SCOTTSDALE (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 For more than five decades, DeFalco\u2019s Italian Deli & Grocery has proven that Arizona\u2019s food story is built on family.<\/p>\n
Located at the corner of Thomas and Scottsdale Roads<\/a>, the beloved deli is as much a part of the neighborhood as the streets themselves.<\/p>\n As the Scottsdale staple celebrates 53 years in business, Desert Table explored how generations of tradition created a Valley institution that stands strong even as the metropolitan Phoenix area booms into a major culinary hot spot.<\/p>\n According to those behind the counter, keeping things simple and maintaining a genuine human connection is the true secret sauce.<\/p>\n \u201cConsistency, being a quality product at a fair price,\u201d said manager Evan Weisman, who first fell in love with the deli as a regular customer before joining the team two years ago. \u201cI mean, you get what you pay for. We go portion, quality, and consistency.\u201d<\/p>\n At DeFalco\u2019s, those portions fill the entire plate. But the true draw for generations of locals is the personal, face-to-face interaction that is increasingly rare in the modern restaurant industry.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want you talking to robots,\u201d Evan said, highlighting a growing craving among diners to know who they are eating with and who they are talking to. \u201cYou go up to the deli counter to order sliced meats. You want to talk to a human being. You want to know what you\u2019re buying.\u201d<\/p>\n That neighborly approach has turned DeFalco\u2019s into a multi-generational community anchor. Some regulars have followed the business since its early days at 44th Street and Thomas Road in Phoenix. Today, parents who visited DeFalco\u2019s when they were high school students at Chaparral or Coronado now bring their own 10-year-old children through the doors.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an institution,\u201d Evan said. \u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of places around the Valley that can say that.\u201d<\/p>\n As national restaurant chains and high-tech kiosks sweep through Scottsdale, the team at DeFalco\u2019s views themselves as survivors who stay true to their roots.<\/p>\n \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say we invented the sandwich here, but I say we stick to our guns,\u201d Evan said. \u201cAnd if it isn\u2019t broken, you don\u2019t got to fix it. I mean, why change something that works so well?\u201d<\/p>\n That dedication means going the extra mile for the neighborhood. Whether it is slicing three pounds of prosciutto paper-thin just minutes before closing time or avoiding the impersonal nature of third-party delivery services, DeFalco\u2019s focuses on the details.<\/p>\n \u201cThe personal service is something that we can do here that the big places can\u2019t do,\u201d Evan said. \u201cAnyone can throw something in the bag and forget about it… We don\u2019t do that here. It\u2019s taking the extra step. There\u2019s no fad in an Italian sandwich.\u201d<\/p>\n As the Phoenix food scene continues to evolve into a trendy, fast-paced culinary landscape, DeFalco\u2019s remains a steady anchor. To celebrate the 53-year milestone, the deli is cooking up a limited-edition burger to commemorate over half a century of Valley memories.<\/p>\n It is a reminder of the business\u2019s philosophy that happiness can be found three times a day: with a pepper and egg sandwich for breakfast, a massive hand-crafted sandwich for lunch, and a classic plate of pasta for dinner.<\/p>\n \u201cSomething that stays relevant, something that\u2019s true to its roots, something that\u2019s… an institution to a neighborhood,\u201d Evan said. \u201cThat\u2019s something that\u2019s important.\u201d<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n