  |
                |
Spitale's Deli
Metairie 2: Orleans Line To Houma Blvd: 2408 N Arnoult Rd. 504-837-9912. Map.
Very Casual.
DS MC V
Website
WHY IT'S NOTEWORTHY
The slice of Metairie just south of the I-10 between Causeway Boulevard and Clearview is a self-contained community. If you don't live or work very nearby, you're unlikely to know about the dozen or so restaurants there. Some of them are worth seeking out, and this is one of them. Spitale's doesn't look like much, but it's a first-class poor boy shop, cooking everything from scratch with credible recipes and serving it generously.
WHAT'S GOOD
The sandwich menu is dizzyingly comprehensive. It lists thirty-eight different possibilities, with quite a few originals. Many Italian-style poor boys (sausage, meatballs, chicken parmesan, etc.) are available, as are their companion pasta dishes. There's a New Orleans version of a Philly cheese steak. The "dirty turkey" poor boy (with grilled onions and roast beef gravy) shows more creativity than goodness. Daily specials appear on the expected days.
BACKSTORY
Charles and Gerald Spitale opened this place in 1983, when office buildings were going up in the neighborhood and the West Napoleon Canal--then without an adjacent roadway--kept the clientele captive enough for a restaurant to be viable. A big part of their business is making trays of sandwiches and the like for the offices nearby. No small number of Rummel Raiders from the nearby high school sneak over for some variety in their cafeteria diets.
DINING ROOM
The building is a warehouse, shared with far more industrial businesses. The dining room is utilitarian and worn. You order and pick up at the counter, like you do at Mother's. The low level of service is balanced by the prices. Even the largest poor boys stay under ten dollars, as do most of the platters.
ESSENTIAL DISHES
Poor boy sandwiches
»Muffuletta
»Philly steak & cheese
»Roast beef (au jus)
Roast beef (cold or grilled)
Italian sausage
»Hot sausage
Veal cutlet
Veal parmesan
Fried chicken breast
Fried chicken parmesan
Grilled chicken breast
»Grilled chicken parmesan
»Eggplant parmesan
Meatball
Barbecue beef
»Pulled pork
»Ham (cold or grilled)
Ham & cheese (cold or grilled)
Turkey (cold or grilled)
»»Dirty turkey
»Pastrami (cold or grilled)
Ham, roast beef & cheese
Turkey, pastrami & cheese
Hamburger
Cheeseburger
Bacon cheeseburger
Fried shrimp
Grilled shrimp
»Fried catfish
Grilled catfish
»Fried oyster
Grilled tuna
Chicken salad
Tuna salad
Chicken salad club
Tuna salad club
»Turkey club
»Turkey & ham club
»BLT
Grilled cheese
Daily specials
»Red beans and rice (MO)
Meat loaf, baked macaroni (TU)
»Baked chicken with macaroni and cheese (Wed)
Lasagna (Thurs)
»Meatballs, Italian sausage, veal or chicken parmesan with spaghetti
Hamburger steak and mashed potatoes
Fried or grilled chicken breast with mashed potatoes
Grilled tuna salad
Grilled chicken caesar
FOR BEST RESULTS
The roast beef poor boy, while more than decent, may be the least of their poor boys. Italy really rules here. The salad dressing they sell by the jar is habit-forming. (I always have it in the refrigerator at home.)
OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT
Toasted French bread would make the sandwiches better.
FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD
Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter.
- Dining Environment -2
- Consistency +2
- Service-1
- Value +2
- Attitude +1
- Wine & Bar
- Hipness -1
- Local Color -1
SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES
- Good for business meetings
- Open Monday lunch
- Unusually large servings
- Quick, good meal
- Good for children
- Easy, nearby parking
- No reservations
