The Coppa at Parish, Boston

I really like the premise of Parish. Chefs from around Boston create sandwiches, Parish prepares and serves them. It’s a favorite on “Where chefs eat” and “Where bartenders drink” lists, and with good reason. Parish makes quality sandwiches at pretty respectable prices.

Emily, my girlfriend and sandwich-eating-partner-in-crime, ordered a Shrimp Po’Boy (one of my favorite sandwich concepts), and I had The Coppa:

A slow roasted pork belly sandwich on a sesame seeded bun topped with melted American cheese, Hellman’s mayonnaise, caramelized serrano peppers and onions, and raw jalapeño peppers.

Pork belly is an absolutely fantastic cut of meat. It’s tender and fatty and delicious, and isn’t quite as overwhelmingly “porky” as some other cuts. I think it was an excellent choice as a meat base for a sandwich, though Emily disagreed. I’m pretty positive she just doesn’t like pork belly, however, because I can certainly vouch for the quality in both this particular pork belly and the preparation thereof. The jalapeños added a lovely kick and crunch, and almost reminded me of a bánh mì in a way. The caramelized peppers and onions, while noticeable, were more subtle and complimented the pork belly quite nicely. This sandwich is totally rich, but in a melt in your mouth sort of way.

The sides that complement a sandwich are often almost as important as the sandwich itself, and while I’m usually not partial to potato salad as a side (it almost always comes off as an afterthought at best, or a plate-filler at worst), but Parish does a mean potato salad. They serve it with a few of their sandwiches, but it was the perfect accompaniment to The Coppa.

Shrimp Po’Boy at Parish Boston

Emily liked her po’boy better, but I didn’t. A po’boy is a simple sandwich, and as such should strive to achieve a perfect ratio of shrimp to lettuce and tomatoes to remoulade to, obviously, bread. I felt the po’boy was breadier more than anything else, followed in turn by the shrimp and a disappointing, and finally almost nonexistent vegetables. Potato chips as a side are fine, but serving Cape Cod potato chips in Massachusetts is one of those things that seems clever the first time you see it on a menu, and then you realize every sandwich shop in the Bay State is doing it. I’d be willing to believe this particular po’boy was just a fluke, but I won’t be having it again, because I can make a better one myself and I want to try other sandwiches at Parish. Their menu changes slightly from month to month, and there’s always something new and exciting.

Parish | 361 Boylston St, Boston, MA | (617) 247-4777 | Yelp