A Hoboken Food Fairytale

Once upon a time in a land not so far away, there existed a delightful Italian deli named Piccininnis in the middle of quaint Hoboken, New Jersey. Inside, one could order a variety of sandwiches, Italian specialty products, wines, and items purchased at a store like BJ's that were clearly marked "Not for Individual Sale". However, the draw of this small business was assembling the perfect sandwich in the eyes of the husband.

Fortunately, for him it was mere footsteps away. The exact number of footsteps were never counted, however the path was something like going down one flight of stairs to the main door of our old building, walking down another six stairs to the sidewalk and then taking a right and walking no more than twenty steps to a bit of heaven on earth. The proximity to such a wonderful establishment was extremely hard to leave when the days in Hoboken were up.



We celebrated the husband's birthday recently, a birth date he shares with former infamous mafioso Carlo Gambino, former baseball player Cal Ripkin, Jr., and Craig Kilborn. When asked what he would like for his birthday meal, he gave the simple answer of a sandwich. I was stumped. What kind of sandwich would I prepare for his birthday? A simple PB&J would not suffice, nor would a grilled cheese. What to make? Then all of a sudden it hit me, I would make his favorite sandwich from Hoboken that he had not had in years.

One of the husband's favorite sandwiches from Piccininnis was the Hoboken Delight. This sandwich featured sun-dried tomatoes, fresh mozzerella (a.k.a. fresh "mutz"), turkey, fresh bread, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and lettuce and tomato. Or, at least these were all the items on the sandwich that I could remember.

Before work on the day of the husband's birthday, I stopped in Whole Foods (a.k.a Whole Paycheck) to pick up the last minute fresh items for this sandwich masterpiece. I wanted to get the freshest bread, freshest deli meat, and balsamic vinegar (our last drops of balsamic vinegar were consumed during our haste of moving).

It was killing me to not make anything homemade for his birthday. On the day prior to the day in which he celebrates another year. I attempted to make another of his favorites...pickles.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the Hoboken Delight and Quick Pickles.

Hoboken Delight
Printable Recipe
4 ciabatta sandwich rolls
1 pound fresh oven-roasted turkey
1 ball of fresh mutz
sun-dried tomatoes
4 piece of lettuce
balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil

1. Slice open the sandwich rolls.
2. Delicately place 1 piece of lettuce on the bottom of each roll. Top with tomatoes (enough to cover the length of the bread. Place about three pieces of thinly sliced mutz on top of tomatoes. Top with 1/4 pound of turkey. Drizzle vinegar and oil over sandwich.

Quick Pickles (adapted from Eating Well)
Printable Recipe
1 1/4 pound cucumbers, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 thinly sliced medium onion
2 cloves slivered garlic
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon mustard seed

1. Place cucumbers in a colander set in the sink. Sprinkle with salt; stir to combine. Let stand 20 minutes. Rinse, drain and transfer to a large heatproof bowl.
2. Meanwhile, combine vinegars, brown sugar, onion, garlic, dill, and mustard seed in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the hot liquid over the cucumbers; stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to bring to room temperature.
   

Finally, how does the story end? The husband was pleased with his birthday sandwich and told me that he thought it also had ham. Ugh, I was close, but no cigar.

How does the story end for Piccininnis? Unfortunately, we heard that it closed down. It is a coincidence that it closed a few years after we moved? You can draw your own conclusions.