While the hype for FX’s “The Bear” has certainly died down over the years, what hasn’t changed is just how hard an authentic Italian beef hits. Unfortunately for Queen City residents, many local delis have tried and failed over the years to perfectly replicate Chicago’s favorite sandwich.
Enter Knuckles Deli, a new sandwich shop on the East End run by Windy City natives that does Italian beefs (and more!) the right way. Not only is their roast beef and au jus made from scratch using co-owner Cesar Salazar’s old family recipe, but the sandwich is dunked, loaded with peppers, topped with Marconi giardiniera, and housed in a Turano roll sourced directly from Chicago.
“We went to every place offering an Italian beef for several years. Most people didn’t have the right roll. And then some people did have the roll, but didn’t have the proper giardiniera, or they didn’t have the jus right, or they weren’t making the beef with the proper seasonings, or they were just using whatever beef they’ve been using for their other sandwiches,” said co-owner David Hall.
A sandwich from Knuckles Deli on the East End. Photo provided | Britton de la Chapelle
Co-owners Britton de la Chapelle, Salazar and Hall—the only Cincinnati native of the trio, although his family is from Chicago—run a tight ship. Despite being open six days a week for lunch and dinner, it’s just the three of them on staff; as we spoke, Salazar was in and out of the kitchen roasting meat and prepping for the dinner rush.
In college, Chapelle and Salazar both moved from Chicago to attend Xavier University and ended up living in the same hallway. The two got to talking, and eventually discovered they went to each other’s rival high schools. While working service industry jobs in Mt. Adams, they met Hall, and the trio became fast friends. They’ve now known each other for over a decade.
Salazar continued working in kitchens after graduating, Hall became a professional consultant, and Chapelle transitioned to bartending and event planning. But all three knew they eventually would open their own spot one day.
“I worked in kitchens all through college. The bar stuff was fun. But the constant 3 a.m. nights get old really fast,” Chapelle said. “Cesar has been working in kitchens since he got here for 10 or 11 years. So I really just wanted to get back into food.”
A trip down to the Sunshine State last year finally calcified their long-running dream. Chapelle and Hall’s parents both live in the same small section of Amelia Island, Florida, and Chapelle thought it would be “really funny to link up and have a beer 1,000 miles away from home.”
The storefront at Knuckles Deli. Photo provided | Britton de la Chapelle
“Yeah, Britt invited me over and brought up the idea, ‘Hey, there’s no good Italian beef in Cincinnati.’ I said that’s true. And then he said, ‘I think we should open an Italian beef spot.’ And I go, well, that’s also true,” Hall said, laughing. “That was about a year ago exactly, and now here we are.”
The Italian beef is the deli’s calling card, but that doesn’t mean their other Italian-influenced sandwiches aren’t just as good. Their mortadella melt, for example, is a “tribute” to Anthony Bourdain that hits all the right notes—thin-sliced mortadella, provolone, mayo and Creole mustard, served on a challah bun from local bakery Sixteen Bricks. Their turkey club, which was packed with thick-cut, slow-roasted Black Forest bacon, was a clear winner, as were the pesto caprese and the deli’s take on a traditional Italian sub.
Still to come at the restaurant are a traditional vodka meatball parm and a cochon de lait po’boy with slow-roasted pork on traditional New Orleans-style Leidenheimer bread, inspired by Hall’s annual vacation with his father.
“My dad and I go to New Orleans every year for Jazz Fest, and we always get a po’boy,” Hall said. “I’m trying to convince our accountant that this trip is research, but we’ve known each other since college, and he knows I’ve been doing this, so he’s not buying it. Guess I can’t write this one off.”
The three co-owners of Knuckles Deli on the East End. Photo provided | Britton de la Chapelle
In addition, the group is looking into expanding into breakfast options, and Chicago-style hot dogs—”the one thing that everyone is constantly asking for,” Chapelle said.
Plus, now that the restaurant has just obtained its liquor license, they’re selling plenty of classic Windy City drinks—like a Chicago Handshake, the well-known combination of an Old Style beer and a shot of Malort. Soon to come at Knuckles is a Cincinnati Handshake: one Cincy Light and a shot of New Riff.
While Chapelle and Salazar are Queen City transplants, they now consider the area their home.
“We fell in love with the city,” Chapelle said. “We seriously talk all the time about how much we love Cincinnati even though we’re not from here.”
It seems like the city loves them back: even though the deli just officially opened, the neighborhood has already been “super welcoming.”
“Before we even had a grand opening, all the people in the East End were coming in and supporting us. All the businesses, too. Local Post came in and ordered lunch for their entire staff. So did Hi-Mark. Really, the neighborhood’s just been great,” Hall said. “We wanted to be a neighborhood spot where people see their friends just by happening to run into each other. We’ve accomplished that already. We’re hoping to become even more of a neighborhood institution. And we want to be known as the best Italian beef in Cincinnati.”
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Dining and Cooking