Italian Deli/Market in Jacksonville?

CMG22 · January 02, 2014, 07:40:08 PM

So, on a recent trip home to New York, after cooking with my mother, I was inspired to start cooking the foods I was taught to make as a child more authentically. Does anyone know of any (ideally good) Italian market in which to buy freshly prepared sausage, salumi, cheese, etc.? Somehow, Publix's Italian sausage just doesn't stand up to a deli with 20 varieties of freshly made sausage I visit on trips home.

And before you say, "Pinegrove has great Italian sausage," what they serve is more made for eating on a sandwich than cooking in sauce--they're huge. And they're also brought in from New York, not fresh. I'm not hating on Pinegrove; they're just not quite what I'm looking for in this case.

Any thoughts? Thanks for your help!

ben says · January 02, 2014, 07:51:59 PM

You won't find anything in Jax even close to what you'd find on Long Island or NYC. Sorry, I've looked (wife + inlaws live in NY and born Sicilian).

JayBird · January 02, 2014, 11:45:47 PM

^ agreed. I've found some good places in the Lauderdale/Miami Beach but nothing even close up here. To be honest, Jax doesn't seem to have the European residential areas that other cities enjoy. Those little concentrations bring in so much culture.

JaxByDefault · January 03, 2014, 12:40:22 AM

D'Aleo's in St. Augustine is the closest thing you'll get to an NYC deli. Sicilian owner; family run. Nice little place.

mtraininjax · January 03, 2014, 05:42:22 AM

I'd recommend you use the YELP app and see what is recommended by others in the areas you are visiting. Sorry, best I can offer in Jax.

ben says · January 03, 2014, 06:44:31 AM

What Jax is picking up steam in: Eastern European markets. It seems like I'm finding a new one everyday. Lots of great Russian, Polish, and Eurasian products all over.

Slow and steady....it only takes one.

aaapolito · January 03, 2014, 07:06:32 AM

I have lived hear nearly 7 years and still cannot find a place that has lasted the test of time. There have been a few small places but they have closed. There was one on Mayport Rd. about half way up towards the base on the left side. An italian man and his Filipino wife ran the place. It was the closest thing that I could find. I'm pretty sure the italian market closed, but the Asian market next door stayed open. It may have been this place: http://www.yellowpages.com/atlantic-beach-fl/mip/vias-italian-food-market-480905891?lid=480905891

This place sold authentic risotto, panettone, dried porchini mushrooms, parmigiano reggiano, etc.

Good luck. Let me know of you find anything. Over the past few years I've been transporting boxes back from NJ with my stuff from the markets up there.

ChriswUfGator · January 03, 2014, 09:28:43 AM

There are extensive ethnic food communities here, but the range is pretty much limited to hispanic, middle eastern, indian, and asian. Which I enjoy regularly, but unfortunately I have yet to find an authentic Italian deli, and I've been looking for the 13 years that I've been here. We don't have a large italian population in jacksonville, even the actual italian restaurants here are mostly run by non-italians. Not authentic in the new york sense at all, where you're usually on generation 3 or 4 of the same family running the place. The short answer to your question is no, we don't have anything like that here.

edjax · January 03, 2014, 10:43:41 AM

You can make your own Italian sausage as not that difficult. Also believe it or not Fresh Market has pretty decent Italian sausage. Of course while not on the level as a New York deli it is much better than Publix.

coredumped · January 03, 2014, 10:51:57 AM

For sausage, try Joesephs pizza, they sell it:
http://eatdrinkjax.com/10-questions-about/josephs-pizza.html
http://josephspizza.com/
They've been there sinced 1956, when people used to pass by on US1 on their way south they'd stop in for sausage. They've been there before I-95.

From the eat drink jax article:

Quote3. Why did you decide to grind your own sausages?

Because they're delicious! Our sausages are fresh and we know what's in them - we know the type of beef, the type of pork. We've been making our sausages for over 50 years, so why change something that's working so well? We have people who drive through from the Carolinas every year on their way to the Keys who come by to pick up an order of our sausage. There's something about having the traditional, homemade stuff rather than store-bought processed food.

There was an authentic Italian shop in atlantic beach on atlantic. Owned by an elderly Italian lady, real good prosciutto and panettone. We used to go there at the holidays, but she's no longer there.

But gives Josephs a try, not the one at the beach, but the one on US1, it's the original

They might sell other things, I just know of their sausage.

Dionna · January 03, 2014, 01:03:54 PM

Sadly, Jacksonville has nothing that is even close real Italian food.

WmNussbaum · January 03, 2014, 06:20:22 PM

"Italian food" doesn't tell me much. Northern Italian? Southern? They are two totally different cuisines. Italian is a whole lot more than pizza, sausage, and food with a lot of heavy white and red sauces.

Primi Piatti at Park/King has fair fare, a great atmosphere with opera on the sound system, and is quiet enough to be able to carry on a conversation without vocal chord strain.

ChriswUfGator · January 03, 2014, 10:22:25 PM

Quote from: WmNussbaum on January 03, 2014, 06:20:22 PM
"Italian food" doesn't tell me much. Northern Italian? Southern? They are two totally different cuisines. Italian is a whole lot more than pizza, sausage, and food with a lot of heavy white and red sauces.

Primi Piatti at Park/King has fair fare, a great atmosphere with opera on the sound system, and is quiet enough to be able to carry on a conversation without vocal chord strain.

I like prima piatti, excellent place, go there often.

CMG22 · January 04, 2014, 11:53:20 AM

Quote from: coredumped on January 03, 2014, 10:51:57 AM
For sausage, try Joesephs pizza, they sell it:

Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely be trying it.

Quote from: WmNussbaum on January 03, 2014, 06:20:22 PM
"Italian food" doesn't tell me much. Northern Italian? Southern? They are two totally different cuisines. Italian is a whole lot more than pizza, sausage, and food with a lot of heavy white and red sauces.

Primi Piatti at Park/King has fair fare, a great atmosphere with opera on the sound system, and is quiet enough to be able to carry on a conversation without vocal chord strain.

Fair point. My family is all southern Italian. I actually tried Primi Piatti last night for the first time. I can't believe I've passed it for so many years and did not try it. I think it's the best Italian I've had in Jax. Thanks for the suggestion.