Former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce has kept quite busy since announcing his retirement this offseason.
Kelce showed up at WrestleMania, landed a gig with ESPN, and even joined his brother Travis in investing in a beer company.
While the Kelce brand is undoubtedly going global, Jason is not straying far from his Philadelphia roots, and there’s no greater proof of that fact than his partnership by beloved Pennsylvania gas station and hoagie purveyor Wawa for their annual “Hoagiefest” celebration.
“The Jason,” as Kelce’s hoagie is called, is an Italian hoagie with mayo, provolone, tomato and banana peppers on a white roll.
His wife’s sandwich, “The Kylie,” is honey turkey with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles and banana peppers on a wheat roll.
Today I bought one of each hoagie for the purposes of reviewing the sandwich. Here’s the verdict:
The Jason
The Wawa Italian hoagie has been a staple of my diet since middle school. Kelce opts for mayonnaise as opposed oil and vinegar, a move that I would usually choose but also can sometimes bother traditionalists.
The main way “The Jason” differs from the standard Wawa Italian of my youth is the lack of a leafy green and the addition of banana peppers. I must admit, I think Jason has me beat. Featuring tomato and banana peppers as your only vegetables on the sandwich adds just enough tang and a slight bite to the already somewhat spicy meats.
This is a good sandwich, and at $5 for a Shorti or $6 for a Classic, will undoubtedly be an important part of the diet of the greater Philadelphia area for as long as Hoagiefest rolls on.