Joseph and Grace Pedota, who emigrated from Bitritto just outside Bari, opened it in 1973 as an Italian grocery for the neighborhood's Italian families. Their son Frank started drawing a crowd in the 1980s with the subs he made for friends during Bears games, and the sandwich counter that exists today grew straight out of that. Frank and his brother Ralph ran the place for decades and expanded it with homemade Barese sausage, sauces, pestos and the giardiniera, then retired in 2017 and handed it to the next generation, Ryan and Brenden, who still call them for advice. The order is the Italian sub on bread from D'Amato's bakery next door, loaded with imported meats and cheeses.
Get the hot giardiniera on it; it's the detail regulars point to, and Bari sells the same giardiniera and beef wholesale to smaller shops around the city. Behind the deli case it's a full old-world grocery and butcher counter: imported prosciutto, salami and cheeses, fresh pasta, gelato, and any cut or custom grind of beef, pork, veal or lamb you ask for. The giardiniera and anything shelf-stable ships nationwide. Open 8AM to 6PM Monday through Saturday and 8AM to 2PM Sunday, but the deli closes 30 minutes before the doors do, so don't cut it close.
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