There are places in town where Italian sub sandwiches do not include bologna.
The people who run these places know that pasta doesn’t start its life hard and dried, in a box.
They also realize their customers want to grate their own fresh, aromatic Parmesan cheese instead of shaking it out of a shiny green can.
These are real Italian delis, where imported meats and cheeses, like capocolla, prosciutto and provolone can be found, along with homemade hot and mild sausages and hand-stuffed cannoli.
The East Valley has a good smattering of these spots, each offering a unique personality and something special you can’t find at the corner big-box grocery. Maybe you want to simmer your own clam sauce. Or perhaps you’re looking for a ready-made hearty Italian meal.
Most of these places have ingredients for both home cooks as well as take-out dinners.
So stop in to one of these independent businesses and take a break from franchise subs and pseudo-pastas. Even if you can’t pronounce focaccia or gnocchi (it’s fo-CAH-cheeah and NO-kee), you’ll be treated like family.
That’s Italian!
Satisfy your craving for provolone or cannoli at one of these real Italian delis:
Capistrano’s Italian Delicatessen & Grocery
31 W. Southern Ave., Tempe (480) 968-0712 Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday Offerings: Seating area separate from take-out counter; full deli counter and small selection of imported dry good groceries — Pastene canned tomatoes, artichoke hearts and the like; daily entree specials and a selection of salads and hot and cold sandwiches, including grilled panini sandwiches; to-die-for rice pudding, brownies and cookies made on site.
Capistrano’s Italian Delicatessen & Grocery
655 W. Warner Road, Tempe (480) 496-9044 Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday Offerings: Smaller than Capistrano’s on Southern Avenue (mom owns that one, son has this one), but wide variety of sandwiches and fresh salads are good for quick no-frills lunches and carry-out; very small selection of dry pastas and canned goods.
Cappotto’s Italian Deli and Grill
1075 S. Idaho Road, Apache Junction (480) 671-3354 Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday Offerings: More of a restaurant atmosphere than a deli — and an attractive one at that, with dark wood booths and stone-look tile floors; small selection of wines by the glass as well as beer and cocktails; a few shelves of imported groceries (canned sauces, jars of anchovies and pesto, 2-pound jar of chopped garlic); small deli counter with homemade sausages and imported meats and cheeses.
DeFalco’s Italian Grocery & Deli
2334 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale (480) 990-8660 Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday Offerings: Wide selection of grocery items if you plan to make your own meal, from fresh and frozen pastas to various canned goods; extensive deli counter, including sausage made with 88-year-old family recipe; small but cute seating area; about 50 bottles of wine; beer and wine sold by the glass; homemade tiramisu.
Guido’s Chicago Meat & Deli
2057 S. Alma School Road, Mesa (480) 838-7448 Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday Offerings: Great variety of hot and cold take-out pastas, including four types of lasagna, stuffed peppers, eggplant Parmesan and more; homemade sausage from a family recipe; wide selection of deli salads; spumoni and Italian ices; full sandwich board, hot entrees and pizza; real Italian roast beef with homemade au jus; homemade hot and mild sausage; decent selection of groceries, including Pastene tomato sauce and pizza sauce.
Guido’s Chicago Meat & Deli
10893 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale (480) 951-0636 Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday Offerings: Everything that Guido’s in Mesa carries and a bit more (Mark Guido’s cousin, Joe Guido, owns this one); more restaurant-like than Guido’s in Mesa; five homemade takeout sauces including alfredo, pomodoro, marinara, clam and pesto.
Sanguigni Pasta Co.
6707 E. McKellips Road, Mesa (480) 654-1054 Hours: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday Offerings: Fresh pasta made on site and also available dried, with unusual flavors such as squid fettucine and porcini linguini; the biggest grocery selection of all the delis, with extensive variety of olive oils, canned goods, spices and jar sauces (with no preservatives or artificial ingredients); wood-fired pizza oven in restaurant area; good deli counter with imported meats and cheeses; excellent and well-priced selection of about 100 bottles of wine; ingredients and tools for serious do-it-yourselfers, such as a pasta maker and giant jars of peeled tomatoes.
