Defalco's Italian Grocery
2334 N Scottsdale Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85257
Defalco's reminds me of many Italian deli's in New York. Racks of Italian foods that are often hard to find, and a long line to get waited on.
The sandwiches are food of the Gods. Well stuffed with premium ingredients, some are so big that they consist of more food than many third world countries eat in a month! Their hot sandwiches evoke wonderful memories of sandwiches eaten many years ago in New York, and the wonderful aromas made my stomach rumble in anticipation of the food it was soon to receive.
If you find that a sandwich is too much to eat, you can get a half sandwich for a few dollars less. Several selections on the menu are vegetarian, including an excellent eggplant parmigiana and an outstanding grilled portobello mushroom sandwich with goat cheese.
For those from back east, they serve a terrific sausage, pepper and onion sandwich which will bring back memories of places long gone. They also have sausage and meatball sandwiches that i was hard pressed to try and finish. However, leave room for dessert. Traditional Cannelloni, Cheesecake, Tiramisu, Napoleons - all wonderful. Of course, its even better with a cup of cappuccino or espresso or a latte to help wash it all down.
Lest I forget, they also have a selection of calzones as well as pizza's and pasta's.
They stock a wonderful assortment of Italian food stuffs ranging from olive oils to boxed pastas along with an excellent wine section. In addition, Defalco's produces some of it's own pastas as well as it's own homemade sausages.
While there is not an abundance of tables, you can eat on the premises if you wish. Defalco's is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. so you can eat lunch or dinner there. Be prepared for portions that are large - in fact many of them could easily be split between 2 people.
To be honest, nothing about Defalco's is cheap, but then again, you are getting premium ingredients in large quantities for that premium price.
Other than it is hard to find parking and the sometimes a long line one has to wait in to get service I can't really find anything to complain about. Good food, good service worth waiting for, and good attitudes all add up to a solid 4 star rating.