On the way home from visiting, dad would stop at a mom and pop grocery and buy grinders

I guess things have changed a lot in Connecticut if most subs are bought in pizza joints. I remember having to go into small grocery stores to get them made, and pizzerias didn’t sell anything but pies..

 

Today I went to the Krauszer’s in East Hartford to try their sandwiches.  Not quite mom ‘n’ pop, but a small chain with small stores that’s been around for a long time.  

 

Note the Dietz & Watson sign – refreshing to see something other than Boar’s Head advertised!  

 

 

I remember the Krauszer’s in Cromwell having a Kohler sign behind their counter. They once served me some fantastic roast beef.

 

The menu stretched over to the right.  The selection was very impressive – more choices than I’d seen at a lot of dedicated grinder shops.  I wanted to get a clearer picture of the menu but couldn’t do so inconspicuously.  There were several patrons waiting.

 

 

I noticed immediately that they cooked the ingredients for their hot grinders onsite!  One fellow had a cheesesteak prepared for him while I waited.  I ordered a “spicy Italian” in their smallest size with dressing, mayo, and salt and pepper.  They asked me what kind of cheese, and I chose provolone, after a moment’s pause because I wasn’t used to having anything other than provolone available in grinder shops.  

 

 

From what I could tell without pulling everything apart, the meats were capicola, salami, and ham.  They were excellent.  The bread was as good as it looks.  There wasn’t as much mayo as my picture suggests.

 

 

And here’s the real kicker: it was a whopping $4.49.  This was the most inexpensive grinder I’ve come across, and I’ve definitely paid more for lesser grinders in the past.  I ended up getting a bag of State Line chips (yeah, Krauszer’s had them!) to meet the $5 minimum for credit cards, though I needed to replenish my supply anyway.

 

I’ll certainly be returning to this store to try their other sandwiches.