THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 29, 1996 TAG: 9609250033
SECTION: REAL LIFE PAGE: K1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 122 lines
LIKE MOST carnivorous Americans, 22-year-old Nathan Thomas likes steak and cheese subs.
He likes the warm roll, perfectly stuffed with hot shredded beef, white onions and Swiss American cheese.
He likes that fresh-off-the-grill aroma, the way the gooey white cheese oozes out when he takes a bite and the brown steak juice dribbles down his hands.
But for Thomas and local ``cheese-steak'' fans like him, the best part about Philly's signature sandwich has nothing to do with the grilled bun, creamy ooze or succulent juice; it's the fact that he doesn't have to drive to the ``City of Brotherly Love'' to get one.
Hoagie lovers of Hampton Roads only have to head down the road to Philadelphia Cold Cuts, a local cheesesteak ``factory'' run by George and Louise Fuller, natives of Chester, Pa., a mustard squirt from Philly.
``Make sure you get that,'' reiterates Louise Fuller, 62, from the Virginia Beach eatery, which is in London Bridge Shopping Center. ``That's Chester.''
It's just after the 10 a.m. opening, and the Fullers' son Jeff, 29, is behind the counter, wiping down the grill and listening to talk radio on WTAR AM 790. Their 35-year-old ``adopted son,'' Cecil Browne - who has been here for nearly 15 years - is in the back, cutting iceberg lettuce and watching Maury Povich on television.
The onions are sizzling. The slicer is buzzing. And Maury is grilling heroin addicts.
The vibe? Down home. Green and white checkerboard tiling and dated brown paneling scream ``mom and pop,'' while wicker wall-hangings and a vintage high chair look like they came straight out of the Fuller household.
Philadelphia Cold Cuts has been ``family'' from the get-go.
``My dad was the mastermind behind this,'' says Jeff Fuller, who, along with 9-year veteran Floyd Cooper, runs his parents' Portsmouth store. ``But my mom laid the ground work.''
It started in the late '70s, when George Fuller - a retired Navy chief - sold his wife's sandwiches to his buddies at NAS Oceana. An officer suggested that the couple open a restaurant.
So, armed with Mom's recipes and Dad's business sense, the couple opened a shop in 1980.
Over the years, all four of the Fullers' sons - Jeff; Bryan, 31; Tommy, 34; and Todd, 22 - have taken orders and made sandwiches, while daughters Althea, 35, and Avis, 26, did their own thing.
Other than opening and closing three different locations and the resignations of three of their best employees (Bryan, Tommy and Todd), ``not that much has changed,'' George Fuller says.
At the cash register, a dark-haired man in a dress shirt and slacks makes a call on his cell phone.
``Yeah, I'm at Philly Cold Cuts,'' he says. ``You want something?
``With mustard on it?
``Brown mustard? Oh.
``Extra cheese?
``OK.
``Extra onions?
``Got it.''
He closes up the flip phone and edges closer to the counter.
It's official - the lunch crew has arrived, and Louise Fuller has to get back to work. Jeff Fuller is busy with two spatulas at the grill, chopping up steak filets and onion slices with the precision of a Japanese chef. Cecil is wrapping a sandwich in recycled newsprint. Thick clouds of smoke fill the air.
Louise Fuller straightens her canary yellow cap, excuses herself and walks behind the counter to take the gentleman's order.
His name is Stew Brock, and he's one of Fuller's most valued customers. The assistant parts manager at Beach Ford has been coming in since 1985.
``Their steak and cheeses are the best,'' Brock says. ``Cecil's got it down! He knows the deal.''
The rectangle-shaped restaurant is filled with a core of regulars like Brock, but there is no ``typical'' customer.
There's the obstetrician, Dr. Was-uh-something, Louise Fuller says. Small veggie with jalapenos is his fave.
There's Joe the hairdresser. He likes everything from cheesesteak to chicken salad.
Then there are the customers who come from the surrounding shops, like Carolyn from 7-Eleven, Karen from John's Barber Shop and everybody from Pollard's Chicken.
There are guys in muddy work boots and guys in ties. There are women in jeans and women in power suits.
They don't have much in common except for one thing: a brotherly love for those Philly subs.
They know what I want when I come in,'' says Jean Nanney, who comes in every Thursday to pick up two Italian hoagies to go.
``And the cook is great!'' she adds, smiling at Browne.
Contractor Todd Erhardt agrees. He
has been coming in for six years for two reasons: the food and the service. ``It's more personal than anywhere else,'' he says.
``Amigo,'' Browne says, trying to camouflage his Caribbean accent, as he calls a customer to the counter.
A man in a T-shirt and shorts walks up.
``Didn't know I was bilingual did you?'' Browne jokes, as the customer pulls out his wallet and pays.
``It's almost like a show,'' Jeff Fuller says who will take over Philadelphia Cold Cuts sometime in the next few years. ``People come here to see us perform, and we deliver.
``A relaxed atmosphere, a quality product and good customer service - that's what we pride ourselves on.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
DAVID HOLLINGSWORTH/The Virginian-Pilot
Jeff Fuller prepares a Philadelphia-style steak and cheese sub for
which the shop is known.
Philadelphia Cold Cuts, now in Virginia Beach's London Bridge
Shopping Center, has been operated by the Fuller family sine 1980.
Photos
DAVID HOLLINGSWORTH/The Virginian-Pilot
Cecil Browne, an employee for nearly 15 years, takes an order at
Philadelphia Cold Cuts. The Fullers consider him an ``adopted son.''
Karen Sweet, a barber at John's Barber Shop next door, is a regular
customer at the sandwich shop. by CNB