Even though I picked last week, since my birthday was this week I was allowed to pick again, so I selected a "new" restaurant which was actually just a new location of a very established Hill eatery, Gioia's Deli. They now have a location on Ballas in Creve Coeur that has its own parking lot, so it is more convenient to park and visit than the Hill location on Macklind. The new location has only been open about a month and they were definitely busy, with a line of people waiting to order sandwiches. I knew I was going to order some form of hot salami sandwich and I went with the Spicy Daggett with Pepper Jack cheese and giardiniara. My wife ordered a turkey on white, my mother in law ordered the chicken salad and my older child ordered the meatball sandwich on garlic bread. Our younger child bailed at the last minute and missed his chance of eating a delicious toasted sandwich for lunch. His loss!!
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| Spicy Daggett Sandwich |
They have five normal tables for 4 and then they have four large raised tables in the middle that must hold 8 or 10 people each. My wife noticed that the metal chairs by the lower tables are made in an odd way that makes it difficult for some people to sit all the way back in them, so they stick out more and take up more space. She was not a fan of the chairs! However, they are still probably better than the tall metal stools for the raised tables in the middle. I could see small children toppling off of those stools.
When I tried my sandwich I thought it was very good. The hot salami was delicious and blended well with the coppa and capicolla and the pepper jack cheese. The gardiniera was flavorful but not spicy hot, and I had added black olives, green peppers and jalapenos to mine to add a bit more flavor. The best part, however, was probably the garlic cheese bread which made a deliciously crunchy and flavorful base for the rest of thre sandwich. The bread, along with the fresh, flavorfull meats and the tasty toppings made for a very good sandwich, but I will have to admit the sandwiches may not be as appealing if you are ordering a much plainer version. The bread also helped keep the sandwich together and it did not slide around so much as, for example, an Amighetti's special. My wife was only impressed with the bread on her much plainer turkey sandwich, otherwise she just thought it was okay.
The restroom report was favorable but overall the environment felt a bit cramped, especially when the line grew and people had to stand in line almost by our table. With just a few low tables with uncomfortable chairs, and a few more tall tables with precarious looking metal stools, it is not the finest environment to sit and just hang out and all the tables were in full use by about 12:15pm or so. If it were located in the Hill I may give it a pass since everything there is pretty cramped for space, but out in Creve Coeur people expect a bit more elbow room.
Overall I would have to say Gioia's Deli is the place to go if you want a delicious, toasty Hot Salami sandwich of some sort, ideally to go and with some extra fixings, but not so much if you are getting one of their plainer sandwiches. It is also not the best place to sit and have an enjoyable dining experience - take your sandwiches somewhere else and enjoy them elsewhere!
Hot Salami, Sandwich Bread
Other Plain Sandwiches
Dining Experience
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