Romanelli’s Italian Deli – Phoenix, Arizona
It didn’t dawn on me until after our visit that how fitting it is that Romanelli’s Italian Deli is located on Dunlap Avenue. Visit Romanelli’s with any degree of regularity and you’re bound to be afflicted with Dunlap’s Disease. Dan “The Tire Man” Marsh describes it as “Done lapped over the belt” disease. The symptoms include “a sudden need to unbutton your pants after a meal (a classic blowout!), an inexplicable gravitational pull towards comfy sweatpants and the inexplicable disappearance of your feet when looking down. Among the causes of Dunlap’s Disease are visiting Romanelli’s frequently. In naming Romanelli’s 2023’s “Best of Phoenix” winner in the Italian Deli category, The Phoenix New Times may have said it best: “Walking into Romanelli’s Italian Deli is like gliding into an olfactory orgy. As soon as the smells of freshly baked bread, zesty spices, piquant peppers, tangy cheeses and cured meats hit your nostrils, your mouth starts watering, and your eyes start wandering.” Though the Phoenix New Times cites only olactory and visual senses, Romanelli’s doesn’t exclude your other senses. Probably the most prevalent is sense of taste, when you finally get to bite down on an incomparably delicious meal and follow it…