Deli-licious: Bari Foods

By Molly Durham in Food on Dec 5, 2011 5:00PM

Huge chunks of meat on display? Check. An endless shelf of pasta? Check. Homemade sauces for sale? Check. Bari Foods holds up to the standards of a true Italian deli. That includes subs that are cheap and tasty.

This Italian deli and market is tucked about a 10-minute walk from the Grand blue line stop. The cramped space doesn't even look like it has a deli at first. Rows of jarred goods and pastas almost hide the gem in the back of the store. Patrons can buy Bari's own meatballs and sauce, giardiniera and plenty of handmade pasta dishes like pesto-filled gnocchi and pumpkin ravioli. But the most important part is where you see the meat hanging in the back.

We tried the Italian sub with capicolla, genova salami, mortadella, provolone & Bari hot giardiniera. The bread is fresh from D'Amato's bakery right next door, and perfectly thick and crusty. It's not overloaded with meat. You get a choice of hot or mild giardiniera, and beware, the hot will in fact make you breathe fire. Delicious, peppery fire.

The only downfall we could find about this place was the lack of seating: there is none. So make sure to plan on picking up your order to go back home and eat, or heading somewhere closeby to chow down. Lines could get serious during busy hours, but were minimal on a Sunday at noon. Though if a great, satisfying sandwich isn't worth a wait, then what is?

Bari Foods is located at 1120 W. Grand Ave. They're open 8 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. Sunday.