and Peppers sub. But I want pasta, too. In short, they made me a special order of S&Ps with extra sausage. The sausage was really good, if only it had been of the “hot” variety. But that wasn’t somethng red pepper flakes couldn’t fix. Moreover, the pasta was cooked perfectly.

It came with a really refreshing salad of Romaine lettuce and Roma tomato, with the house balsamic viniagrete dressing. and some crusty Italian bread. That bread was so good it deserved to be dipped in a really fine olive oil.

Total cost: $11.61; free delivery with $9 minimum though I tipped the delivery guy $5. I figured they made my night so I’d make his. Hopefully it started a never-ending chain reaction.

And so we roll.

Jerry & Sal’s Pizza - N Hanover Mall. Hanover, PA 17331

Tio Wally pilots the 75-foot, 40-ton(max) land yacht SS Me So Hungry. He reports on road food from around the country whenever parking and InterTube connections permit.