I was up in Anaheim today when I remembered that I was near a place that fellow blogger, Rico Ocir told me about: Cortina’s Italian Market and Delicatessen. A block off of Brookhurst on Orange Ave was this little gem. Now, let’s talk about the market first. Great selection of wines, Olive Oils, Balsamic Vinegars, and pasta everywhere. You can also purchase frozen goods and they have a deli there where you can bring home a myriad of meats and cheeses. On today’s trip I came across some Almond Flour, course ground semolina, a can of San Marzano’s Crushed Tomatoes, fresh mild Italian Sausages and one Cortina’s Italian Sub.

Yes, another sub. For frequent readers to the blog, you know I have been on the hunt for my perfect Italian Sub. So far I have been to several places here in the OC and so far, no one has come close to my all-time favorite sub called The Milano. Two types of Italian hams, provolone cheese and Genoa salami all served on hard  Italian roll, just a little on the hot peppers, lettuce, onions, oregano, and their special dressing. I sometimes get extra meat on it. Now remember, they wrap their sub tight in white butcher paper and I don’t touch it for at least 30 minutes. This gives time for the dressing to seep into the bread and into the meat. Where do you get one of these subs? The Italian Store in Arlington, VA.

Now back to Cortina’s. This is quite the busy place. In addition to the great subs, they also serve pizza. You order at the counter, cash only, and your order is called out when ready. They have a roomy seating area with a few flat panel TVs. When I got there, the eating area was full, there was a line at the counter and parking was at a premium.

So how about that sub? It was good, not what I was looking for, but it was good. Lot’s of meat, dressing had good flavor – I just didn’t like the bread. Lettuce was fresh as were the other ingredients like the red onions and tomatoes. My sub was loosely wrapped in sandwich paper and then placed in a bag. I left it in the bag to “steep” for about 30 minutes before I sampled the Cortina’s Special. In my sub was dry salami, cotto salami, capicolla, mortadella, provolone cheese and their dressing on a French roll (why not an Italian roll?).

I enjoyed the sub and ate all of it. It just wasn’t reminding me of home back in DC. I will certainly need to return to Cortina’s to try out their pizzas.

Cortina’s Italian Market and Deli
2175 West Orange Avenue
Anaheim, CA 92804-3556
(714) 535-1948