John Ingrassia has made an actual mark within the music business by his years as an govt with firms like Columbia Information and Sony/BMG, plus greater than a decade with Vector Administration. At Vector, he labored alongside native luminaries Ken Levitan and Howard Greenstone. Whereas Ingrassia targeting the music enterprise, Greenstone helped the corporate set up itself within the culinary world by Vector Eats — however John at all times had visions of opening a restaurant sometime.
Now you’re more likely to discover Ingrassia wiping down tables at his newest enterprise, Ingrassia & Sons Italian Deli at 461 Humphreys St. in Wedgewood-Houston. His imaginative and prescient of the basic Italian American sandwich store is impressed by the beloved eateries of his previous — Leggio’s on Lengthy Island, the place he grew up, Di Bruno’s in Philadelphia, the place he went tocollege, and Faicco’s in Manhattan, the place he lived for 25 years.
“These had been locations that had been enjoyable and interactive the second you walked within the door,” Ingrassia remembers. “The folks behind the counter had massive personalities and plenty of East Coast perspective and had been at all times completely satisfied to introduce you to Italian meals and substances that you simply by no means tried earlier than and weren’t obtainable at supermarkets. And, in fact, they cared deeply in regards to the meals they had been serving.”
His cozy new deli on the nook of Martin and Humphreys streets opened just a little greater than per week in the past with strains out the door, serving from 10:30 a.m. till they run out of bread. Thankfully, as they’ve gotten their toes underneath themselves, the closing time has crept out daily. Presently, you’d higher arrive earlier than 4 p.m. if you’d like a sandwich, however future plans embody staying open till 6 p.m. in order that neighborhood residents can choose up a sandwich after work and/or some Italian groceries from the stocked cabinets that occupy the center space of the 25-seat restaurant.
Manning the kitchen is a longtime business professional named Jack Trooper, who occurs to be Ingrassia’s godson. Trooper grew up in Nashville and has returned dwelling after a culinary profession that included stints at Eleven Madison Park and dealing for molecular gastronomy pioneer Wylie Dufresne. One other neat connection to Nashville is the truth that his household as soon as owned Bobbie’s Dairy Dip for a interval.
Trooper brings his appreciable culinary expertise to all points of the sandwich store, particularly within the growth of two completely different signature forms of bread which might be the bases of a good listing of basic and new basic sandwiches.
The primary bread is a exceptional focaccia that’s mild and ethereal inside, but in addition sturdy sufficient to carry as much as hearty substances stacked excessive with out crumbling underneath the load. The second bread is a crusty hero roll sprinkled with sesame seeds. Whereas placing sesame seeds on a roll doesn’t appear spectacular, Trooper has designed a bread that truly hangs on to the seeds as a substitute of shedding them onto your desk as quickly as you choose up your hero. This enables them to really contribute a stunning nutty taste to sandwiches like what Ingrassia calls “The Holy Trinity of Parms” — hen, eggplant and meatball. I sampled one other Milanese-inspired Hen Cutlet Sandwich and was impressed by the crispy fry on the hen cutlet and considerate touches like including a tomato jam, peppery arugula and shaved parmesan. Trooper shared cheffy touches I barely observed, like an additional sprinkle of ending salt and the truth that he blanched the black Tuscan dinosaur kale to protect its vivid inexperienced colour earlier than whipping it into pesto for the Sneaky Italian Turkey Sandwich
Working for execs like Daniel Humm and Dufresne, the younger chef discovered in regards to the significance of seasoning and balancing flavors and acidity — components that present up in particulars like pickled pink onions to enhance the fattiness of the porchetta sandwich made with rough-chopped stomach wrapped in pork loin that’s braised in pork inventory as a substitute of being roasted, so it doesn’t dry out. The chef can also be engaged on a shredded pork shoulder ragu to mix his dwelling area with Ingrassia’s.
Along with all that bread baking, the pastry execs at Ingrassia additionally created desserts like a New York-style cheesecake with a biscotti crust and lemon curd glaze in addition to a pleasant olive oil cake made utilizing polenta that makes me consider the very best candy cornbread ever. I do know, I do know. Candy cornbread is meant to be blasphemy within the South, however while you name it dessert, I determine it’s fantastic.
Different candy treats embody a Del Posto-inspired tiramisu and a twice-baked pistachio croissant that jogged my memory of a extra delicate model of cannoli. Along with these grab-and-go desserts, the deli counter at Ingrassia & Sons provides cold and hot ready meals for carryout, starting from meatballs in sauce and fried hen cutlets to salads, roasted pink peppers, sauteed broccoli rabe and a transcendent caponata.
Avenue parking was surprisingly obtainable throughout my go to; that is particularly the case should you go to throughout off hours. Ingrassia & Sons is already a implausible lunch possibility in Wedgewood-Houston, and as they add breakfast, broaden their choices of imported Italian groceries and ready meals and keep open just a little later, this might simply be your anytime various for days you don’t really feel like cooking however nonetheless desire a particular meal.
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