hold the pickle vol. 10 ...

10 stops into this quest and i would have to admit that there have been some early success. ive traveled all over. ive partaken in delicious meals with good people. and i have started to compile & document the 1st staged of the baltimore sandwich quest. to achieve success on this quest ive braved i695, traveled side streets on the west and east sides of town, and for my latest installment i found myself in parkville on the urging of everyones favorite amateur poker player and everyones favorite left handed spiker for the salisbury universitys lady sea gulls volleyball team. their recommended eatery of sandwich notoriety was mastellones deli.

mastellones, as you can probably make out, is an italian deli. early on in journey of sandwich self discovery ive have stumbled upon a small handful of italian delis. one could almost argue that the italian deli in baltimore (the jewish deli could rival) is the gold standard for sandwich shops. fresh breads, cured meats, imported cheeses, exotic olive oils, salads of all colors, flavors, and variations. so my excursion to this parkville insititution was something that i was really looking forward to. in addition to being excited to try out another one of baltimores gold standard bearing italian delis, there was an added excitment factor because i had 2 companions on this excursion who were traveling to parkvilee for their 1st sandwich quest. my companions were the youngest rice brother and the west coast clare. our steed for this journey was the trusty mazda 3. with erdman ave and harford road in our sights we set out in search of some delicious northern baltimore italian sandwiches.

freshie

the exterior of mastellones is everything youre looking for in a hidden gem of a place. old signs, piles of leaves, and posters of italian soccer teams. with the expectation bar set high we went in to get our eat on. mastellones is set up as a hybrid deli/italian grocer/wine shop like the other 2 italian delis ive already visited, dipasquales and trinacria. working our way past the wine and through the imported oils we made our way to the deli counter and proceeded to order 5 sandwiches. (note: we were planning on returning to our familys house to have a post thanksgiving sandwich thanksgiving) we ordered the bora bora, the old world, porchetta, the meatball sub, and the fresh mozzarella and proscuitto. the menu was small, and these probably comprised of 50% of the sandwiches on the menu. in defense they were more than willing to accommodate a 'make your own' if we had so desired. but the journeyman of sandwiches likes to take it straight off the menu.

old world

the 4 sandwiches took a long time to be prepared. 1st way to kill time was to cross the street and head to another institution in parkville, the fenwick bakery. being in the bakery business i was intregued and needed to check it out. the cheese danish was awesome, the marshmallow doughnuts are the sugary-iest thing you will ever eat, and the coffee cake is very forgettable. (note: these were consumed after the sandwiches. i am not one to spoil my appetite when there is a sandwich on the line.)

sandwiches still werent ready. the west coast clare and the youngest rice brother spent a while in the wine area, then moved to the oils, then the pastas. sandwiches still werent ready. now normally i would be pissed if 20 minutes had passed and i hadnt got my sandwich, but i was with good company and was able to wander around the shop. and wandering around the shop is where we all transformed from sandwich questers to amateur gumshoes. in mastellones there were shirts for sale that were the same ones for sale at dipasquales. coincidence? in mastellones they had the same pastas and sauces on display as they do at dipasquales. coincidence? in mastellones they have a picture of the dipasquales brothers. coincidence? in mastellones they take half a loaf of italian bread rip out the stuffing, fill it with meatballs, and then stuff the stuffing back inside just like they do at dipasquales. coincidence? no. mastellones was purchased 12 years ago by the dipasquale family.

post thanksgiving sandwich thanksgiving

i have to admit i was a little disappointed. it felt like i was robbed of a sandwich quest experience. but then we got to our desired location. sat down with family and friends and proceeded to enjoy every last bite of italian bread, fresh mozzarella, sopressata, pork, meatballs, and proscuitto there was to have. it was then that i had the complete 180 on my feelings. the food was delicious, and it was fitting that on the 10th installment and the post thanksgiving sandwich thanksgiving was some how tied into the catalyst for my self appointed quest to find the most outrageous, unique, tastiest, and enjoyable sandwiches in baltimore.


**im always looking for folks to go and eat sandwiches with, so get in touch. also please send me your recommendations/demands of where i need to eat my next sandwich!**