Readers' Choice Favorite Deli: Giovanni's Deli

In a landslide victory,  has prevailed as , making it the first two-time Readers' Choice winner.

Gio's previously won the title of in our

Of the eight competing delis, Giovanni's garnered a whopping 74 percent of the 99 votes cast.  (12 votes) came in second and  (6 votes) came in third. 

Giovanni's is a family-owned enterprise that has been a Fair Lawn staple since 1997, when it first opened on River Road. In need of more space, Gio's moved to a new location on Morlot Avenue last year.

While the Deli has endeared itself to the community by giving back whenever it can -- holding fundraisers for high school athletics and community organizations -- the restaurant's success has been defined by its food.

Their famous “No. 57,” which is breaded chicken, vodka sauce and homemade mozzarella with extra sauce on the side, is easily Gio’s best seller.

The unlikely breaded chicken and vodka sauce pairing, which has since been copied by other Italian restaurants in the area, came about around a decade ago, said owner John Aluotto, who runs Gio's with his brothers Anthony and Josh, and their mother Santa.

This isn't the first time Giovanni's has been honored for its cuisine. Last February, Gio's received the distinction of “Best Italian Deli in Bergen County” by (201) Magazine and finished runner-up to five-time winner Market Basket in the “Catering” category.

To read more about Gio's history and how they're weathering the tough economic times, read this .

See the attached video from Wayne Robbins for an exclusive look inside the kitchen at Giovanni's where you can see how they make the famous No. 57 wrap, the No. 66 aka the Mia Salad and their cheese tortellini in a creamy pesto sauce topped with grilled shrimp.

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