DiVitis Italian Deli and
Market(2) Akron, Ohio Date of Visit: 03/21/14 http://www.divitis.com The only reason we made a second trip to DeViti's for the site was I had a hankerin’ for lunch. Nothing has changed, great Italian specialties, genuinely friendly folks, it is the one place that reminds me of some of my favorite Y-town places. The bright but subtle vinaigrette still makes their pasta salad a go-to but realistically the salad section has loads of delights from olives to bound wonders. I tried a bowl of their vegetable and sausage soup with a wide variety of fresh veg, farfalle, and sausage all floating in a light and tomatoey broth. |
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The bocconcini is a
little boring, soft nubs of mozzarella, torn basil and grape
tomatoes. It is greatly improved with a quick splash of balsamic and
a few grinds of pepper. Since our initial visits we are more prone
to get something hot from the tiny steam table which is only
available at lunch. The cold sandwiches and salads still rock but it
is so hard to pass up one of their meatball or sausage subs. I
didn’t today. The simple and clean marinara, stupid soft roll,
shredded Mozzarella and grated Parmesan, so good together. Then you
have the meatballs. Very little binder, fine grained and delicious,
that’s a sandwich. We tried a couple of cannoli, which were crisp
and filled with smooth cheese but needed a hint of sweetness. The
other thing we never pass up, ever, is the almond cream cake. If
you’ve never been there, the cake alone is reason enough to go. |
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Scrumptious Veg & Sausage Soup |
Magnificent Meatballs |
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Bocconcini Needed A Little Help |
But Their Pasta Salad Is Bang On |
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Meatballs Are Even Better In The Sub |
Cannoli Are Nice But Not My Fav |
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But You Won't Find A Better Almond Dessert |
Than The Layer Upon Layer Assault Of Their Almond Cream Cake |
Change in Ranking | |||||
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DiVitis Italian Deli and Market(1) Akron, Ohio Date of Visit: 01/18/10 http://www.divitis.com Having moved to the Akron area from Youngstown, one of the first things I noticed was the dearth of worthwhile Italian fare. At one point I held a job where we went to the Olive Garden every time someone had a birthday and I am still convinced at least a fair percent of the reason was to irritate me. For decades now, I have been making trips to Youngstown and not allowing my family to eat anything but Italian. I have to have it, they get it all the time. We stumbled across a little market on Tallmadge that has allowed me to enjoy other types of meals with my family in Y-town. DiVitis is a little market and when I first walked in I was disappointed. I was first greeted by a couple of rows of fresh produce and thought to myself, “This is going to be like every other market in the area.” It took a while to dawn on me how fresh and vibrant the produce was, a good sign for a cuisine based on simple and fresh. The place seems so small, and it is, that I figured we were done. Then we turned
the corner. Fresh and dried pasta in every cut and caliber, sauces,
prepared take home dinners, freezers of imported quality and
then…the deli counter. Large hunks of cured meats, olives, salads of
several stripes, prepared happiness all awaits behind the glass. |
Torpedo Adriatico |
Pasta Salad |
Both Classics |
The employees have always been helpful and seem to be happy to work there. They have passed several important tests. Sandwiches are always exceptional. I favor the Torpedo Adriatico on a soft Italian roll with Capocollo, Proscuittini, Italian Dry Salami, and Asiago Cheese. Steph prefers the Italian Sub with Cooked Ham, Salami, Hot Ham, and Provolone. At first glance it seems to be too much bread for the innards, but once you tuck in, you realize the meats and cheese are done right and stand up to the bread with intensity. Usually we get a bit of pasta salad with cheddar, fresh peas, celery, peppers, and a bright, but surprisingly subtle vinaigrette. Meatballs and
sauce, fresh pasta, fabulous bread have all made DiVitis our secret
source in the Akron area. If you can get there during the lunch hour
you can also choose from the daily hot offerings from pizza to
meatball subs. Before the big finale, a side note. Things here are
not exorbitant, but they are not cheap. There are still a couple of
places in the old hometown where you can get two days worth of food
at the same cost as a drive-thru. I suppose if you are the only
one’s in town you can charge a little more. |
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Whatever you might decide on, Do Not Leave Without the little plastic container which says Almond Crème Cake on the top. This is magic. Layer after layer of different almondy flavors. It is light, built on a layer of what I believe to be almond liqueur soaked lady fingers. This block of heaven is topped with a nutty but perfectly smooth cream topped by crunchy almond stupendous. Give it a try and you will find your self buying lots of things all in an effort to justify another trip for the sponge of scrumptious. |
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Almond Cream Cake | Still Looking... |