Old blues records playing near the ceiling, the scent of cured meats and briny olive salad hitting before the door even closes, and a room full of people happily waiting for something good. I had heard about the muffuletta for years, but hearing about it and holding half of one in your hands are two very different experiences.
The line stretched out to the sidewalk on a regular weekday, and nobody in it seemed the least bit bothered. That sandwich shop on a quiet corner of a Missouri neighborhood somehow feels like a living room and a New Orleans side street at the same time.
The muffuletta is stacked with layers of salami, ham, mortadella, provolone, and a housemade olive salad that ties everything together. The building has been part of the neighborhood for years, and the owner started with an idea for an Italian market that grew into something much bigger…