A visit to Atlantic City from Center City Philadelphia is only about 65 miles and a little over an hour, so it’s not really accurate to describe it as a road trip.  You can go there on the way to or from a weekend at the shore, as a spur-of-the-moment decision during a night out, or for a planned gambling excursion.  Regardless of the circumstances, I strongly recommend that you make time for a submarine sandwich at White House Sub Shop on Arctic Avenue.

Open since 1946, White House is well known to both old timer residents as well as newer generations of Atlantic City visitors.  The corner shop itself is not large and is an exercise in inefficiency.  There are about 10 booths, and those looking to sit down must stay outside the inner door until a waitress takes them to a table.  Those looking for take out can proceed inside to  the back, where they then stand around like stockbrokers waiting to place buy-sell orders.  For those looking to sit down at the counter, it’s a gray area whether you can go in and sit down without a waitress taking you there or not.  Somehow, this system has worked for about fifty years.

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