DINING REVIEW

Kathy Mader

When my friend John suggested I review Di Gennaro Deli on East Coast

Highway in Corona del Mar, I was of two minds. First, a sandwich shop is

a difficult review in that it really boils down to one simple question:

Do they make a good sandwich? And people differ wildly on what exactly it

takes to make a good sandwich -- type of roll or breads, thickness or

thinness of meat, freshness and variety of cheeses, creativity,

authenticity, etc.

But then my other mind says, and this is the mind that guides me to Di

Gennaro about three or four times a month, be fair and tell the people!

This place makes great sandwiches, no matter how you like it.

Morris Gould, the owner for the last five years, reveals that Di

Gennaro is best known among the regulars for their roast beef and tuna

sandwiches. He says those are the two sandwiches for which people really

seem to get actual cravings.

But the one that keeps me coming back is the New York Special

Submarine with ham, salami, mortadella, capocollo, provolone, onions,

lettuce, tomato and a zippy Italian dressing (small $4.99, large $6.49).

The meat is shaved thin and piled high, the roll is chewy and just right,

and that Italian dressing provides it with pizazz. I love it.

One time, I asked for it with red peppers, and he didn’t have any

behind the counter so Gould opened a jar recently imported from the

motherland and for sale to the public, and loaded my sandwich high. I

don’t forget things like that.

When I asked Gould about whether he had anything specific that he

would like me to mention regarding Di Gennaro, he said, and I quote, “All

that matters is when you eat it, if you like it.” I have heard that about

fine art, too, well not eating it, but hey, you either like it or you

don’t, and that’s the only real truth. And if I think about it, he’s got

that quite right.

The whole Gould family works at Di Gennaro, so if you are not certain

as to what to order, they would be happy to steer you in the right

direction. I have been locked into the turkey and provolone on a roll,

and the aforementioned Italian sub for the last two years, until just a

few days ago, when I was offered a taste of the meatballs in meat sauce.

Wow! I love a good meatball, and these are those.

The sauce is good enough to lie about, and Gould confides in me that

several ladies of leisure in Corona del Mar (are there any other kind?)

have been known to pass the sauce off as their own for dinner parties or

special occasions. I tried that kind of thing once, and a cat ran off

with the carcass of the chicken cordon bleu for which I was trying to

take credit, but that’s another story entirely.

The interior of Di Gennaro Deli is what I call “New York sparse,” but

I respect that when it means they put the real concentration into the

food. The only obstacle for Di Gennaro is the parking. It is right on

East Coast Highway, and if you don’t find a spot while going north, you

are tempted not to stop at all. You should.

The menu has all those sandwiches you know and love, both New York and

California style -- meatball, sausage and peppers, corned beef and

pastrami, and chicken Parmesan, as well as the tuna, chicken salad and

egg salad the “lite” crowd so covets.

Yes, you can get a major burger here too. Go for the bacon, avocado

cheeseburger ($6.49) and make it hurt. Di Gennaro Deli makes their own

pastas, and Gould himself provides the unique insight and labor into

stuffing those ravioli with just the right cheese and herb mixture. The

cheese ravioli with meatballs is sheer happiness. (See, you can buy it!)

The edge that Di Gennaro offers is freshness; freshness in everything

from breads to meats to pastas to salad dressings. But you don’t want to

rule out the massive drink selection either. A great refrigerator lines

one wall and is filled with drinks of all shapes and sizes. You can also

order party sandwich platters here any time; we did for our pre-wedding

party, and they were a big hit. Furthermore, it is football season, and

everyone knows that goes hand in hand with a really big sandwich.

Give it a try.

* KATHY MADER’s dining reviews appear every other Thursday.

FYI

* WHERE: 2614 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar

* WHEN: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday

* HOW MUCH: Inexpensive

* CALL: (949) 720-9069