New York interloper threatens our way of eating

[MarketStEl]

Back on my blog, I had made a passing reference to a threat to our way of eating that I wanted to address. I'm finally getting around to addressing it.

We all know that, with very few exceptions, the best sandwich shops in town use Dietz & Watson cold cuts for their hoagies. D&W is a high-quality, hometown provisioner, in business since 1939. (Hmmmm. The same year the DiBruno brothers started selling cheese. Coincidence?)

And when Philly-area shoppers want something better at their supermarket deli counter, it's usually Dietz & Watson that they ask for. (That also applies to ShopRite customers, for D&W makes the chain's "Black Bear" premium deli line.)

At many smaller shops, like my local convenience store, there's no chance of getting an inferior product:

But in my meanderings around the city, I've noticed an alien presence cropping up in more and more places. It's invaded Harry Ochs' deli case at the Reading Terminal Market, for instance:

I've also spotted it at Old Nelson Food Co. But I got alarmed when I stopped by the Super Fresh, and not only had it moved into the space where the Dietz & Watson meats had been in their deli counter:

but they even boasted about the body-snatching!

It appears that the century-old Brooklyn provisioner is expanding nationally in a big way, recruiting distributors in cities across the country. I can remember when only a very few places (coughDiBruno'scough) down here carried Boar's Head products--and when they disappeared from DiBruno's, I was told that it was because the company wanted exclusivity wherever its products were sold.

I guess they aren't as fastidious about that any more, since they share shelf space with the A&P store brand and a bunch of lesser lights in the deli cases of more than 70 Super Fresh stores--and they are right alongside Dietz & Watson at the five--soon to be six--Freshgrocer locations (the chain will build a new supermarket near 19th and Olney in partnership with La Salle University. And they may add a seventh location, as I've heard rumors that they will become the anchor supermarket in Progress Plaza, the historic strip mall just south of the Temple campus, which lost its anchor tenant when Super Fresh closed its store a few years back).

I'm tempted to mount a campaign urging all good Philadelphians to rise up and oppose this latest effort to annex us to New York, except there's one small problem:

I've bought Boar's Head meats, and they just taste better.

Start hanging the black crepe, folks. We've just taken a giant step towards sixth-borough-hood.

[rlibkind]

Harry Ochs, among others, sells Boar's Head all-beef, natural casing franks. It's not Best Provisions (Newark) nor Ussinger's (Milwaukee), but it is very, very good. And, at least for the products I've tasted, Boar's Head isn't just marginally better than D&W, it's lots better. Although I'm a "newcomer" to Philadelphia (I only moved here 27 years ago from Hoboken) I've never thought D&W was a superior product.

[Lori in PA]

Hoagicide. That's too wonderful.

[MarketStEl]

Harry Ochs, among others, sells Boar's Head all-beef, natural casing franks. It's not Best Provisions (Newark) nor Ussinger's (Milwaukee), but it is very, very good. And, at least for the products I've tasted, Boar's Head isn't just marginally better than D&W, it's lots better. Although I'm a "newcomer" to Philadelphia (I only moved here 27 years ago from Hoboken) I've never thought D&W was a superior product.

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Frankly, I thought that the quality of meats in the now-closed Planet Hoagie across the street, which used Hatfield meats, was better than that at the Pac a Deli--though the Pac a Deli's hoagies are certainly good enough.

Agreed, BTW, on the degree of distinction between D&W and Boar's Head. To paraphrase their ads from the 1990s, their ham is worth the bread. So is their turkey, and their chicken, and everything else.

[Bobby 2 Shakes]

Maybe the folks at Dietz & Watson will kick in a few bucks and get a copy of Charcuterie.

Edited to add: Sandy, "Hoagicide" unfolds to reveal yet another layer of your mastery of the English language. Kudos.

Edited May 6, 2006 by bob tenaglio (log)

[MarketStEl]

Maybe the folks at Dietz & Watson will kick in a few bucks and get a copy of Charcuterie.

Edited to add: Sandy, "Hoagicide" unfolds to reveal yet another layer of your mastery of the English language. Kudos.

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Thanks.

Nice--and very clever--review you wrote of the book on Amazon.com, BTW.

Since we're talking language for now, I'm going to go off on a tangent:

I'm looking forward to going to the office Monday morning to see how--or whether--my boss reacts to the headline I put on a release I wrote about that semester-abroad program I mentioned in my blog:

Hospitality Management Students Offered Swiss Stake

(There's a more straightforward subhead to bring the thing back down to earth: "New study abroad program offers international perspective".)

Edited May 7, 2006 by MarketStEl (log)

[mizducky]

I'm looking forward to going to the office Monday morning to see how--or whether--my boss reacts to the headline I put on a release I wrote about that semester-abroad program I mentioned in my blog:

Hospitality Management Students Offered Swiss Stake

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Ow.

Is there a topic on food-related puns? If not, maybe there should be. Even though it could turn into a really painful experience. (And would eat up more of my ever-shrinking free time. )

Okay, valiantly attempting to haul this sorta back on topic: the Boar's Head website turns out to be a little Disneyland of computer animation--especially their so-called "Digicatessen" (ow! I'm in pain again!). I do like their products, though I admit to a little head-scratching over buying pastrami from a company with a pig's head as its logo.

[Fat Guy]

I think of Boar's Head as the brand of choice at good delis, but not at the best delis. Boar's Head is probably the best producer of a widely available full line of deli meats, however for each category of deli meat there are some better mass producers -- for example Citterio is better for all the Italian cold cuts and is what I expect to see at the next level up of deli. At the very top level of deli, though, you shouldn't see any of the big commercial brand names. You should see unlabeled and often misshapen salume, and the things like roast beef, turkey and pastrami should be actual roast beef, actual turkey and actual pastrami -- as in made on premises or by a local operation that makes the stuff fresh.

Also I'm not sure I agree that Boar's Head is superior across the board to D&W. I'd have to line all the products up and compare. I think Boar's Head is probably better in most categories, but for example I think the D&W cheeses may be better than Boar's Head. Again, I'd have to do a side-by-side.

[Fresser]

I'm tempted to mount a campaign urging all good Philadelphians to rise up and oppose this latest effort to annex us to New York, except there's one small problem:

I've bought Boar's Head meats, and they just taste better.

Start hanging the black crepe, folks.  We've just taken a giant step towards sixth-borough-hood.

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Now just calm down, Sandy. Dr. Fresser will write you a prescription for Hoagizine.

[moosnsqrl]

Not having tried D&W I can't offer comparison but I have noticed Boar's Head moving through our market like kudzu and they are quite proud of their products as evidenced by their ubiquitous patio umbrellas and other logo swag that is invariably takes over whatever grocer allows them to get their trotters in the door. I don't find their quality that impressive, though. Certainly not to the extent it would cause me to abandon a lifelong favorite.

[Jason Perlow]

Oh stop your worrying. Boar's Head is good stuff. Especially their hot dogs, which scored best overall in all criteria in our roundup in July 2004.

Edited May 7, 2006 by Jason Perlow (log)

[docsconz]

I love Boar's Head products and am quite pleased to see them becoming more available in my area. I am particularly fond of their boiled ham sliced very thin and bologna Both are exceptional on good fresh Italian bread without any additional adornment. The ham is also great on rye while the bologna shines on regular white bread or its relatives. Their olive loaf is pretty good too. I am not as overawed with their other products, although they too are of high quality.

[MarketStEl]

Oh stop your worrying. Boar's Head is good stuff. Especially their hot dogs, which scored best overall in all criteria in our roundup in July 2004.

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That's the problem!

It's not just good, it's better than the hometown fave!

Oh, the ignominy of it all...

I think I need a refill on that Hoagizine prescription.

[MarketStEl]

I think of Boar's Head as the brand of choice at good delis, but not at the best delis. Boar's Head is probably the best producer of a widely available full line of deli meats, however for each category of deli meat there are some better mass producers -- for example Citterio is better for all the Italian cold cuts and is what I expect to see at the next level up of deli. At the very top level of deli, though, you shouldn't see any of the big commercial brand names. You should see unlabeled and often misshapen salume, and the things like roast beef, turkey and pastrami should be actual roast beef, actual turkey and actual pastrami -- as in made on premises or by a local operation that makes the stuff fresh.

Near me, I guess that means DiBruno's on Chestnut. I've not purchased deli items from them yet, though, so I'm only assuming based on the displays.

It might also mean Koch's Deli--anyone around here from University City who can confirm or refute?

As for that very top level of deli: Nope, haven't run across any of that species around here. At least not yet. Time for another research project, perhaps.

Also I'm not sure I agree that Boar's Head is superior across the board to D&W. I'd have to line all the products up and compare. I think Boar's Head is probably better in most categories, but for example I think the D&W cheeses may be better than Boar's Head. Again, I'd have to do a side-by-side.

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D&W has a decent horseradish Cheddar and a pretty good New York State sharp processed, but I can't really do a comparison here, for I haven't bought any Boar's Head cheese save their deli double Gloucester, which I thought lacked the characteristic tanginess of that variety. *sigh* More research.

[DTBarton]

I have to say that I've never been that impressed with D&W or Boar's Head. To me they're OK quality middle of the road cold cuts. Maybe a little better than the regular grocery store stuff. I don't care for most deli turkey. If I'm going to do turkey, our local Safeway cooks turkey breasts in with the rotisserie chickens. Makes a great sandwich.

I agree that Citterio is better for Italian stuff. I wanted to alert you Italian cold cut folks to a new find. Recently, our local Giant supermarket started carrying a brand called Fiorucci. Don't know if they're independent or a division of someone else. Their hot capocolla and dry salami are very good. They also have a soprasetta in a size for slicing (larger diameter) that's excellent. Only thing I've tried that was just OK was the Genoa salami, stick with the dry.

[MarketStEl]

I agree that Citterio is better for Italian stuff.  I wanted to alert you Italian cold cut folks to a new find.  Recently, our local Giant supermarket started carrying a brand called Fiorucci.  Don't know if they're independent or a division of someone else.

You mean to tell me they've gotten tired of poking fun at fashion with their fashions?

Their hot capocolla and dry salami are very good.  They also have a soprasetta in a size for slicing (larger diameter) that's excellent.  Only thing I've tried that was just OK was the Genoa salami, stick with the dry.

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Oh, you mean this Fiorucci?

And which Giant? Giant (Landover, Md.) or Giant (Carlisle, Pa.)?

Their Web site says their products are available at Giant stores in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington D.C. Even though both Giant chains are owned by the same company (Royal Ahold NV), they are separate and distinct operations.

The web site lists Acme, Clemens Family Markets, Pathmark, Redner's Warehouse Markets, ShopRite, Wegmans and Weis Markets as the chains that stock their products in and around Southeastern Pennsylvania.

(I believe Giant stores in New Jersey are part of the Maryland-based chain.)

[rlibkind]

There's no single deli that offers the best of every item they sell, imho, not even DiBruno's. But by selective shopping, you can approximate it. DiBruno's and Claudio's cover a lot of the bases as far as Italian is concerned. The Famous does well with some of the Jewish staples (we'll wait to see how the new kosher style deli at the RTM does), and for German you can try Rieker's in the NE and, at the Reading Terminal Market, Dutch Country Meats for a small but excellent selection of bolognas, head cheeses and veal loaves (as well as a few brats), L. Halteman's for some smoked items as well as some sausages, and even Hatville Farms which generally carries cheaper stuff but does have a couple of items worth purchasing (like souse). (I dearly miss Siegfried's for German style cold cuts). Another national purveyor of Italian cold cuts is Volpi from "The Hill" in St. Louis; some of their meats (many of which are at least as good as Citterio and Fioruci) contribute to the superiority of Salumeria's hoagies.

I concur DTBarton regarding the superiority of most supermarket cooked turkey breast over deli turkey; that sometimes holds true for roast beef as well.

[MarketStEl]

I concur DTBarton regarding the superiority of most supermarket cooked turkey breast over deli turkey; that sometimes holds true for roast beef as well.

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Freshgrocer at 56th and Market/Chestnut was running a special on store-cooked turkey breast for $2.49 a half pound when I swung by the place yesterday evening. Maybe I'll head home via 69th Street again later this week to buy some.

I tell you, this place is fabulous. Their prepared foods to take out section includes Chinese, pizza, traditional comfort fare, Caribbean dishes and soul food. (There might have been some arugula with balsamic vinaigrette stuffed in a corner somewhere, but I wasn't able to sniff it out.)

I will also grant that deli turkey breast is always and everywhere not as good as real roasted turkey breast, but also note that Boar's Head is at least edible and tastes like turkey, as opposed to some brands I've had that taste like water and MSG.

Edited May 9, 2006 by MarketStEl (log)

[DTBarton]

Oh, you mean this Fiorucci? http://www.fioruccifoods.com/

Yep, that looks like the folks.

And which Giant? Giant (Landover, Md.) or Giant (Carlisle, Pa.)?

Mine is Giant (Landover MD). I'm in Edgewater, MD, just south of Annapolis. We have a Giant store in town. The Fiorucci stuff just showed up recently. I hope someone other than me is buying it. I find that often when a local large grocery store starts stocking something I like, it disappears rather quickly. I figure I'm the only one that bought it!

[DTBarton]

"I will also grant that deli turkey breast is always and everywhere not as good as real roasted turkey breast, but also note that Boar's Head is at least edible and tastes like turkey, as opposed to some brands I've had that taste like water and MSG."

Agreed. The better quality stuff is edible. And bad deli turkey, as you say, is REALLY bad!

We have another nice local option for sandwich turkey. At Graul's market in Annapolis (a local supermarket) they have real roasted turkey breast that they slice at the deli. best of both worlds in that you get the real turkey and you don't have to buy the whole breast. But Grauls is a little out of the way on a regular basis for me, I hit them when I go to downtown Annapolis.

[Fat Guy]

I don't know if this trick works in Philly, but in NYC one of the best strategies if you want a turkey sandwich made from roasted-on-premises turkey is to bypass the deli and go to the diner. A lot of the standard-issue, usually Greek-owned diners in NYC roast a couple of turkeys every day and carve them for sandwiches as a matter of course.

[Kris]

*tee hee*

As a lifelong NYCer who is planning to move to Delaware within the next year, I was elated to learn that the local Super Fresh supermarket near where my parents live in DE recently dumped their Dietz and Watson line and replaced it with Boars Head.

In my humble opinion, Dietz and Watson can't compare to Boars Head. I rarely eat deli pork products (e.g. salami, sopressata, cappicola and the like) so I can't really compare if the Citterio brand is better in that regard.

But I DO know that as far as deli turkey goes, I haven't tasted a brand yet that compares with Boars Head. Boars Head tastes like real turkey and doesn't have that briny, watery & slimy consistency that other brands have. And it comes in a variety of tasty flavors. Even Boars Head low-sodium turkey is good.

Boars Head is pricey. But it's worth it.

I hope the Boars Head invasion of DE, PA and surrounding areas continues!

[MarketStEl]

*tee hee*

As a lifelong NYCer who is planning to move to Delaware within the next year, I was elated to learn that the local Super Fresh supermarket near where my parents live in DE recently dumped their Dietz and Watson line and replaced it with Boars Head.

In my humble opinion, Dietz and Watson can't compare to Boars Head.  I rarely eat deli pork products (e.g. salami, sopressata, cappicola and the like) so I can't really compare if the Citterio brand is better in that regard.

But I DO know that as far as deli turkey goes, I haven't tasted a brand yet that compares with Boars Head.  Boars Head tastes like real turkey and doesn't have that briny, watery & slimy consistency that other brands have.  And it comes in a variety of tasty flavors.  Even Boars Head low-sodium turkey is good. 

Boars Head is pricey.  But it's worth it.  

I hope the Boars Head invasion of DE, PA and surrounding areas continues!

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I have yet to run across Citterio down this way.

As I've had the opportunity to taste identical products of the two leading meat packers in the Philadelphia region, I've invariably found that I prefer the Hatfield product to Dietz and Watson. (See my comment on the now-shuttered Planet Hoagie upthread.)

Boar's Head, AFAIK, does not make cappicola. D&W produces an approximation it calls "hamcola", which sounds like a cross between Spam and Pepsi, but it will do if nothing else is available. I believe Hatfield also makes an Italian-style hot spiced ham, but I haven't had any yet except on a Planet Hoagie hoagie (again, see above).

Frankly, D&W turkey breast is also acceptable, though it's not as good as Boar's Head.

[Diann]

I have yet to run across Citterio down this way.

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Trader Joe's carries some Citterio products: rosemary ham, prosciutto, bresaola, and, I think, salami and provolone slices sold together. I grew up eating Boar's Head but what I REALLY like is Applegate Farms' herbed turkey.

Edited because I can't spell... or count, apparently.

Edited July 6, 2006 by Diann (log)

[John]

I've never done a side by side comparison of Dietz and Watson and Boars Head. Or Thumann's. I've heard that Thumann's is pretty popular in Philadelphia. One of the more popular hoagie joints there uses this brand. They also make the best beef/pork frank.

Best Provisions out of Newark also makes quality beef products. Franks, burgers, pastrami, corned beef, and roast beef. I don't know if they are available in Philly, but just this past week I learned from the plant manager at Best that the private label pastrami, roast beef, and corned beef sold at Wegman's is from Best.