2103 Alpine Avenue NWI get to be the lucky one who knows how to do something very few other people I work with know how to do.
One of our Grand Rapids employees is assigned to a specialized weekly task. He’s been doing it for several years and there’s typically only one or two other people that know how to do that task when he’s off.
I’m one of them.
That meant I had to go to Grand Rapids for the day while a Grand Rapids colleague had to come to Kalamazoo to cover my shift.
I got to Grand Rapids pretty early on Thursday morning and got to work. At one point, I got to a spot that I needed guidance from a colleague who didn’t come in until 3:00. I was as far as I could get until I could get something very specific approved so I took my lunch break and left the office.
I had some time so I went for a drive. I was just looking for a sandwich place and Google found me one..like it always does.
I stopped at Rico’s Deli on Alpine Avenue northwest north of Ann Street. The small deli is in a building that comes up with a Grand Rapids address on Google but is inside the Walker city limits. The small building was a Franco’s Pizza shop for a long time but Rico’s Deli moved in in 2022. The deli is a long time staple in Grand Rapids having previously been on Front Avenue about three miles away and before that on Monroe Avenue. I actually went to the Monroe Avenue location in 2014 and I have no recollection of it. If it wasn’t for an old blog post, I wouldn’t have remember that I ever ate there. I apparently really liked the sandwich but I’m not sure if I ever went back. It was in an odd location and I didn’t go to that area very often. This location is much more visible on the very heavily traveled Alpine Avenue. The small brick building stands out amongst the heavy chain commercial buildings in the area.
I could have ordered ahead but I had some time to kill so I just walked in. The place looks and feels like an old pizzeria. The order counter is right inside the door. There were two guys working and both came to the register when I walked in. One took the order and rang it up. The other was just thereto overhear what I wanted so he could started right away.
I ordered a sandwich to take back to the office with me but I was pretty hungry and they had pizza by the slice. There were four different pizzas in a warming cabinet next to the register. I decided to order a slice while I was waiting. I kinda just wanted pizza but I also kinda just wanted a sandwich. Grabbing a slice while I was sitting there satisfied both cravings.
I ordered the Siciliano panini and a slice of pizza. The cost was right around $12.
The slice of pizza was given to me on a paper plate. There are a few booths along the outside wall so I squeezed in to one of those (they’re not made for dads with oversized bellies) to eat while I was waiting.
I got a slice of sausage and pepperoni. The slice was really good. It has kind of a neutral, floury crust but the sauce, cheese, and meats are piled on top to give it a really home made flavor. The crust was kind of floppy and it was definitely a two hander slice but it had such a unique flavor. Almost makes me wish I had just ordered a whole one.
About the time I was finishing up with the pizza, my sandwich was ready. I grabbed the paper bag and a bag of chips from in front of the counter then headed back to the office to eat.
The Siciliano Panini is toasted sourdough bread with Virginia Ham, Genoa Salami, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, banana peppers, tomato, lettuce and Italian dressing. You could put banana peppers and Italian dressing on almost any sandwich and I’m going to rave about it. This sandwich was layered with meat on the outside and the veggies in the middle. I love a simple sandwich like this that highlights each ingredient. I didn’t want a big, heavy burger or fries for lunch. I was looking for a simple, delicious sandwich and found a perfect one with this.
Rico’s Deli has a lot to offer. Great sandwiches and delicious pizzas. I’m glad I tried both. There are a lot of times I want my lunch fried and greasy but there are also a lot of times I just want something simple and less heavy. I love a good sandwich place and I found that with Rico’s Deli.