Today's Lunch: November 15, 2013

I decided to venture out and try somewhere new.  Luigi's Catering and Delicatessen was highly rated in our area. I've been eating less these days and now have bigger eyes than my stomach where I used to have just as big of a stomach as I did eyes.  I got myself a classic Italian sandwich and pesto tortellini.  Unfortunately, the reviews amped up the food a little too much for me.  I was expecting a mind blowing sandwich and this one didn't deliver.  I realize that my tastes have changed and standards have become a little higher, but I still remember what it was like to have an awesome sub sandwich at a local deli in Riverside.  Nick and I visited the sandwich shop when we stopped by UCR to see the new additions to the campus on our way to San Diego about a year and a half ago.  It wasn't as mind blowing as I remember, but it was definitely a really good sandwich and I'd go back there in a heartbeat if we were in the area again. The sandwich from Luigi's didn't deliver the same reaction.

The sandwich itself was built really well and the dutch crunch roll was soft and chewy.  The meats were tasty, but a little salty.  Well, very salty. They put too much of the house-made garlic mayo on and after the third bite, I was overcome with saltiness sliminess that I didn't enjoy at all.  Normally, I ask for no mayo, but since I saw that it was garlic mayo (I love garlic mayo) I left it on.  Big mistake.

The pesto tortellini that I ordered was bland.  Thankfully I tasted the tortellini first as the sandwich was so salty that it blew my palette right off the bat. I found the pesto to be a little bit oily for me as well.

Boy, haven't I turned into a picky eater?  What can I say?  Yelp's reviews had set the bar high and I expected a lot.  I would eat there again, but only if I was really hungry and happened to be in the area.  It's a shame because I really wanted to find a great sandwich shop in my area.