A man has to pay his dues before stepping out on his own in a new creative direction -- after all, Kenan Thompson couldn't even have considered assuming the weighty titular role of Fat Albert had he not cut his teeth on things like Heavyweights, and other ensemble fat-people movies. Taking his own skill set to new levels, Filichia Food and Imports.

Now open from a dude who spent time slaving away in multiple pizza joints, Filichia is an ode to his Italian heritage done his way: as a gourmet grocer, pizzeria and sandwich spot in a bright yellow walled space with the original tin roof from its former life as a video store (how that biz didn't make it remains a mystery for the ages). Sandwiches start out fresh and Italian, with options like chicken and eggplant parm and homemade meatballs, as well as Sicilian-style pizza favorites like spinach ricotta, Caprese, and, in an encore performance, meatball -- though don't expect Bill Murray to stick around for that one, either. They'll also be doing a fresh, twice daily, get-it-while-it-lasts buffet-style lunch and dinner that will include a constantly rotating selection of pastas, soups, salads, and antipasti capped off with authentic desserts like made-to-order cannolis, which're handstuffed -- a move popularized by Dikembe Mutombo, who's all about pastry.

If you're trying to make friends or are yourself morbidly obese, they're planning a massive $30 sandwich on fresh baked bread that will be a monstrous bounty of Italian cheeses & deli meats, though the full details are TBD, they plan on going heavy on the prosciutto, but no matter what, it'll beat a Good Burger.

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