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Fricano’s Deli is the business
Maybe it was my fondness for my grandmother’s summer afternoon preparations, passed down to my mother, to which I was paying homage. Maybe I was portending a future in the service industry or a life as a stay-at-home dad. Or maybe I felt guilty for acting like a jerk to my friends. Whatever the reason, I always had a love for sandwiches, their quality and construction and our desires to have unique and personalized creations even in the simplest of forms.
Over the years, sandwiches have been my staple, my go-to food. Sure, I love steak and tacos … and lobster … and pizza. But I can’t resist a wonderful sandwich. My passion has led me to find stacked pleasures across the country and abroad. Wagshal’s in Washington D.C., Parkway Deli in Silver Spring, Maryland, the original Antone’s in Houston, The Italian Store in Arlington, Virginia and countless sandwich places in Italy have all made me swoon and hold a special place in my heart. In Austin, I have made the occasional love connection to various degrees of intensity at Hogg Island Deli, Wisk (R.I.P.), Spec’s, Central Market, Food Heads, Buenos Aires Café, Whole Foods, Sullivan’s, Tam Deli, Wheatsville Co-Op.
Add Fricano’s Deli to the list.
A hole-in-the-wall spot located near the Bermuda Triangle that is the area where East 31st Street and Speedway Street collide, Fricano’s feels like the kind of sandwich shop that despite being open only three years feels like it has been there forever. And it feels like the kind of sandwich shop I’d want to open, or at least eat at a couple of times a week. There are small bookshelves stuffed with books and board games, a few seats at the counter bar, two-tops with seating for about a dozen people and about two dozen sandwiches and hot dogs on the menu.
The sandwiches refrain from trying too hard, offering just the right number of ingredients to provide good flavor, without putting on a show. Take for example the Jamilio’s Italian Cheesesteak I had earlier this week. While the only thing Italian about it was the mozzarella, the combination of Boar’s Head pastrami, grilled onions and peppers, homemade Rocket sauce and the aforementioned cheese on a crunchy, flaky hoagie provided a wonderful combination of savory and spicy. It comes warmed to perfection on a Panini press that looks like it gets a thorough workout each day and hit all of the right notes.
Longtime Austinite Paul Fricano, and his business partners, husband-and-wife team Jamil Muhaisen and DeeAnne Bullard, take pride in their attention to detail, fresh ingredients and the fact that almost everything in the store is homemade, excepting the ketchup. And, really, people can be fussy about their ketchup, so probably safe to stick with the store bought.
Homemade offerings include potato and pasta salads, salad dressings and a red and green cabbage slaw, five original spreads that can be added to any sandwich and a soup of the day. When I was in Monday, I sampled a bit of the corn chowder, which was rich without relying too heavily on the cream, and featured crisp flavors of crunchy vegetables punctuated by refreshing cilantro. Although I passed on dessert my last time in, next time I will be sure to pick up one of DeeAnne’s homemade cupcakes, which she bakes daily.
While I have yet to make my way through the menu, I will be certain to tackle their roster of Reubens (five in all), and am unafraid to bring vegetarian friends, as the menu boasts four delicious veggie options.
Fricano seems a natural behind the counter, which makes sense when you discover his parents once ran a Chicago-style deli. He and his partners fill the worn joint with an affable vibe that almost makes it feel as if one of your buddies is fixing you a sandwich after a grueling match of ping pong. And they don’t cheat.
Fricano’s Deli [site]
104 C E. 31st St. [map]
482.9980
Hours
Monday - Friday: 11 am - 7 pm
Saturday: Noon - 5 pm
Closed Sunday
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Comments
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By Oh, Steph
September 17, 2009 2:19 PM | Link to this
I <3 Fricano’s. That little meander on Speedway is one of my favorite places in all of Austin.
By Austin Wine Guy
September 23, 2009 4:38 PM | Link to this
I live across the street, wandered in the very first day Paul opened, and have eaten there three times a week ever since. Being very jaded and picky about my sandwiches and the quality thereof, I can give them no finer praise. just leave me a seat at the counter…
By Willie
September 23, 2009 7:24 PM | Link to this
I’ve lived in several cities including, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Baltimore and Chicago, Padua Italy and now Austin and I was desperate for a good deli. Well, now I have one and only a block away. This is the real deal. Try the Italian club or the Chicago dog. Yum!!!!