One of the best things about eating, or even life, is coming across hidden gems when you least expect it. I definitely wasn't looking for anything spectacular when I hopped off the silver line and found myself in the most stunningly majestic area of the city I've ever seen – Northern Avenue, right by the harbor.
This was one of those moments where I snapped out of the daze I basically live in to find myself somewhere I’ve never been before doing something I’ve never done before. Like I said, wasn’t really looking for anything great, wasn’t even really that hungry. I was, however, about 45 minutes early for an event I had to attend for work, and in need of a way to kill time before I had to photograph commencement for the school that I work at.
For those of you who've never had the pleasure of being in that area, let me enlighten you. It’s a busy area, home to the outdoor Bank of America Pavilion (where commencement was taking place), a brand new, three-floor Legal Seafoods complete with a roof deck that overlooks the harbor, and, on that day, an enormous influx of Wentworth parents, friends, and family members crowding up the street and searching for each other in a panic. All this was kind of insane, but what really blew my mind was how somehow, despite the seemingly intense level of activity, the area still managed to appear strangely quiet — it has the kind of stunning majesty associated with the financial district and the brooding, concrete buildings that make up Washington, DC. I was both amazed a little intimidated, and felt like a little ant leaving the anthill for the first time, but rather than scurry away in fear at the intensity of it all, I wanted to curl up into a little ball and make it my home. It was weirdly comforting. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the only thing to the north of the Pavilion is the water itself, the knowing that if you dare “mess” with the area and try to move any further, you’ll find yourself in the Atlantic. I felt like the area was my parent, protecting me from any jerks who might challenge its authority.
Ok, maybe I sound nuts, but it was really cool, ok? Haters can go suck on some eggs.
The only thing on this side of town besides the aforementioned huge restaurants and the Pavilion itself was an intriguing looking deli/convenience store called J. Pace and Sons. One glance at the place and I could tell by both the number of customers in there and by the assertive attitude of the workers that it’s famous in that part of the city. It was really busy – although the line circulated the entire deli counter and continued into the racks of wine, it still managed to move very quickly. Clearly, they don't mess around. They seem to be established, know what they want their business to be, and stick to it – at least that's the feeling I got. Like I said, I had nowhere to be for about 45 minutes (and there was nowhere else to sit) so I got in line and ordered a "Big Dig," a huge sandwich with prosciutto, mozzarella, basil, and red peppers. Couldn't have come up with a better combination myself.
As you can see, I was already well into the sandwich by the time it occurred to me to take a picture. When it comes to sandwiches, it doesn't really take too much to please me. Every Friday, I go to the same Au Bon Pain in Cambridge and order a turkey, swiss, lettuce, and mustard sandwich, and nothing can make me happier in that moment than one of those sandwiches. But hold your horses, I can still appreciate an out of this world sandwich such as this one, I'm Italian, remember?
I watched the guy at the deli counter take a fresh ball of mozzarella and slice it perfectly for my sandwich, so that of course was wonderful (you all know how I feel about cheese). Watching him slice that cheese ball was a very tempting, almost religious experience ... I felt like it was something I'd been waiting to see my whole life. He put a lot of fresh basil on it too, something that's always kind of an afterthought to me, but it really does make quite the difference. And the peppers, eh, I'm not a huge fan of red peppers unless they're grilled and served with steak, but they definitely added a nice touch. And what kind of Italian would I be if I didn't go coo coo for prosciutto? (How do you even spell "coo coo?" I don't know). Point is, I love prosciutto a lot, and I put it on a lot of things I cook – especially flatbread pizza! Yum.
Anyway, if you're ever up in the motherland (Northern Avenue will henceforth be referred to as "the motherland,") check out this great deli. They also have a mini grocery area, where you can pick up essentials as needed. I just googled the place and it turns out they have several locations! Check them out. Trust me, they're the best.
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