A Deli Italian Food & Wine Cuts Ribbon On Fairfax Boulevard Location

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Fairfax City Mayor Catherine Read came to a sudden realization on Friday after chatting with Kawal Kapoor, the owner of the new A Deli Italian Food & Wine on Fairfax Boulevard.

"We discovered we'd been in the same space together at a previous deli that used to be next to the old Kmart," Read said. "He was there in the '80s. I was there in the '80s. I would go to Kmart for diapers on my lunch hour and pick up a sandwich at the deli. He probably made me many sandwiches unbeknownst to either one of us."

Years later, Read and Kapoor had come full circle and met again at Friday's ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Italian restaurant located at 10955 Fairfax Blvd., Suite 104 on Fairfax Blvd.

Read was joined by City Councilmember Tom Ross and representatives from the local business community, including the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce and the city's Economic Development Authority, for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Afterwards, they all sampled from platters filled with Italian meats, cheeses and cannoli.

"Our specialties are Italian sandwiches and we have Philadelphia cheesesteaks, meatball parmesan, chicken parmesan," Kapoor said, who's opened several restaurants across Northern Virginia over the years. "We do spaghetti and meatballs and lasagne. We sell wine to-go, wine by the glass."

After selling his first restaurant in Manassas, Kapoor opened a new one in Arlington, but he was forced to close it due to the impact of the pandemic.

Kapoor began his new venture in Fairfax City with a soft launch on Feb. 14. Friday's ceremony marked the restaurant's official opening.

"I'm excited that they're here," said Jennifer Rose, executive director of the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. "They're selling high-quality products and it's another great place to buy cannoli. If you need an excuse to buy cannoli, this is a good place to stop in."

A Deli is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. People can grab a sandwich on the way to work or a meal to bring home in the evening. From 3-7 p.m., the restaurant hosts a happy hour with discounts on beer, wine, salads and Italian hors d'oeuvres.

"All our breads, meats and cheeses are hard to find," Kapoor said. "We import some of them. Once somebody tries them, they'll have to come back."