By Sam Elliott
The fifth Gandolfo’s Deli location to open in Indiana in the past 15 months, the company’s new Whitestown restaurant is its first prototype following a rebranding effort that includes new menu items and a fresh look for the New York-inspired eatery.
The Marketplace at Anson’s latest addition, at 6685 Whitestown Parkway, celebrated its grand opening Sept. 21 and awarded its first 100 customers a free travel mug and free coffee for one year.
Gandolfo’s offers a wide variety of New York-inspired sandwich options in addition to salads, soups, pasta, desserts and Nathan’s hot dogs.
“People are wanting to know what they’re eating and where it’s coming from,” said Dain Pool, chief development officer and vice president of Pool’s Restaurant Group. “All our meats are signature meats and all our own brand.”
Pool recommends “The Big Apple” for hungry eaters giving Gandolfo’s a try for the first time. It’s a sizable sandwich packed with roast beef, capicola ham, feta cheese, onions, pepperoncinis, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, oil and vinegar on the company’s rustic Italian proprietary bread.
“You will not find that bread anywhere else,” Pool said.
Side dishes, such as the company’s popular sour cream potato salad, are made fresh on site with potatoes boiled each morning. Pool said it’s little things like that or using real butter instead of saving money with margarine that set Gandolfo’s apart from its competitors. The restaurant even brings in bagels from the Bronx for an authentic New York taste.
“We work with Bronx Bagels. They’re actually overnighted in,” Pool said. “You know how people always say the reason why the bagels and pizza tastes different in New York is the water? It’s New York water.”
