Salumi Cured Meats - New York Italian Deli in Seattle

The other day we were planning our daughter's second birthday. While trying to decide what food to serve it occurred to me that a really good six-foot sub (also known back east as a hero) from an Italian deli would work perfectly. After all this was often the catered food of choice for a small New York gathering.

The sad news is that my quest for a six foot sub was in vain since no place seems to make such a thing out west(ignoring the chains such as Subway which I won't touch with a ten foot pole). The good news is that in my search for deli's, Salumi popped up.

Salumi is an Italian deli where they cure their own Italian meats. I had heard wonderful things about this place but had never had the time to visit. Thanks to this blog and my daughters party I decided it was finally worth a visit.

As usual I made a mad dash for Salumi on my lunch break, driving as quickly as possible into downtown Seattle to try a Sandwich. Unfortunately for myself it turns out driving anywhere the day before Thanksgiving is not a quick endeavor. Also if you have ever read a review about Salumi the first thing each writer states is "expect to wait". With that said I should have anticipated a delay but I didn't. Despite the travel time and wait in the 40 degree weather outside to get a Sandwich, I was duly impressed when I finally got my turn in line.

First I will say that Salumi is not a 100% authentic New York Italian Deli. Mainly because they only serve their own cured meats and while those meats are excellent I prefer the tremendous choice I am accustomed to from back home. That said in every other way it meets my definition. Sandwiches are made to order and they will pretty much make any combination you wish. The meat is stocked high, the bread is scrumptious and they have condiments like roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella cheese.

The sandwich itself (pictured on the right) was superb. I had a Sopressata sandwich with fresh mozzarella. My only complaints are really that I couldn't add other meats like Smoked Turkey and the line to order was so long and things were so chaotic inside that I felt I Had to order really quickly and I didn't have time to really embrace the menu. While I respect the desire to stay small I sometimes wonder if they would be better off acknowledging their popularity and expanding.

Anyway I give Salumi a thumbs up. for more info check out the links and maps below

Salumi Cured Meats

Bambino's East Coast Pizzeria - Seattle

Just to set the record straight I will let you know that I live in suburbs of Seattle and although I do promise to live up to the title of the blog (i.e. Anywhere) my posts will obviously be somewhat lopsided towards Seattle!

Anyway my wife was sharing some of my knowledge of New York food with others and somebody suggested I try a place called "Bambino's East Coast Pizzeria". Never one to ignore a recommendation for good New York Pizza I took a "long" lunch break from work and headed into Seattle to try a slice.

Bambino's is a fairly nondescript pizza joint located near the Seattle Space Needle. They opted to use a somewhat vague description to describe the regional nature of this pizza. However the web site makes it very clear that this is intended to be a "New York" pizza place.

For those of you not from New York I will briefly mention that there are really two types of New York Pizza. There is the original New York Pizza which is usually cooked in a coal oven and often only sold by the pie (For those of you familiar with New York I am talking about Lombardi's, John's, Grimaldi's, Patsy's, Totonno's). Then there is the more familiar slice of New York pizza you can find on almost every street corner in New York. These pies are usually cooked in gas ovens, use shredded mozzarella cheese, and usually come by the slice.

The first thing you can tell when you walk into Bambino's, is that they are aiming to be the "Lombardi's" of Seattle. The key indicators are the wood burning brick oven and the inability to purchase a slice! They have a fairly large menu, but I went for my usual staple, a plain pie. I was out the door with my pie in hand in under 10 minutes! When I opened the box I have to admit I shed a tear because I had what looked like a New York style pizza. The crust was thin and crispy yet pliable and the cheese did not blanket the entire pizza. I could even smell the fresh tomatoes that were used. My first bite was a bit like being teleported back to New York! The taste was excellent and overall is was a very good rendition of a traditional New York pie.

I had a few issues with Bambino's. The crust was a little over done for my taste. In addition I found the pizza crust a touch to thin. Both of those criticisms are debatable since they depend on ones preference. Regarding the restaurant itself, it felt a bit empty and impersonal. Like someone wearing clothes to big, I almost felt as if the location was larger than the restaurant needed. I also wish they served pizza by the slice. Many a New York Pizza Snob would disagree on that last statement, but to me food is part taste and part experience and part of the New York food experience is ordering pizza by the slice.

Anyway to sum it up if you are looking for New York food in Seattle and specifically pizza I highly suggest you try Bambino's East Coat Pizzeria. Next time I visit I am eager to try the many Italian deli sandwiches (which are claimed to be New York Style) on the menu. For more information check out the maps and links below.

Bambino's East Coast Pizzeria

What is "New York Food"

If you walked down 5th Avenue in Manhattan and asked a hundred people to define "New York Food"  I am quite certain you would receive a hundred different answers.  With that in mind I thought it might be useful to provide my own definition of "New York Food" which will help frame any future posts.

At a high level I believe New York food to be a regional American cuisine.  The notion of any American food being identified as a unique regional cuisine is highly debatable.  This is mainly due to the fact that the majority of American foods are actually derivatives of ethnic foods brought to America by immigrants.

My own justification for defining New York food as a regional American cuisine is that the food I identify most with being from New York has been altered so much from their original state that they no longer resemble the imported version.  For example I challenge you to find a Chicken Parmesan Hero in Italy.  So in my mind, this is what makes the notion of New York regional cuisine so amazing.  Basically it is a hotchpotch of mutated or evolved ethnic foods from all over the world seamlessly blending into one new regional cuisine.  So what are those mutated or evolved ethnic foods?  Here is a partial list.

• Italian Food:  New York Style Pizza (and specifically sold by the slice), Chicken Parmesan (Hero or on a Plate), Cannolis,  Italian Delis with Sandwiches made to order with just about any combination of meat and cheese on great bread and always to large to fit in your mouth
• Jewish Food:Bagels, Rye bread, Dill Pickles, matzah Ball Soup, Pastrami, Corned Beef, Bialy, challah, blintzes, Knishes.
• Chinese Food: Fried Wonton Skin Crisps (always on the table), duck sauce, spare ribs, Chop Suey

For more information on American and Northeast regional cuisine you can look at these Wikipedia articles.

Wikipedia - Cuisine of the United States

Wikipedia - Cuisine of the Northeastern United States

Welcome to the New York Food Anywhere Blog

What happens to a New Yorker who leaves New York? He spends night and day tirelessly searching for the food he left behind!

Over ten years ago I left New York and have lived and visited many places. In each of those places I have made it my quest to find the best New York food to satisfy my cravings. Whether it's pizza, bagels, deli, or cannolis I have tried to find it all. This blog is my way of sharing my wealth of knowledge on where to get the best New York food outside of New York!

So to all expats, traveling New Yorkers, or folks who just love New York food I hope you will find this blog incredibly helpful in ensuring you can always eat the food you love no matter where you are.