Like the other AJ's this one is a pleasant place to shop and find some hard to find items and some very nice ones too of often the highest quality. They carry Rustichella di Abruzzi pasta which is superior and a large assortment of condiments and really excellent meats.
I typically use the deli section for a few prepared items which are very good and over priced. I do not get the Boar's Head Brand thing out here. Being from the east coast I guess we just have access to better deli products and no one I know gets excited by Boar's Head when we can have delicious italian imported meats and charcuterie. There is no comparison! Now that Whole Foods is here I think AJ's is going to have to re-invent itself and change their deli department. If they don't step up to the plate they will likely fade into obscuity like so many other places have here in Scottsdale/Phoenix
The staff is the best asset of AJ's and always has been. I have observed their resilience to fussy customers and particularly in the Pinnacle Peak store to some pretty obnoxious New York types that don't get the friendliness factor here in AZ. At this store they are jsut as nice as can be and always pleasant and helpful AT THE VERY HIGHEST LEVEL (the exception is Neil in the Deli who was gruff and unpleasant when we arrived at 8:30 PM while he was closing up the deli,my friend asked if he had soup and he said it had been put away, anyone else would have said "Absolutely, let me get some for you to try") A lovely lady at the deli told us to ignore him because he was from Philadelphia! Well my suggestion to him is go back to Philly.