Joe, Vinny, & Alessandro ie "Al"
Joe, The Sausage King
A Dependable Customer
I have this habit. It started a long time ago when I used to do a lot of travelling through New Jersey.
I'd travel to visit customers in all these little towns and invariably find myself looking for a specialty "salumeria" for lunch. There's something about the word "salumeria" that invokes genuine Italian...and New Jersey is chock full of them.
If it wasn't a salumeria, it would have to be a unique looking pizzeria...like the one I found in Connecticut by the name of Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana. Wow to their white clam pizza!
Today I found Joe's Gourmet Meats... & Salumeria... and want to share with my readers this one of a kind market, butcher, deli and restaurant all wrapped up in one.
There is a certain type of personality that will make or break a business...no matter how good the food is.
So just imagine what it's like to find happy people serving fabulous food to happy people!
Take a look at the picture of Joe and his sons Vinny and Al.
The picture without the smile is my fault. I asked them to be Smooooooth on the outside.
Inside these fellas and inside the market it's another story. It's all heart & smiles.
They sell dried pastas, tomatoes, olive oils, vinegar, cheeses, their own pasta sauces and fresh made ravioli(s).
The butcher shop sells fresh Bell & Evans chicken, steaks, braciole, veal, lamb, pork, fresh duck, rabbit, turkeys, pig, goat, marrow bones, baby back ribs and...ohhh yeahhhh....Joe's famous sweet, hot, cheese & parsley, peppers & onions, scallion, brocolli rabe & mozzarella,chicken w/roasted papper & onion, lamb w/ garlic, parsley, tomato & cheese and veal sausage.
Did I forget Pizza?
They sell Boar's Head fresh sliced meats and cheeses at an average price of 5.99 lb. to 6.99 lb. I see 7.99-9.99 in the supermarkets all day long.
They even offer tur ducken!
They make soups, salads, wraps, & hero sandwiches.
I had a truly exquisite blend of grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, and red roasted peppers with olive oil and vinegar on my sandwich and wound up stuffing it with their best I ever ate potato salad(s). Shhhhh.
The real pleasure here is the "Cheers" environment. Customers walk in and are family...and not the family you find it that restaurant chain that advertises you are "like" family. Sure.
Here, I got the distinct feeling it was one big family and for the hour I was there, I felt like I belonged.
These are my kind of people. Friendly, Real and Passionate about what they do.
Egos are left at the entrance.
You want to hear a type of music, they'll put in on for you if they have it...and when Joe comes out from behind the counter to do his La Bomba, you know you have come home!
http://www.joesgourmetmeats.com/
ps
I have 4 meatballs sitting in my fridge that I can't wait to taste.
For sure, a follow up entry is in the future.
pps
For an extra added special treat, Google "Joe La Bomba onYoutube"
Mangia Baby,
Bert
