When I walked into Roma Imports on Wednesday, I felt like I should’ve been dressed in my best Tony Soprano attire: a striped button-down and some khakis.
The aisles of pasta, fresh sausage, bottles of olive oil and mountains of chocolate-coated cannolis reminded me of the deli spot the Soprano crew hung out at in season one, and I couldn’t have felt more at home.
It’s no exaggeration when I say I pretty much live on pasta. Lemon pasta, fettuccine alfredo and vodka sauce pasta are all dinner staples at my place. I even keep an emergency jar of Rao’s marinara sauce in my fridge for the days I don’t feel like making an extravagant dinner.
As I scoured the fridges full of all kinds of Italian delicacies, I knew my life and dinner game had been changed forever.
Roma Imports, at 627 S. Vine Ave., is a local market and deli that is full of everything you need to make the perfect Italian feast.
When you first walk into the building with colorful flowers painted on its doors and windows, you’ll be face to face with a wall full of all kinds of dry pasta. Any shape and style you’re looking for, they got it: orzo, rigatoni, stelline, farfalle and of course, lasagna noodles.
A lot of these bags were $10 and under. I’m sure they are a big step up from the usual 99-cent Great Value ones I buy.
You got your pasta, but what about the sauce?! Making a roux is hard and no one has time for that! Don’t worry, Roma Imports sells tubs of freshly made sauce. All you got to do is warm it up and add it to your cooked noodles.
The one that caught my eye the most was the 32-ounce tub of vodka sauce for $14.99. That would be perfect if you’re hosting a summer dinner party with friends or need to put together something fast for dinner.
The deli case at Roma Imports.
Jamie Donnelly
I’m sure you can tell, I love an easy, delicious dinner that doesn’t leave you with a mountain of dishes to deal with after. At Roma Imports, they have frozen, ready-made Italian dishes for sale. I saw a baked ziti for $21.99 and a chicken fettuccine alfredo.
The best part: they also have gluten-free and vegetarian options!
After your hearty meal, you have to save some room for dessert. Gelato, lemon cookies and panna cotta can all be purchased in the market.
But the real star of the show are their cannolis. You can either buy one for $3.99 or a pack of four for $8.99. Trust me, you’ll want to buy the four pack (maybe even two).
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They even sell bags of their cannoli cream for $10.99 if you want to get creative and bake something sweet with it.
A pack of cannolis from Roma Imports.
Jamie Donnelly
It’s easy to get a little overwhelmed since they have so many delicious items, but the staff there is super friendly and extremely helpful!
Now Roma Imports isn’t just a market, it’s also a restaurant! You can order hot and cold sandwiches for $12.99, salads that range from $10.99 to $11.99, beef lasagna for $11.99 and eggplant parmesan over spaghetti for $12.99.
They even have a special summer-long deal: $7.99 for a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. I WILL be back for that deal!!
It was lunchtime when I ventured in, so I decided to go with their ultimate Roma sandwich ($12.99), which features capocollo, salami, mortadella, mozzarella, giardiniera, roasted red peppers, lettuce, tomato and balsamic vinaigrette.
One thing about me: I LOVE a grinder sub. My perfect summer day consists of me hanging by the pool while chowing down on a giant grinder sandwich. Doesn’t that sound like paradise?
So I was extra excited to try my sandwich, which was bigger than my head! Just by the look of it, I knew this was going to be my new favorite sandwich.
The Ultimate Roma sandwich from Roma Imports.
Jamie Donnelly
The bread was the perfect balance of soft with a little crunch. I appreciated that it did not get soggy or fall apart due to the balsamic vinaigrette.
All the flavors melded perfectly together. It was tangy, salty and savory, the best combination! I really loved all the peppers and vegetables in the sandwich; it really brought it to the next level. The sandwich was definitely more flavorful than the grinders that just come with onion, tomato and lettuce.
After devouring my sub, I inhaled one of my mini cannolis from the pack I bought. I showed some restraint, because I could have eaten the whole pack in the span of two minutes. Instead, I told myself to savor each one, saving them for a special treat I get to have at the end of my work week!
Next time I’m hanging by the pool, best believe an Ultimate Roma will be by my side, along with a pack of cannolis and a plate of spaghetti.
Dining and Cooking