Italian American Digest DigestSpring2019RevisedFinalDraft | Page 18

SPRING 2019
PAGE 18
CBD’s Aglio provides
customers with
decked out
sandwiches & more
by Bryan Laird
Aglio Neighborhood Deli & Bar, among the
incredibly crowded and varied field of places in
New Orleans to get a delicious sandwich, is well
worth a visit if you are looking for a bite in the
CBD. Chef-owners Marie Guevara and Mike
Mericle opened Aglio in September 2017 after
buying out the restaurant (originally known as Part
& Parcel) from their former employer. They have
since filled this modern
and bright space with
vibrant chalk murals
on virtually every wall,
and have put together a
menu that draws heavily
from their shared Sicilian
heritage, along with a few
Latin and New Orleans
touches. The restaurant’s
name, which of course
is the Italian word
for garlic, was chosen
Aglio’s Godfather Sandwich
because according to
Mericle, “Garlic is the
basis of everything delicious.” Sandwiches are the
clear focus here, filled with house-cured meats,
house-made condiments, and fresh veggies, but
there are also salads, soup, an eclectic selection of
side dishes, and the option to curate your own bites
with a charcuterie board.
As this visit was for our Digest review, we
opted to try the two most Italian sandwiches on
the menu, the Godfather and the Corleone, along
with patatas bravas and Cajun potato salad as sides.
The Godfather is a fairly classic meatball sub, with
perfectly sized garlic-studded meatballs covered in
red gravy, mozzarella and provolone. Meanwhile, the
Corleone is a typical Italian cold cuts sandwich, with
ham, salami, (I believe) capicola, provolone, tomato
and lots of lettuce with Italian dressing. Both were
Aglio
Suite C-8, 611 O’Keefe Ave,
New Orleans, LA 70113
Open 11 am - 9 pm,
Monday - Saturday;
Closed Sundays
very good overall- classic sandwiches which shined
due to the use of high quality ingredients. Even
the bread was top notch, locally sourced from
Gendusa Bakery in Gentilly, perfectly soft and fresh
except for a slight crunch from toasting. The only
possible complaint we had is that the Corleone was
far too large for the mouth of any normal human
and thus quite difficult to eat, but of course that
was the case due to the plentiful fillings so… it’s
not much a problem, honestly. In contrast, the
Godfather was very well constructed and in no
danger of falling apart or getting soggy as often
happens to meatball subs of a lower caliber. Also,
although I like spicy food personally, there were a
Italian American Digest
lot of pepperoncini slices
on both sandwiches,
which made them quite
hot- anyone who isn’t
into spice should order
these without! The sides,
likewise, were delicious
and fresh. Their potato
salad had a nice zing
from the mustard and
scallions The patatas
bravas were like fluffy
little potato pillows,
Aglio’s Corleone Sandwich
nicely paired with a
chipotle aioli and a house made ketchup that at
least some people would prefer to Heinz, a rare feat
among ketchups. After all this we were too full for
dessert, but the Italian cream cake looked to good
to pass up so we brought some home and enjoyed
it later- there were also homemade fig cookies
that looked excellent, but will have to be saved for
another visit!
While our visit was for a lunch, Aglio appears
to be a strong option for happy hour as well, with
drink specials from 3-7 PM and a selection of bar
bites available, ranging from bruschetta to Korean
style chicken wings. They also sell all of their house-
cured meats by the pound, and have a selection of
condiments, pickles, and seasonings for sale. We had
arrived to a nearly empty establishment shorty after
they opened at eleven, but over the course of the
meal most tables and bar seats filled up with a mix
of local professionals of all ages and perhaps a few
tourists who had strayed off the beaten path. It’s
clear to us why Aglio would fill up so quickly- it’s a
great place to eat fresh, often house-made, garlicky
food. What more could American Italians want?