July 2021 Murfreesboro Pulse

Page 28

Food

 RESTAURANT

The Dish RESTAURANT:

Domenico’s Italian Deli Laney Special

LOCATION:

106 S. Maple St. PHONE:

615-624-7474 HOURS:

Mon.–Thurs.: 10:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Fri.–Sat.: 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m.

A thin slice of Italy, on a roll, on the Square

PRICES:

Domenico’s Italian Deli STORY BY BRACKEN MAYO

PHOTOS BY SARAH MAYO

BLT with avacado

Laney Special (with pastrami, Provolone and bacon): $8.99; Chicago-style Italian beef: $8.49; 10-ounce pasta or potato salad: $3.49; Reuben: $7.79; Black Forest ham sandwich: $6.99; Cannoli: $3.49 ONLINE:

domenicosdelitn.com

A

n incredible aroma greets those walking into Domenico’s Italian Deli on the Murfreesboro Public Square. It’s not necessarily the strong baked-bread scent of many chain sandwich shops, but rather a meaty mixture of Italian beef, hot pastrami, bacon and meatballs that fills the air. This sandwich shop has become a popular downtown Murfreesboro lunch spot. A large deli case containing all sorts of meats and cheeses sits just inside the front door, and just past this, hungry customers can place their order for the sandwich of their choice. Other than sandwiches, Domenico’s offers chips, salads (pasta, potato and garden salads) and fine cannoli, but, otherwise, expect to have a sandwich at this sandwich shop—a very good sandwich. With the wide selection of deli meats, most anyone can create a pleasing combination for their palate. Jeff Dominic Murphy, a former MTSU Blue Raider football player and the grandson of deli owners, opened the spot on Maple Street in the spring of 2020. 28 * JULY 2021 * BOROPULSE.COM

The restaurant’s menu tells the backstory. Murphy’s grandmother, Letizia, immigrated from Italy to the U.S. in 1954. She married Domenico Cucchiara and the couple first opened an Italian deli in Alameda, California, in 1966. They sold this first deli in 1979, but returned to the industry in 1982. Their daughter and her husband, Jeff ’s parents, still operate this West Coast Domenico’s Italian Deli today. Jeff ’s football skills attracted the attention of MTSU and he came to Murfreesboro in 2010 on a football scholarship as a quarterback. Now, building his home, family and business in Murfreesboro, he serves delicious sandwiches, such as the Family Recipe Italian Beef—Italian beef with choice of cheese on a lightly toasted roll with spicy giardiniera, dipped in au jus—and the pizza sub, with Italian sausage, ham, salami, pepperoni, parmesan, marinara, black olives, pepperoncini and red onion. Another fantastically flavorful combination, The Smokey, blends smoked pulled pork, smoked ham, smoked sharp cheddar and

smoked bacon, topped however you like it. “This pulled pork stands up to any barbecue place in town,” Sarah said while trying The Smokey. It turns out the pulled pork is from local establishment Rick’s Barbecue. “My father-in-law [Mike Lanning] owns the local Rick’s Barbecue,” Murphy said. “It’s the same pork they use.” Murphy formerly managed the Memorial Boulevard location of Rick’s Barbecue before it shut down as he transitioned into his own business on the Square, though Murphy still has ties to the existing Rick’s on Warrior Drive, the source of the delicious pulled pork used in the sandwiches served at Domenico’s. The club sandwich contains “a good amount of bacon,” according to one young Domenico’s diner. To customize a sandwich creation of your own, first choose a bread: either a white or wheat eight-inch roll, or sliced white, wheat, light rye, sourdough or gluten-free white. Combine honey ham, smoked ham, roast

beef, corned beef, smoked turkey, baked turkey, chicken salad, egg salad, bologna and even lamb among the many choices. Among its abundant selection, Domenico’s has some deli meats a bit lesser known in this region: capicola (thin-sliced, whole muscle pork), prosciutto (dry cured uncooked ham), soppressata (a type of dry salami), as well as Genoa, hot and dry salamis. “Lots of potential combinations,” Murphy says. Cheese offerings include Swiss, cheddar, Provolone, American, Monterey jack, pepper jack and smoked sharp cheddar. And then the toppings, veggies and sauces; “everything on” means mayo, yellow mustard, pickles, pepperoncini, red onion, tomato and lettuce. “Sky’s the limit,” the menu says. The Soprano makes a popular choice, with hot salami, hot coppa, prosciutto, mortadella (a fatty, peppery pork), Provolone cheese, oil, vinegar and everything on. Italian sausage is available at Domenico’s, and the juicy, warm and delicious pastrami


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.