It’s About Time…

that we ate a meal in Lodi (CA). We’ve been here for almost two weeks and have yet to venture into this mid-size town (around 60,000) for a meal. So for our first, we decided to return to a sandwich shop we visited on one of our earlier visits and one that we both really enjoyed—Fiori’s Deli.

“Joe and Barbara Fiori founded The Butcher Shoppe in 1983, when ordering a side of beef, pork, or lamb in a conventional meat market was common. At that time, Joe cured his own pastrami and corned beef, smoked salmon, and home-made bratwurst…. Fiori’s quickly became known as a place for picking up marinated meats, long before the competition and grocery stores offered the same” (fiorisdeli.com).

There is a refrigerator case (not photographed) containing fresh, smoked, and cured meats along with a large selection of cheeses.

There is a wall devoted to the sale of local wines.

“Lodi has grown to make a name for itself as growers and producers of fine wines, many competing with the caliber of those found in Napa and Sonoma. There are nearly 60 wineries in the Lodi area…” (fiorisdeli.com).

And there are displays of Fiori’s house seasoning—a mix of salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and celery.

“Eventually, Fiori’s began receiving requests for sandwiches made from their wide selection of deli lunch meats and cheeses—and the rest is history! The sandwich menu was rounded out with soups and chili, box lunches and delivery options, and eventually fresh green salads and a wide range of espresso drinks…” (fiorisdeli.com).

By design, we tend to arrive at restaurants between the lunch and dinner rushes, and this was no exception. Well, one exception. Fiori’s closes at 5:00 p.m., so there is not much of a dinner rush.

Still, at our last visit that coincided with the noon rush, we experienced what is described at thecuredham.com – “…a line 12 deep to the door, a full restaurant and patio, who knows how many take-out orders, four cashiers, and a crew of sandwich assembly line workers, this Fiori’s…means business.”

You place your order at the counter so the savvy diner will have reviewed the extensive on-line menu beforehand so as to not look like a rank amateur before ordering.

Once the order is placed, you find a seat and position your number in a visible location so that the sandwich runner will find you. At last your sandwich arrives on a nifty and decorative metal tray.

Chuck’s selection was the Cranberry Express with turkey, cranberry sauce, cream cheese, romaine, and tomatoes—except that he asked that the tomato be omitted. From the choices of breads—Dutch crunch, Genova rolls, soft French rolls, croissants, marbled rye, sliced sourdough, and sliced wheat—he chose the sourdough.

His decision to omit the tomatoes was on point. I think that the acid in the tomatoes would have been a discordant note in an otherwise delicious sandwich with the sweet cream cheese and tart cranberry being a perfect foil for the turkey. But I did think that it could have used a bit more turkey.

I ordered the Ianni Pastrami made with house-made pastrami, Bruno’s peppers, tomato, sprouts, Italian vinaigrette, mustard, and Fiori’s seasoning. While the sandwich normally comes on the Dutch crunch bread, I was able to substitute the marble rye.

I describe this as the merging of cultures between two slices of bread. We have your pastrami and rye representing the Jewish culinary tradition. The hot peppers and vinaigrette remind me of the Italian sandwiches we found in the Northeast. And when you see sprouts do you think of anywhere other than California.

If I were to do it again, I would omit the Italian vinaigrette. It was too sharp and there was too much. At times it was the predominant flavor, and by the end of my lunch the rye had gotten somewhat soggy.

This time around, Fiori’s wasn’t quite as good as my memory had it, but still good enough to earn 3.5 Addies.

To review the role of Adler, Kitty Humbug, and the Addie rating system, read the November 14, 2011 blog.