Blog: Long Beach, Bronx Style, Baby!

Sure, we've seen many Italian delis here in Long Beach. But few can truly be called authentic Italian, and Rocco's in Downtown Long Beach is one which begs to be spoken of. After passing it daily on my way to work, then seeing that it appears to be a new favorite of uniformed officers visiting 10-7, I decided to give it a try.

You walk in, and the aroma hits you. The smell immediately reminded me of my aunt's kitchen when she was cooking her sauces.

Rocco's Deli Italiano is small, but it seems all the really good places always are small.

After trying to decide which entree to try, I decide to throw out any notion of diet and go for the meatball. After all, in an Italian deli, if the meatball grinder is bad, so is everything else. Given the disappointing experiences of the past, I expect the typical golf ball size out-of-the-freezer-bag meatballs.

WRONG!

I get home and open up this grinder of more than a pound of heart attack on an Italian roll and think: I did not get enough napkins to go. The meatballs are about the size of tennis balls, and biting into them you can tell they are made from scratch. The sauce is not that stuff from Sysco Foods that soaks into the roll, but something that simmered for a while to allow everything to come together just right. Then you notice the tomatoes, onions and other things you come to expect when you make you own sauce. I opted for provolone cheese, as one should as it complements the meat and sauce much better than mozzerella. Besides, mozzerella is for pizzas.

But the real twist is the roll. It is not one of those small football size rolls that soak up grease. It is a true Italian roll with a thin crisp crust, and soft bread. Only someone that has lived in New York or had a real Italian meatball can appreciate this. But each bite just gets better and better. And the next thing you know, that diet you were on is put on hold.

So wanting to know a bit more about Rocco's, I discover that this is their second location. The first one is located in an industrial block of 28th Street in Signal Hill, where a Yelp diner remarked that "The Hell's Kitchen sandwich is spicy amazingness in your mouth." 

At the Long Beach Rocco's, the comment which seemed to be repeated by those in the line out the door at lunch time, was that the food is worth the wait. After giving it a try, I agree.

Rocco's is also the official food sponsor of pre-Grand Prix Thunder Thursday in Downtown Long Beach, and if you are coming to kick off the races I am certain that they will stay true to the Italian custom of always having enough for everyone.