Restaurant Review: Cesarina's Italian Deli & Bakery

When it comes to culinary practicality, the sandwich may be the perfect category of food.  Portable, customizable, cheap, and diverse.  When done right, the heavenly marriage between bread and fillings can be something that sticks with you far beyond the last bite.  From American classics like the grilled cheese or BLT to favorites from across the world like hamburgers and schwarma, the sandwich, in one way or another, is here to stay.

Speaking of across the world. Cesarina’s Italian Deli, 12003 Seminole Blvd., definitely knows a thing or two about the best meals between two buns.  First and foremost, the fillings, for all intensive purposes, are the heart of the sandwich, but you can downplay the role of the bread in an awesome sandwich.

Cesarina’s, like any bakery worth visiting, bakes their own on the spot every day and utilizes it in all their sandwiches.  A flour-dusted crunchy crust guards the pillowy innards with a flavor you could never find in a loaf that comes twist-tied in a plastic bag.

For cold sandwiches like the Cesarina special – proscuito, provolone, lettuce, onion, tomato, and Italian dressing – the bread is well-utlized; a soft, mildly sweet counter to the salty proscuito and dressing.  The outer crust adds some great texture and holds the whole thing up quite nicely.   It’s a huge sandwich and for $3.50, it’s hard to complain.

The Italian beef, a hot sandwich that’s a staple throughout many Italian American eateries, was just as well executed.  Loaded with enough sliced beef to bulge out of the sandwich, the Italian beef was a delectable, greasy mess in the best way possible.  The home-made bread acted as a sponge to sop up all the juices and the meat itself was tender and succulent enough to stand on its own.   A little more seasoning definitely wouldn’t have hurt but even so, it was an overall great sandwiches.

A side antipasto salad was a bit skimpy in terms of protein and other toppings, but the homemade Italian dressing, loaded with a plethora of spices, was enough to save it and make a great compliment to any sandwiches.

The plethora of sides and other baked goods – manicotti, lasagna, tortellini salad, enough pastries to make your head spin – were prominently displayed and mouth watering just to look at.

Overall, Cesarina’s is a truly authentic and delicious experience.  Homemade bread and other baked goods make it stand out amongst other grocers.  Their wide expanse of hearty sandwiches, all with that tasty bread, makes it a great lunch-break destination and the affordability of it all makes it a hard place not to go at least once.  Check it out, be surpised, or in the least, pleasantly full.