I always trust my dear friend TC to take me to good places and he didn’t disappoint with a quick jaunt over in Arlington to a place called The Italian Store.
Winner of both an “AOL City Guide,” as well as a slew of other awards such as the Washington Post’s “Reader’s Choice” award, The Italian Store is a pint-sized, full-service delicatessen packed with an array of gourmet Italian treats, sensational wines and a delectable to-go menu. Founded in 1980 by a lawyer who was looking for good Italian eats -- gotta’ love that -- The Italian Store is a wonderful place to eat the best sub sandwich I’ve yet tasted in this city.
For a mere $6.19, I ordered the small size of the hearty “Genoa” sub. Made with thin slices of Mortadella (apparently Italy’s favorites luncheon meat) resting on a hard -- or soft -- Italian roll and topped with genoa salami, provolone cheese, sweet and/or hot peppers, lettuce, onions, oregano and The Italian Store’s “special dressing,” my tastebuds were utterly tantalized. As my teeth bit through the hard roll and then touched the soft goodness of the meat, cheese and veggies, I literally could not stop eating the sub until my skirt began to pinch uncomfortably around the waist!
In addition to the subs, The Italian Store has a strong reputation for serving excellent pizzas, authentic entrées and hearty sandwiches. However, with eight different cold sub combinations, three specialty sub combinations and three hot sub combinations, my recommendation would be for you to order a sub. You can decide for yourself what sounds good before even going since the entire menu is available online at www.italianstore.com. They also offer catering and afternoon wine tastings.
Personally, I would recommend you avoid the lunch rush by stopping by The Italian Store after work one day, grab some subs and a great bottle of wine, and then head over to a beautiful park with your favorite person. Oh. Be sure you don’t forget to thank the owner for quitting the legal profession and opening a fine Italian deli.
The Italian Store
3123 Lee Hwy
Arlington, Virginia 22201
703-528-6266
www.italianstore.com
Hours:
10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
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