Elm Street Italian Deli - Global Toronto Eats

Fine Canadian-Italian subs

Yonge-Dundas Square is a mixed bag when it comes to food choices. There are a few great restaurants but there are many more mediocre chains that survive on tourist and shopping traffic. Well, if you are in the area around lunch time, it’s worth seeking out Elm Street Italian Deli for their subs.

Exterior of Elm Street Italian Deli — Elm Street Italian Deli

They sell Canadian-Italian subs, or at least that’s what I call them. They are not traditional Italian panini because they come loaded with more meats and ingredients. Also, the ingredient combinations are not something one finds in Italy. It’s closer to American/Canadian-Italian sandwiches. Regardless of origin, I recommend them for a quick, quality bite.

The food

The sandwiches have cutesy names like The Don, Marco Polo, and Sammy the Ham. I hate it. No one can figure out what the sandwich fillings are from their anthropomorphic names. I would prefer it if they included the main ingredient in the name like “deli meats (The Don) sandwich” or “chicken cacciatore (Marco Polo) sandwich”.

Names aside, the sandwiches are prepared with a higher skill level and better ingredients than Subway’s. All breads have good flavour, a crisp crust, and a soft interior. Be warned that they don’t hold back on the olive oil and grease, as traditional Italian cooking demands.

Wrapped sandwich from Elm Street Italian Deli — Wrapped sandwich

A good introduction is their porchetta sandwich (Paulie Porco). While not the best porchetta sandwich in town, it differentiates itself with its variety of flavours. Each bite brought in sharp giardineria aioli, pungent parmigiano, and creamy garlic. The porchetta meat was moist. Some extra crackling would have made this sandwich better. 8/10.

Paulie Porco sandwich from Elm Street Italian Deli — Paulie Porco

For fans of deli meat, The Don contains three of them: mortadella, pepperoni, and salami. When piled together, I couldn’t really taste the difference between them. The salty meats blended together. It was a classic Canadian/American-Italian deli sandwich. The olives from the muffuletta spread provided some balance against the preserved meats. In fact, the sandwich was reminiscent of muffalettas I’ve had in New Orleans. 7.5/10.

The Don sandwich from Elm Street Italian Deli — The Don

For a richer treat, the Tuscan braised beef sandwich (Sergio Leone) features homestyle pulled meat stewed in tomato and peppers. It’s a fancy version of a meatball sub with a similar flavour profile. Messy to eat and ugly delicious. I liked that the provolone cheese added some bite and didn’t melt. 8/10.

Sergio Leone sandwich from Elm Street Italian Deli — Sergio Leone

All sandwiches come in half and full sizes. Half size was enough for a light lunch for me.

The place

Elm Street Italian Deli is tucked in a side street just a few minutes walk from Yonge-Dundas Square. The interior design is retro American-Italian, with white tiles and vintage knick-knacks. It’s a grab-and-go place, and not just because of COVID-19 dining restrictions. That is hardly any space to sit inside. If you want to eat in, the only option is at the standing counter.

Interior of Elm Street Italian Deli — Standing eating space

Verdict

Quality Canadian-Italian subs worthy of a quick lunch detour. 8/10.

Practical information

Name: Elm Street Italian Deli
Rating: 8/10
Recommended dishes: Paulie Porco
Prices: Paulie Porco (half): $8.48 ($7.50 excluding tax)
The Don (half): $8.48 ($7.50 excluding tax)
Sergio Leone (half): $9.60 ($8.50 excluding tax)
Address: 15 Elm Street
Hours: Monday to Friday 1100h – 1700h
Date of visit: August 2020, November 2020, February 2021