bocco deli is a refreshing wichita winner
Posted on 24. Jun, 2011 by Carrie in dine
words > JESSY CLONTS
Bocco Deli has received high praise, both for its fresh menu and its owner’s pedigree. With humble concurrence, Bocco Deli is top notch.
Owner Nathan Toubia serves as the catering coordinator, document signer, and when needed, the delivery guy for Bocco Deli. Endearingly, his hands are deeply steeped in his small business. And although his roots are in Mediterranean food,— his father Antoine founded the Latour dynasty that gave us Piccadilly, Olive Tree and Bagatelle Bakery—Nathan’s culinary education lies in Italian cuisine, having apprenticed at Lidia’s Italy in Kansas City while attending culinary school, and even meeting celebrity Italian chef Mario Batali. “The last thing I wanted was another hummus place in Wichita,” jokes Toubia. What we have been given instead is a beautiful, inexpensive Italian style deli that more than satisfies the hunger for fresh, artisan sandwiches, salads and soups.
The cheerful eatery houses about ten tables for various party numbers, including an eight-top in its own nook, surrounded by low wooden bookshelves loaded with small paintings and ceramics. The warm yellow walls are adorned with a quirky collection of nature and abstract paintings for sale. The Beatles play softly on the speakers, and at just before noon on a Thursday, Bocco quickly fills with patrons.
On any other sandwich menu one can find either monotony, brilliance, or a run-of-the-mill combination teetering on the brink of either direction. At Bocco, the sandwiches are consistently brilliant. Homemade ingredients go far with the discerning customer; homemade bread exceeds expectations.
Reviews here and there rave about the Bocco BLT sandwich ($5.45). Believe all of it. A stack of house-baked sweet pepper bacon, garlic mayonnaise, chopped romaine, and sliced Roma tomato on homemade cheesey focaccia bread, this is a sandwich that will leave you wanting seconds and thirds. It is a healthy bacon: thickly cut, hardly any fat, and baked to a jerky-like tender. A rush of sweetness hits at first bite, then blends with the savory garlic mayo against a soft, chewy focaccia bun, and finishes with a burst of oregano. Friends should take bets on who can resist returning for another in less than a week.
Other heavy hitters include the Grilled Veggie ($4.95) on homemade crusty soft flatbread, with its fat slices of roasted, al dente, summer vegetables and provolone, and the manly Pasta Salad ($1.25) of penne, cubed cheeses, salami and pepperoncinis in a red wine vinaigrette.
The most surprising salad was the Red Slaw ($1.25), a simple yet balanced combination of red cabbage, scallions and Parmesan in a red wine vinaigrette. The salty, pungent cheese cuts the bitterness of the crunchy cabbage then blends with the umami vinegar in the dressing. Nothing else could make me happy to have a mouthful of salad garnish. It’s a perfect compliment to the BLT.
Italian desserts are sublime, and Bocco Deli does not disappoint. The Pistachio Ice Cream ($2.75) relies more on its strong nutty flavor than any added sugars. It finishes clean, more like gelato than the long, milky finish of ice cream. Served with a thin, cinnamony homemade almond cookie, you will scrape every last drop from the bottom of the cup. Bocco’s Tiramisu ($2.25) sets itself apart from others by keeping the rum and espresso-soaked ladyfingers intact rather than over-soaking them into a mushy mess. Topped with sweet mascarpone cheese and dusted with cocoa, one can be satisfied stopping in just for this for a midday pick-me-up with a cup of coffee.
In a city where one can find a BLT in about two thirds of all restaurants, it’s the little things that set one apart from another. Homemade bread, friendly service, fresh flowers on the tables and quality ingredients make Bocco Deli a champion. Here is a lunch spot that warrants multiple guilt-free visits within a week. Three cheers for Bocco Deli! Look for Toubia’s new venture this summer, which will feature a more upscale Italian dining experience, at 4811 E. Central, the site that formerly housed Sugar Sisters Bakery & Cafe.
