Fiore's Deli, Where Tradition Reigns

Hoboken may be a quickly changing city, but there is one place that has stayed the same throughout the years: Fiore's Deli on Adams Street.

The deli, a brick building with an unmistakable sign out front, has been feeding Hoboken's working class—and now a few yuppie newcomers—for close to 100 years.

In 1913, Alphonse Fiore came from Italy to Brooklyn, soon settling in Hoboken to open his first "milk store," a name for a shop that sold homemade ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. The store began offering deli selections and imported goods from Italy (like anchovies and stuffed olives), to cater to the large Italian immigrant population in Hoboken.

"If you couldn't speak Italian, you couldn't work here in those days," says John Amato, 75, who has been working at the deli since he was just 15-years-old. Back then, he worked as a delivery boy, sweeping and mopping the floors each night.

Today, he owns the place.

The Fiore family ran 13 cheese shops around the New York area, as well as their own creamery in Lebanon, NJ. But it's their 'muzz' recipe that brought them their biggest success. Their logo says "Famous For Our Mozzarella."

"Our product stands for itself," says Amato proudly. "We do wonderful cheese."

When he asks if I've tried it, I shake my head. Amato cuts off a generous chunk of mozzarella from a long, thick braid and hands it over the counter. It's got a salty kick on the outside with a soft, milky texture. It's definitely good stuff.

From 8 to 11 a.m. every morning (except for Sunday), their cheese is made fresh in a back room on the premises, using the same recipe that had been handed down for generations.

"Don't fix it if it's not broken," Amato says with a laugh.

He remembers the old Hoboken, and some of the famous characters that would come through the door at Fiore's, including Frank and Dolly Sinatra, who lived on Monroe Street.

"Frankie was a salami buff," says Amato. "Dolly mostly came in to buy pasta, cold cuts, meats."

Other notable customers through their door have been Joe Pantoliano, Paul Sorvino, Danny Aiello, Danny DeVito, Patty Hearst and cast members of Law and Order and The Sopranos.

One sandwich of theirs in particular – roast beef with a special gravy for dipping – was the center of an episode of 30 Rock last year, and this summer Fiore's was featured on , where Buddy Valastro created a six-foot-long sub sandwich cake for the deli. Amato said the press definitely brought some extra people through their doors.

Still, at its core, Fiore's is a neighborhood deli, the kind that caters to locals and regulars. "From high-ranking bishops to illicit gamers, and all in between," laughs Amato, listing the array of the customers they've served over the years. 

"People who haven't been in here in 40 years, they go, 'Oh! You still have the tin ceiling!'" he says of their lack of change over the years. "Our only secret (for staying in business) is quality."

But the family dynamic may be what sets Fiore's apart from the newer competition. "We're always happy here, even when it's busy, we're smiling. I've got my son John here, my brother Vincent. We're all one big happy family."