When you’re well into your first month of dietary restrictions, you notice something. You don’t get hungry as often as you used to. But, when you do get hungry, it’s like you should send the Silver Surfer out to scout the nearest planet, because Galactus has to feed. (Thanks for sticking with the comic-book reference, but, if that sailed past, let’s just state that it means a person gets very, very, very hungry.)
So, heading into the Calder neighbourhood, I stopped in at a neighbourhood mainstay: D’Amore’s Deli. Well, stopping in wasn’t easy — there’s lots of road work and sidewalk rebuilding happening in Calder at the moment, and you have to scamper through some pylons and across some gravel to get to D’Amore’s front door.
But, once inside, there’s a pretty sizeable lineup — mainly made up of the workers who are on lunch break from the sidewalk and road work I just described. And that’s because D’Amore’s is like a… sandwich factory. Behind the till is a kitchen space that’s lined with bread loaves, onions, tomatoes and peppers. It makes your local Subway seem like a pretty penny-ante operation.
The sandwiches on offer come in medium and large sizes. I like it when eateries size things only as “medium” and “large.” It’s like telling you, “yeah, you’re not brave enough for the large? That’s OK, you can have the medium size. We won’t dare call it small.”
And, trust me, the medium sandwich is a hunger stopper. I got the pizza sub, which is misnamed because it comes in a round Italian bun. There’s plenty of sauce, cheese and pepperoni in this sandwich. I mean, it takes some work to bite into it. There’s layers and layers of meat, with just a dash of spice, that makes this a substantial lunch offering. It is representative of everything that is great about an Italian sandwich, and Italian food as a whole — simple ingredients, done well.
It’s not just about the food, though. This is a neighbourhood mainstay, the kind of local spot that has plenty of charm and acts as a linchpin for its community. After all, what’s a great neighbourhood without great sammies?
D’Amore’s Deli
Calder | 12943 127 St NW, Edmonton | 780.455.5233 | damoresdeli.com
