The Pats aren’t playing in Super Bowl 50. But that’s no reason to give up a perfectly good excuse to indulge in some classic football food. If anything, emotional eating might be the best way to get through the game.
For Italian subs, many locals head to the original D’Agostino’s Deli in Winchester (there is a second location in Arlington Heights). “We sell a lot of party trays and we do some of the large 6-foot subs, usually if it’s kind of a guys’ get-together,’’ says Ralph D’Agostino, whose father, Sam, started the deli 48 years ago. “I was in junior high, and I’m still hanging in there,’’ says the owner, laughing.
According to D’Agostino, the classic Italian sandwich ($7.95) is still by far the bestseller, with his two shops making hundreds on Super Bowl Sunday. “We make it kind of the old-fashioned way, mortadella, provolone cheese, Genoa salami, and all the usual toppings: lettuce, tomato, pickles.’’ He says that fewer people specify how they want their meat sliced, or their toppings chopped, than in the past. “They expect us to just do it right, which they should,’’ he says.
Second to subs are the take-and-bake trays of dishes like chicken Parmesan, meatballs, and lasagna. D’Agostino tells us, “People come back from their ski weekends, and they just want something they can heat up.’’ Oftentimes, that is macaroni and cheese. The newest popular item is Buffalo chicken macaroni and cheese, which serves 8-10 people and costs $18.99. You get Buffalo flavor, without the bones.
Game day can get a little crazy at the delis, but D’Agostino isn’t complaining, “People call up, even that Sunday morning, and we get it done for them. We are fully staffed that day and we just get ready to go.’’
Despite it being busy, D’Agostino admits, somewhat sheepishly, “I usually go to the game.’’ After almost 50 years of hard work, it sounds like he’s earned it.
D’Agostino’s Deli, 11 Waterfield Road, Winchester, 781-729-7984, and 1297 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, 781-646-4949, www.dagostinos-deli.com
CATHERINE SMART
Catherine Smart can be reached at cathjsmart@gmail.com.
