Defonte's Sandwich Shop
This family-owned sandwich shop has been in the biz since 1922 and serves up beautifully breaded creations like the Valentino with fried eggplant, provolone & roasted peppers, and their version of the Cuban, with roast pork, Virginia ham, swiss, and pickles, served up on garlic bread.
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50 Essential Brooklyn Restaurants
A Columbia Street stalwart since 1922, the iconic no-frills Defonte Sandwich Shop in Red Hook is an incontestable Brooklyn favorite. The Italian-American spot gained city-wide fame courtesy of their supersized heroes that are prepared in front of customers over a deli counter. Standout offerings include the Nicky Special (capocollo, salami, fried eggplant); Deli King (corned beef, swiss, coleslaw, mustard); and The Dino (meatballs, marinara, parmesan). Watch the seasoned staff whip up each order with casual finesse, and before you take the goods to go add an order of decades-old house specialty Nick’s Famous Hot Salad (cherry peppers, mushrooms, cucumbers, red pepper flakes) to your bill.
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