Phantom Gourmet: Victor's Deli In Somerville

SOMERVILLE - There is really nothing quite like home cooking: meatloaf, Shepherd's Pie, hot soup, fresh carved turkey, or overloaded calzones. When you can't do it yourself, you can always count on the folks at Victor's Deli.

Located on Broadway in Somerville, Victor's is a neighborhood institution known for serving hearty, homestyle cooking for over thirty years. It all started back in 1982, when Victor Moccia and his wife Rosa started serving customers as if they were family.

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"I cook exactly the way I cook for my family," Rosa said. "I cook anything you want me to cook. Every day I come up with something different, and they can't believe the food is so good, and I enjoy to do it."

While Victor still serves customers and Rosa cooks in the kitchen, the next generation has taken over much of the operation. Daughter Nancy Fucile and her husband Jason are the friendly faces you'll find behind the line, plating up oversized portions of all of the food you love.

"You're gonna see the eggplant, the lasagna, the chicken, the Shepherd's Pie, the stir fry, our homemade soups," Jason listed. "People mix and match meals all the time. We customize to every customer.

"We're a family-run operation. It's a home away from home for a lot people to get your comfort food, your fresh meal. It's a go-to spot"

Depending on the day, you can enjoy a home cooked, hand-carved Turkey Dinner, or an Eggplant Boat stuffed with sauce and tons of cheese. There are thick cut slabs of meatloaf topped with sautéed mushrooms, onions and plenty of gravy, and Chicken Wings that have a cult like following. The slow cooked wings are slathered in Victor's marinade, a top secret sauce with an Asian spin.

"They always sell out of the wings. You have to come here early enough to get them," one customer shared.

It's all made with love every day, using Rosa's time-tested recipes.

"She's the heart behind the place, because it's her recipes, her love, the way she brought my wife, Nancy, the way she molded her to be the person that she is in here, that's Rosa. She's the heartbeat of Victor's Deli," Jason stated.

While Rosa may be the heartbeat, the soul of Victor's Deli is definitely the marinara. It is an old family recipe that requires a long cook, and lots and lots of stirring.

This slow simmered sauce can be found on dishes like the stuffed peppers, or tender veal cutlets over eggplant. You can find it alongside softball sized arrancini stuffed with ground beef and cheese or spinach, and of course, with Rosa's famous meatballs. You can also find some sauce on Victor's famous Chicken Parm sub, a fan favorite for its tremendous taste, and its overwhelming size.

"It overflows," Jason said. "The chicken hangs outside the edge of the bread. Everything's covered in sauce. "

If you are into cold cuts, you'll want to ask for the Super Italian Sub, overflowing with mortadella, pepperoni, salami, prosciutto and cheese; or one of Victor's calzones stuffed with anything and everything.

The Tuscan Chicken Dinner is a colorful plate of cutlets, prosciutto, mozzarella, tomato and basil. Whether you want pizza for breakfast, lunch or dinner, they'll always have you covered with a slice of Sicilian.

"We start serving pizza about 9 o'clock in the morning and pizza goes all day long," Jason said. "I refer to it as your Italian doughnut. Instead of going to Dunkin Donuts, you come here for a slice of pizza."

With 30 plus years in the books, the family hopes to continue this delicious legacy for years to come.

"To carry on what my mother-in-law and father-in-law have done and what they've taught us, it's a great feeling," Jason shared. "They came to this country with the American dream and their American dream is 710 Broadway, Victor's Deli."

You can find Victor's Deli at 710 Broadway in Somerville, and online at victorsdeli.com.

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