I am always on the lookout for good Italian delis, as they have some of the best food. In the Little Italy section of Niagara Falls, NY, I found a great one: Scipione’s Italian Deli and Catering.

The Little Italy section of Niagara Falls was formed in the early 1900’s, when Italian immigrants flocked to the area. It is centered on Pine Avenue in the Falls, and its residents founded many civic institutions. The two most prominent are Cristoforo Colombo Society and Saint Josephs Church, both of which were started in 1903 and are still active today. The Italian-American heritage is alive and well and is celebrated in an annual festival. Not too surprisingly, the area has a reputation for great Italian restaurants.

Scipione’s is one of them. It was started in 1968 by two brothers, Richard and Larry Scipione, when they took over Fratello’s meat market. Quickly establishing a reputation for quality Italian food, the family expanded to catering. The catering eventually took over and in 1999 Scipione Brothers Meat Market became Scipione Catering. In 2016, the deli opened. Today, the business is still owned and operated by the Scipione family.

The Menu

The menu consists mostly of subs and sandwiches. Subs include Steak & Cheese, Sausage with Peppers & Onions, Chicken Finger, and Chicken Parmesan. Not in the sub section but also on the menu is a Meatball Hoagie. The subs are made with rolls from DiCamillo, a local bakery that has the best bread in the Western New York area. 

The sandwiches include two with deli meat: Salen’s Ham and Roast Turkey. Other sandwiches include Grilled Chicken and Beef on Weck. Beef on Weck is a regional sandwich popular throughout Western New York. It is a roast beef sandwich served in a kimmelweck roll. All sandwiches come with chips which are made in house. The chips are quite good.

Specialty items include Turkey Bacon Club, “Scipione” Royale with Cheese, and Grilled Chicken Flatbread. Other items on the menu involve soups, salads, burgers, and pasta. The pasta options are Penne and 3-Cheese Ravioli.

The Food

On my first trip I ordered the Chicken Parmesan sub. It has a big piece of chicken and good amount of cheese, but not much sauce. It is good, but not the best chicken parm I’ve ever had. On my next trip, I decided to stick to their deli sandwiches and went with their version of the Royale with Cheese. Often, this is just a fancy name for a cheeseburger. Not at Scipiones! Theirs is stuffed with deli meats: Italian sausage, roast beef, and perhaps one other. Toppings include lettuce, onion, tomato, and a generous amount of provolone cheese.  The roast beef very fresh and the meat is very red. This is top quality beef. The Italian sausage is made in house and is also top quality. Highly recommended.

I have also ordered one of their sides: the stuffed hot peppers. They consist of long banana peppers stuffed with cheese and sausage. There is not a lot of sausage but there is a copious amount of cheese. And the peppers are spicy. The dish is served on thick slices of toasted Italian bread, making it quite hearty. My companion prefers his peppers to have more substantial stuffing, but I found the cheese stuffed peppers delicious. I also recommended this dish.

Other items my companions have had are: the Turkey Bacon Club, the Italian Wedding Soup, and the Kickin’ Chicken Flatbread. The flatbread is served as a wrap, similar to a gyro. It is shown in the picture opened up. All three items received good reviews. The club, as it seems with all the sandwiches, is packed thick with meat. Likewise, the soup, which is home made, is thick with fresh ingredients. My companion also noted that it is low in salt. This sets it apart from commercial soups from most places. Not shown, but also recommended by a companion, is the Steak Flatbread. He said it is delicious and very filling.

Atmosphere

Scipiones does a lot of take out business, but there is a fair amount of table space inside. In addition to the tables shown, there are a couple of more tables behind where I was standing. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed, and the place feels like an old style deli.  The staff is very friendly and helpful, and quite readily engage in conversation. I like going there almost as much for the atmosphere as for the high quality of the food. If you are near the Falls, be sure to check this place out. You will not be disappointed.