The Best Sandwich in Arlington VA
If you’ve lived in Arlington for any length of time, chances are you’ve been to The Italian Store. And that you loved it. It’s one of those places where the main attraction is so undeniably good that there is nothing in the area to compare it with. The cold cut sandwiches win ‘Best Sandwich’ in Arlington Magazine’s ‘Best of Arlington’ feature every year. The hot sandwiches and pizza are pretty great as well, but it’s the thought of a Capri on a hard roll that makes my mouth water whenever I think of this Arlington institution.
Despite my long familiarity with The Italian Store, I didn’t know much about the history of the place until today, when I went to their website. Here’s an excerpt:
‘Vincent Tramonte was born in N.Y. City the son of Italian parents from Calabria and Civitavecchia. He came to Northern Virginia to practice law in the 1940’s and although a beautiful area, it was difficult finding good Italian food.
As time went on, he realized that there were many transplanted people from New York and other big cities that very much missed the food he called “the good stuff”. This became the business plan for the Italian Store, get the products people want that are hard to find. With the help of Mama Tramonte in the kitchen, preparing dishes from the family recipes, and his two sons, working the store and procuring the products the plan was set.
In 1980, the Tramonte family founded THE ITALIAN STORE featuring fresh mozzarella, subs, sandwiches and N. Y. Pizza as well as boasting one of largest selections of Italian wines in the area.
The store’s approach is to bring a wide range of Italian products (mainly food and wine) to its customers. Many of the hard to find items are imported directly from Italy, brought down from New York or prepared from scratch. The store also features many meats and cheeses imported from Italy and are very happy to accommodate any Italian product request.’ – (www.italianstore.com):
So the sandwiches are divine, the pizza is great. But the really cool thing about the Italian Store is themarket area, where a huge variety of Italian groceries are on display. Great pastas, oils and sauces for the gourmet cook. It’s enough to make you want to book a trip to Italy.
If you’ve never been to The Italian Store, you’re in for a treat. Go check it out as soon as possible. You’ll thank me later. Just don’t go anytime around lunch without a good book!
What Do You Think?
What do you think about The Italian Store? Please feel free to let me know in the comments below, or shoot me a message!