It’s a ‘Sardine Girl Summer’! American Sardine Bar shows us the versatility of the fish

Sardines are swimming on to the scene in many ways. Clothes, handbags, and of course cuisine- many are calling this 2025 season “Sardine Girl Summer”. We wanted to see how versatile sardines really are, so American Sardine Bar came to the PHL 17 Kitchen to show us how they transform the tasty fish.

Chef Andrew Douglas brought in the dishes below and talked to us about how sardines made their way from Mediterranean culture to this total takeover that we’re seeing.

Tinned Fish Board-bom petisco portuguese sardines in olive oil, smoked trout rillette, pickled egg, caperberry relish, squid ink-kalamata tapenade, caramelized apricots, pickled red onion, grilled seeded baguette

Sardine Dip– portuguese sardines in evoo, egg yolk emulsion, lemon crema, red onion, capers, fresno chile, chives, kettle chips

Jersey Tomato Sandwich– local farmgrown beefsteak tomato, dill aïoli, arugula, maldon salt, fresh cracked pepper, grilled sourdough

Sardine Slider– tinned bom petisco sardines in olive oil, gribiche, shredded lettuce, zayda’s sliced hot pickle, seeded liscio’s baguette

Sardine Wedge Salad– bom petisco portuguese sardine, iceberg, roasted beet, crispy garbanzos, pickled red onion, radish, pickled egg, chive, tomatillo ranch

Watch to learn more!