Q – We are off on our second trip to Europe, following London last year. We’ve arranged a Italy tour and we are trying to do some homework. We love Deli food in the US, being New Yorkers I suppose that is not surprising, and we are wondering if the Delis we see listed in Venice and Florence are going to look familiar and have some of the sandwiches we love. We really hate to take the time to eat a sit down lunch – we far prefer take-out Deli food and a stroll in the park.
A – Italy does not do the kind of Deli food you would find in New York Deli, in the New York sense, originated in Germany in the mid 1700’s and then spread to the United States where Ashkenazi Jews who had migrated from Germany were served by kosher delicatessens which first opened int he late 1800’s. But the ritual you describe is very Italian and you should seek out shops in Italy bearing titles such as gastronomica, bottega alimentare, and salumeria (a store that features salami). Italian delis are wonderous places and the adventurous traveler will find a wide variety of things to enjoy on a park bench or back in your hotel room. Whether or not you will enjoy sharing your Italian deli products with the pigeons is another story. Better to stick with Katz’s.
