Many people have told us to go here for steaks, sandwiches, cold cuts and Italian specialties.
We got a Turkey combo sandwich and a roast beef grinder, and split pea soup. But I wanted to eat *everything!* I ordered a half-pound of pastrami - it was on sale and I had the ingredients for Reubens at home.
The grinder rolls could've been better. The meats were very, very good. The roast beef is wonderful! The place is out of the way for us, but we've always had a great experience seeking out roast beef made by a meat market.
Now, in our area, there's a lot of competition in this segment. There are three really good Italian deli/butcher markets in and adjacent to New Britain. More in Bristol and Hartford.
All of the meats and delicatessen we could see looked great. There's an array of specialties on the grocery shelves, in the coolers and freezers that I found tantalizing.
The store could've been neater and cleaner. Some of the meats in the butcher case were tired - so tired I asked if the T-bone was dry aged. It is not. Now, one thing I like is that all the meats are cut to order - and you pay dearly for this service. The meats are choice, not prime.
They have a wholesale meat operation, too. They make freezer paks: twenty pounds or more of various steaks, ground meat, roasts and stew for $99. It's a good deal. New Britain's Mayor once posted on FaceBook that she buys these all the time.
The counter people were achingly slow. We waited ten minutes for the person before us, and his order of three sandwiches was already well underway when we arrived. Then it took fifteen minutes to prepare our order. By the time we finally got in the car to go, over half an hour had gone by.
All in all it was $29. Those who read our Yelps are aware we often spend far more on meals. On the way out best buddy checked for the pastrami - for a nibble. They had forgotten it.
Now, they'd not charged me for it. They told me this, so when we went home, just for kicks I got out the take-out menu we picked up in the store and discovered why our 12" grinders ended up costing $1 an inch.
One Catanzaro's competitor gives a similar sandwich - for less. The other is 30% higher, but 100% higher in quality.
Two stars - plus an extra star for the cute, old-school market, and because we didn't try the meats. We will return for just that. It is my hope that the butcher side justifies yet another five-star business in New Britain! read more
