Banh mi shop coming to Abington from Lucky Well's Rosenthal

Chad Rosenthal has been on the barbecue scene for a few years - first with Rosey's BBQ and now with the sitdown bar/restaurant The Lucky Well in Ambler.

Six years ago, Rosenthal tried banh mi for the first time during a trip to Hong Kong and became interested in doing his own versions of the Vietnamese hoagies. As he got down to it, he came to appreciate the differences and similarities between smoking and charring proteins on super-hot grills.

He brought his hobby to work, running banh mi specials from time to time.

His win in May of the Eat Along the Street benefit - where he dazzled judges with a light-tasting, smoked pork cheek banh mi augmented by rich, house-made chicken liver pâté - only encouraged him.

Now Rosenthal is branching out in Abington Township with Banh Street (1062 Tyson Ave., Roslyn), a small shop on Easton Road near the Roslyn train station. He expects to open there by the end of November.

Rosenthal, brother of Center City Realtor and Bachelor/Bachelorette featured playa Reid Rosenthal - incorporates American riffs into his organic sandwiches. He said he will prepare everything in-house, except for the rolls. He will have Artisan Boulanger Patissier supplying them.

So much wordplay is at work on his menu, he should call the sandwiches pun me.

And so on.

The menu will be limited to the sandwiches and Vietnamese coffee.

It will be mostly takeout; there will be seating on a tiny patio.