Food Review: DANTE’S DELI

Ali Tretter

As you step into Dante’s, the mouthwatering smells of fresh basil, simmering marinara sauce, and aged cheeses instantly create pangs of hunger for paninis, pizzas, and pepperoni. Dante’s Deli has been serving gourmet Italian cuisine for over 35 years, creating a loyal fan base of passionate customers devoted to their authentic take-out Italian food.

Dante’s is a small Italian grocery combined with a deli take-out counter. Dante’s paninis and wraps use classic ingredients such as breaded chicken, arugula, mozzarella, red peppers, prosciutto, and basil pesto to create the traditional, high-quality sandwiches that have all the flavors of Italy.

Not only does Dante’s serve eleven premade paninis and wraps and a sandwich of the week, but it also provides a build your own sandwich option upon request. One of my favorite paninis combined the light, refreshing taste of balsamic vinaigrette with the sweetness of red peppers, which balanced the strong flavors of the pesto and the prosciutto. The freshness of the ingredients as well as the quality of the food justifies the slightly more expensive cost of the food - paninis are $8.40 and wraps are $7.50, as compared to Buon Amici, which averages around $7 a sandwich.

The salads were fresh and varied but slightly overdressed with vinaigrettes, while the chicken vegatable soup melded together various flavors such as carrot and celery. The pizza was freshly cut with whole pieces of melted mozzarella on top of a rich tomato sauce and a buttery crust. Furthermore, Dante’s take-home counter is filled with customer favorites such as eggplant parmesan, chicken meatballs, and lasagna, which are each made daily in the Dante’s kitchen.

The customer centered philosophy at Dante’s means the staff is happy to change or remove ingredients. They are willing to strike up conversations and are on a first name basis with many of their customers. The lack of adequate staffing, however, causes slow service, while the lines are long. Each employee works at a frantic pace attempting to get the orders out as quick ly as possible, at times causing confusion when customers are ordering.

The store was clean and managed in an innovative and orderly manner. The layout of the store that has groceries stocked up to the ceiling gives this out-of-the-way deli a cozy feeling. Students might feel out of place at Dante’s because the deli is still a grocery store visited by mostly middle-aged patrons.

Dante’s Deli is not as accessible to SHS students as Buon Amici or Lange’s because it can only be reached by car and has limited parking. Other downsides include the long lines during peak lunch hours as well as a lack of seating. Despite these shortcomings, Dante’s is worth the extra effort and time for the fine, traditional Italian food.

Dante’s Deli is open Tuesday-Sunday from 8:30 a.m.- 6:00 p.m. and on Sundays from 8:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Dante’s is located at 429 Central Ave #2. (914) 946-3609.