Stars: 4.75 out of 5
Pros: Location/Ambiance, Service, Food
Cons:
Dinner, one of the three most important meals of the day. Sandwiches, one of the most customizable, unique and delicious of all foods. Combining the two makes for a wonderful experience. An experience which I embrace any day of the week. It just so happens that my one of favorite eclectic couples, MF and SC, invited me to join them in such an experience. They were going to Chiocca's (Chiocca's Deli) for a beer and a sandwich before going to the Byrd to see a movie. I had heard about this place from several people so I jumped at the chance to try it.
Part of Chiocca's charm is it's location and ambiance. Chiocca's is located in the basement of a brick building with, what I think, is a house on the floors above it. Literally a basement joint. When I pushed open the door the first words that came to mind were dive bar. I mean that in the best way possible. The whole place just has that feeling of comfort and locality to it. A place that isn't over-run by the mainstream public. It's almost a novelty in that respect. The inside has a giant bar and lots of seating. The decor is all over the place, but it fits in perfectly. I was a big fan of the place and I hadn't even looked at the menu yet.
MF and SC had already ordered a pitcher of beer. As soon as I sat down the waitress appeared at my elbow. She wanted to know if I would like a glass or a different beer. I got a glass and some water. Got to hydrate or you might get a cramp... Words to live by. Our waitress dropped these off and gave us a few minutes to look over the menu. The menu isn't huge, but how big can a sandwich menu realistically be? There is an interesting variety of sandwich fillers on the menu, so make sure you read all of the selections. And among the three of us we chose 3 different sandwiches... MF went very classic with a pastrami & swiss on marble rye. Basic, but delicious. SC chose to go with The Downstairs, This sandwich has salami, prosciutto, provolone, swiss, onions, hot peppers, italian dressing and... wait for it... anchovies. That's right, little salty fish. I decided on The Lucca, which is a slight twist on the classic Italian sandwich. It's salami, prosciutto, provolone, sweet roasted red peppers and I added mayo. All of these sandwiches come grilled/warm, which means they take a little time as there is only one oven. That means that you may not want to try Chiocca's if you need to be in and out in 20 minutes...
While we waited for our food we ordered another pitcher of beer. Our waitress came back shortly with a half pitcher of beer and informed us we had kicked the keg. She want to know what we would like instead. She left us the half pitcher and went to get us our full one. I appreciate the fact that she gave us what was left of the pitcher and didn't just waste it as wasting beer is damn near a sin. She also didn't charge us for the half pitcher so kudos on that as well.
Our GIANT sandwiches finally arrived and they instantly made my mouth water. The sight, the smell, the heat... all combining together for a glorious first impression. I was hoping the taste wouldn't disappoint. My first bite vanquished my fears and soothed my worried brow. The salami and prosciutto were salty and flavorful. The red peppers had just enough sweetness and juiciness to add perfect balance. The provolone had melted nicely gluing everything wonderfully together. The bread was thinly sliced yet surprisingly strong enough to hold the sandwich together. It was beautifully toasted and an excellent temperature, neither boiling hot or freezing cold. A happy medium, if you please. I had a bite of SC's sandwich. You remember, the one with the anchovies. Let me tell you I was pleasantly surprised by how good it actually was. There was certainly an upfront saltiness to it, as one would expect. But overall the sandwich flavors are wonderful together. It is a sandwich I would most certainly get in the future. MF's sandwich was all the good things one expects from a classic like the pastrami & swiss. I am truly glad they were able to nail that because if you can't craft the classics in all of their glory then you have no right to move on to new and exciting things.
 |
| The Downstairs |
 |
| Pastrami & Swiss |
 |
| The Lucca |
Chiocca's Deli is one of those well hidden unsecret secrets of Richmond passed on from person to person by word of mouth. It is a hole-in-the-basement gem that will appeal to the sandwich lover in all of us. Their menu has classics and it has some unusual fare, but it all is good. If you are in the mood for something different this week, I suggest you grab a table, order a brew and feast upon a Chiocca's Deli sandwich.
No comments:
Post a Comment