LaSalle Market & Deli

The LaSalle Market & Deli is a combination of an imaginative menu, great prices, varied choice of sandwiches and pizza as well as friendly service puts this place on the reviewer’s short list of best sandwich shops.

Located at the end of the Farmington River bike trail is the little one horse town of Collinsville. An old mill town, the red brick industrial buildings are now occupied by a couple of antique shops and a restaurant or two. While scouting around for a place to eat we happened upon the LaSalle Market, Deli and Pizzeria. The name alone made us a little hesitant. What are the odds that they could make good sandwiches and pizza? Still the place had a certain ambiance that drew us in.

It’s located in a well maintained building circa the 1800’s. Big plate glass windows overlooking Main Street with tables nudged up against them promised great people watching.

What to eat at LaSalle Market & Deli

The pizza was easily among the best I’ve had in CT and on par with most in Manhattan. I sampled the “everything” (mushrooms, eggplant, onions, and sausage) along with the plain for reference. It’s a NY style with a thin foldable crust, not the usual New Haven style found in CT. The oil from high fat cheese that is found on the top of really authentic NY pizzeria slices is missing. I hardly noticed. Make sure you ask to have it heated, as they gave me my slices barely warm.

The unique sandwiches are piled high and cooked to order. My wife had the grilled Muenster chicken, consisting of grilled chicken carved off the bone (not the usual boneless breast) along with Muenster cheese, grilled onions, aioli, lettuce, and tomatoes on grilled rustica bread. All of their sandwiches are less than seven dollars, making it one of the best deals around. After placing your order you can take one of the half dozen or so outside seats, or one of the inside tables by the window overlooking the street.

To drink we tried their own LaSalle Market & Deli brand soda, the equal of Stewarts or any other specialty brand. As we waited for our order we eyed the sandwiches brought to other tables, each one making me wonder if I should have ordered it instead of our own choices. Regretfully, we were too stuffed to sample the cheesecake for dessert. I watched as the table next to us devoured a huge raspberry-infused piece. Based only on the way it looked I would suggest it would be worth trying.

The combination of an imaginative menu, great prices, varied choices and friendly service puts this on my short list of best sandwich shops.

Original post by Josh L.