St. Louisans know the Hill. They love the Hill. They can’t get enough of the Hill. And that’s the impetus behind Vitale’s Deli, slated to open at 425 N. Sappington in Glendale in July.
Owner Mike Vitale understands both neighborhoods: he grew up on the Hill but has lived in Glendale for the last seven years. His family owns Vitale’s Bakery, long time supplier of Italian bread to Anthonino’s Taverna, Blues City Deli, the three Saracino-family restaurants, the eight Gianino family restaurants, as well as the hot dog buns to both locations of Steve’s Hot Dogs. Vitale’s also supplies pizza shells and doughballs to many of the above accounts as well as the shells for Dog Town Pizza (its biggest account). Understandably, the 48-year-old Vitale said he’s “been baking bread pretty much all my life.”
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One thing Vitale’s Bakery doesn’t do is sell sandwiches; Vitale’s Deli will.
On his daily drive past the diminutive space at 425 N. Sappington, Vitale (right) swore that if the former beauty salon (located directly across the street from the Glendale Fire Station) ever became available, he’d put a restaurant there. The size (600 square feet) and the zoning (it’s located in a residential area) precluded doing anything too intricate, so Vitale thought an old-school deli (“one that played Italian music”) would fit the bill.
Vitale theorizes that since “everybody works” in Glendale, he’d focus on made-to-order, box-lunch-style sandwiches that the breadwinners (sorry!) could order in advance and pick up on their way to work. He envisions Vitale’s primarily as a morning stop, where customers pick up coffee, muffins, bagels, the bakery’s signature cookies, or perhaps some biscotti, one of the items Vitale has been making at the family bakery for years.
By the time the deli opens at 7 a.m., he will have already picked up the day’s fresh bread. He added that a few of the bakery’s specialties—classic Italian bread, cinnamon, bread, and knot rolls, “all of them three hours old”—will be available for sale at the deli as well.
The initial menu will consist of ten sandwiches, plus several side dishes. All sandwiches—like the hefty Pete’s Special, with roast beef, tavern ham, and salami—will be made with Boar’s Head meat and cheese. To add a unique touch, the bread baker created a tall, round 5-inch diameter sandwich roll that’s different than any other in town for “Hill-style sandwiches with my special touch,” Vitale said.
Instead of finding a location for a restaurant, Vitale and his wife first fell in love with the site, then created a concept that would comply with the existing zoning. What resulted was a pick-up and carry-out affair—with no seats (initially anyway) and a simple kitchen. The couple envision the deli being open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., six days a week. Authentic Italian gelato (courtesy of Gelato di Riso, located on the Hill) will be part of the product mix as well.
“To say we love this neighborhood would be an understatement,” added the affable deli-owner-to-be. “When I was younger, I thought I could never live any place other than the Hill. Now, it’s nowhere else but here.”
The Vitale’s were encouraged after introducing themselves and their idea at the recent Glendale JazzFest. Mike Vitale said “There were 4000 people there and I think we made 3000 friends. The response was exactly what we’d hoped for.”
Vitale’s Deli
425 N. Sappington
Glendale
Opening July 2015
