While in the Middletown area today, I took the opportunity to stop by a little Italian grocer that I’d noticed some months ago and bookmarked: Lino’s Market, in Durham.

My kind of place.

Giant TV screens aside, I like to think this bears some resemblance to the small stores that used to be the standard places to obtain grinders – before the rise of dedicated grinder shops – but what do I know?

They had an “Italian combo” on the menu, but the name only dictated the bread, meat, and cheese – I had to specify all the veggies and toppings myself.  Good.  That’s how I like to do it.

Ham, salami, capicola, provolone, roasted peppers, tomato, onion, oil, and vinegar.  Undoubtedly, you’re already noticing that bread.  Marvelously crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside.  Among the best bread I’ve seen used on a grinder.

Well-assembled (although I would have put the tomato on top), and elevated considerably by that bread.  I’d rank this one alongside Hall’s Market‘s: not a mind-blowing experience, but an excellent example all the same.

Another sandwich that I’ll mention is what I recently had from the Pol-Smak Polish Deli in Terryville, a tiny store with one counter, a couple of aisles, and a sandwich menu that listed only turkey and ham.

I could get my sandwich on a Portuguese roll or a grinder roll.  I hadn’t felt like completely stuffing myself, so a Portuguese roll it was.

Check out that thinly-sliced ham.  The lone woman behind the counter knew exactly what she was doing.  The veggies were a refreshing mix of cucumbers, red onion, and tomato, and the cheese was Gouda.  You could choose from any cheese in the deli case; perhaps this extended to the meats as well, but I figured I would stick to what was written on the menu for the time being.  A very competently done sandwich, and an absolute steal at $4.99.