"I do wish they would collaborate with a local cheese shop and a sommelier from a wine bar, perhaps RN74 and Cowgirl Creamery would be great partners. The place is small, but the magic happens behind the scenes. They hand-butcher, small-batch, cold-cure, and age each specialty meat, carefully selecting heritage breeds.
The pork cone was a huge hit and truly changed the game for serving cured meats. I’ll try to describe the different varieties, but I personally prefer the hot paninis over the cold ones. Don’t go overboard with customizations—this isn’t a deli in that sense. Their offerings are quite basic and traditional. They do partner with a good bread maker, though not one specifically known for sandwiches (perhaps ACME, located in the Embarcadero area). The muffuletta, unfortunately, suffers from subpar bread and an overload of tapenade.
The prosciutto cotto strikes the perfect balance of mustard and meat, thinly sliced, oily, rich, and buttery. I tend to steer clear of the hot dog and pulled pork; those items seem a bit too specialized to truly excel here. Cities like Philly, Chicago, and New York know how to do hot dogs right, while the South outshines in pulled pork.
While they specialize in pork products, I found their sausage offerings somewhat lacking—I'd love to see a wider variety, like a good butcher might provide. Their selection leans more towards salami than sausage. They stand apart from authentic European "salumerias" by focusing less on historical bests like Iberico and Mangalitsa, instead opting for more Italian styles like guanciale (cheek), nduja (spreadable sausage), capocollo, lardo, and lonza.
I was especially impressed with their nduja, which I found to be better than anything I've tried in the States. The perfect level of spice enhances any piece of bread or sandwich, making it an incredible addition to a banh mi. It feels a bit too artisanal to produce in large quantities like Ollie in Virginia, and it doesn't have the same level of authenticity as Salume Beddu in St. Louis. Still, it might just be the best in the city, rivaling the meat scene in Portland."
