Popular culture has painted a vivid and enduring picture of the deli.
In film, delis are typically bustling, family-owned places with storied pasts and hard-boiled regulars. Signed autographs of famed patrons often adorn the walls. Gruff but lovable curmudgeons bark “Who’s next?” and “Whaddya want?” from behind a counter where seasoned staffers deftly assemble meaty sandwiches on rye bread to be served with a giant dill pickle.
These places exist, to be sure. I used to frequent a smoked meat joint in Montreal that had a distinctly gritty, urban edge to it that could have been pulled straight from the frames of 1950s detective cinema. That image of the deli, however, is a North American creation and tells only half the story.
The European deli, or delicatessen, is quite another creature. The delicatessens of France, Germany and England have traditionally been purveyors of the finest (and often most expensive) foods available. One might head to Fauchon in Paris, for instance, for a jar of caviar or a tin of foie gras, a wedge of Roquefort or a bottle of Pomerol. Many of the specialty fine food stores in Vancouver have evolved out of this European tradition, sourcing their unique gourmet wares from the world’s most respected producers.
Puccini’s Deli, self-described as North Vancouver’s only Italian deli and celebrating its fourth anniversary this week, strikes a nice balance between the two interpretations of the delicatessen concept.
Unassumingly nestled along the 2000-block of Lonsdale Avenue, Puccini’s offers a warmly designed and pristinely maintained space. There is an undeniable elegance to the place, its tasteful earth tone paint scheme, matte tile flooring and understated light fixtures working in tandem to transform the food shopping experience into something decidedly more sophisticated.
The bright packaging of countless specialty goods lining the high shelves along one side of the deli contributes a certain liveliness and a sense of the exotic. Here local chocolates from renowned North Shore chocolatier Thomas Haas sit comfortably side by side with fine olive oils from small estates in Italy, premium pastas, tomato sauces, preserves, biscotti and crostini.
Across from the tightly packed shelves of goodies sits a long glass cooler that spans the length of the deli and houses some 30 different cured meats, dozens of cheeses both domestic and imported, a rainbow of olives, and trays of house-made antipasti. From this bountiful supply of classic Italian ingredients Puccini’s brings the magic of the deli to life, offering customers a lengthy menu of rustic and generously filled panini, all served on either focaccia or ciabatta bread and all made to order.
On a recent visit on the eve of the deli’s anniversary, my wife DJ enjoyed a Napoli panino, a sizable wedge of focaccia bread filled with lusciously soft, ultra-fresh bocconcini, tomato and a drizzle of olive oil.
On the menu this panino is advertised to contain basil, which her sandwich did not. The omission did not diminish the enjoyment of the sandwich but is worth noting nevertheless as the fragrant, faintly licorice-like character of Italian basil would likely have made the Napoli panino a very different creation.
I tried the house signature sandwich, the Puccini’s Special, a ciabatta-based panino filled with a classic blend of Italian meats including thinly sliced, nicely marbled prosciutto, salami, spicy capocollo, mozzarella and sundried tomato. The tart and concentrated flavour of the sundried tomato enlivened the sandwich dramatically, helping lift the dense meat content and offset the richness of the cheese.
Puccini’s clearly knows its way around a panini machine. It is a pet peeve of mine when panini are over-grilled to the point where the bread becomes impenetrably hard and crispy, squishing out the sandwich filling with every bite. Here, the bread remained remarkably soft after grilling, providing just a thin veneer of crispiness while nevertheless transforming the cheese inside into a satisfying layer of melted, stretchy goodness.
To accompany the panini we ordered three side dishes: ruby red jalapeno peppers stuffed with soft, creamy feta; thinly sliced, grilled strips of eggplant wrapped around firm and pungent wedges of provolone cheese; and lightly marinated button mushrooms with mixed herbs. The antipasti were all well prepared, exceptionally fresh and very tasty. The jalapenos were particularly good, the reserved heat of the peppers (stripped of their fiery seeds and membranes) pairing nicely with the creamy and salty feta.
To finish, DJ and I enjoyed a treat of chocolate and hazelnut semifreddo (a partially frozen dessert much like a supple ice cream) pulled from Puccini’s freezer, which contains all manner of Italian frozen dessert specialties. A bustling coffee bar features the celebrated espresso roasts of local suppliers Milano Coffee and Moja Coffee.
Puccini’s has limited seating with a single counter along the front window, so take-out is the name of the game here. Puccini’s Deli is located at 2027 Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver. 604-985-6328.
Chris Dagenais served as a manager for several restaurants downtown and on the North Shore. A self-described wine fanatic, he earned his sommelier diploma in 2001. Contact: [email protected].
