A Double-Dose of Deli Delights Vinny’s and Rosa’s Offer Choaties Local Italian Specialties
By Briana Fasone ‘07
News Associate Editor
In one of the most sweeping conflicts at Choate Rosemary Hall, both students and faculty are being forced to pledge to their team of choice. No, these are not the recently established “blue and gold’ teams that materialized as quickly as they faded. Rather, this feud concerns Rosa’s and Vinny’s, two similar Italian delicatessens that have been on the radar of sandwich fanatics around campus for years.
For an extended time now, Rosa’s has been a Wallingford household name. In the past few years, the restaurant has been gaining in popularity with Choate students and faculty. According to Mem Basement resident Andy Holden ‘07, “Coming from Chicago I have been to many delis, and none are finer than Rosa’s...My personal favorite is Rosa’s Chicken Parmesan, because no one in the world makes a better chicken Parmesan than her.” Roommate Ryan “Corky” Corcoran ’07 agrees. “Rosa’s is the place to go for a great deli sandwich. Great classic Italian sandwiches, such as the Chicken Parmesan and Italian combo are available,” he said, “Rosa herself is a saint and a great lady. She gave us free t - shirts because we were loyal costumers.”
Wonderful service seems to be a recurring theme admired by all Rosa’s fans. In one instance, the restaurant stayed open past closing time to accommodate several orders for hungry editors from The News. In addition, Rosa, the Italian owner of the downtown eatery, has been known to personally bless loyal Choate students before athletic competitions. According to Joseph Montini ’07, “Rosa always inquires about our games and how school is going and of course the feud with the Vinny kids.”
Though Rosa’s setting has occasionally been described as “cramped”, and ‘uncomfortable,’ it is this cozy atmosphere that keeps many Choaties from going back. As one of the older members of “Team Rosa”, Senior Rence Coassin explains, “Every time I go to Rosa’s I get equally excited for both the conversation I will have with Rosa and the sub I will consume.” Giovanni D’Amico ’06 agrees. “Rosa and her family are great people, the good old-fashioned kind of Italians that I grew up with,” he said.
Aside from great service, sandwich-lovers looking for a lot of fresh flavor would most likely enjoy the restaurant’s wide selection and tasty offerings. A full range of salads, sandwiches, and other entrees is available all day. In addition, almost everything is homemade and based on old family recipes.
On Center Street, just north of Elm Street, resides Choate’s other sandwich hotspot, Vinny’s. Like its sister deli, the eatery does not deliver but offers customers the opportunity to call in orders. According to avid Vinny’s supporter, Jason Bertoldi ’06, “There’s something about Vinny’s that you just can’t get anywhere else in Wallingford. The sandwiches are amazing (I personally recommend the #14 and the #43), and are all made on excellent bread with the freshest ingredients.” Carlos Padula ‘06 agrees. “Although Rosa’s is a very good restaurant, I prefer the large range of selection that you get from the menu [at Vinny’s]. The meats there are also prepared fresh daily,” he said.
The owner of the establishment, Vinny Lanuzzi, is another reason why Choate students return so often. “Vinny is there to welcome his customers with a warm smile and friendly conversation,” notes Bertoldi. “Recently, he purchased many of us ‘Team Vinny’ t-shirts just for supporting his shop. The rest of the staff is similarly congenial and helpful. The atmosphere inside is very pleasant, from the ample (and clean) seating to the various sports paraphernalia that adorns the hallowed walls. Best of all, Vinny’s is just a short walk from campus, making it easy to get there on a regular basis.”
When asked about the feud, one “Team Vinny” member explained, “Though there is much disagreement among the Rosa and Vinny crowd, we all possess a certain amount of respect for each other. We are all fans of good Italian food and that, to some extent, bonds us together.” According to Dan Rudel ’06, “At some point we may play Team Rosa in a basketball game of sorts to settle once and for all which team is superior.”
Of course, both ‘teams’ assured that the feud will all remain in good fun. In the end, students representing either Team Rosa’s or Team Vinny’s are patronizing two great Wallingford restaurants. Most importantly both restaurants are an equally nice change from the routine Dining Hall fare.
