Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Popular Dish: Jim D'Agostino, owner of D'Agostino's Deli Caterers in Willow Glen, says the Philly cheesesteak is the most popular meal sold at the restaurant. D'Agostino took over the business from his father, Jim, who started the deli back in 1965.
WG's D'Agostino uses only fresh ingredients
By Jim Aquino
The Great Steak & Potato Company, an Ohio-based cheesesteak shop chain that has locations at Sunnyvale and the Great Mall in Milpitas, says on its website that the secret to an excellent cheesesteak is "the freshest ingredients, purchased daily."
Jim D'Agostino, owner of D'Agostino Deli Caterers at 1583 Meridian Ave., also says that the secret to a great cheesesteak is "doing everything fresh." He adds that unlike other restaurants that offer cheesesteaks, his deli doesn't use any prepackaged material for its sandwiches.
"We trim and cut the meats here ourselves and weigh them here. They're not pre-done like [at] a lot of places. They buy them and they're already cut and done and they just pull them out of a freezer and throw them on a grill. We don't do that here," says D'Agostino, 43. "We cut all our vegetables fresh here. We get our bread fresh everyday from Roma Bakery. We do it all here."
The cheesesteak is D'Agostino Deli's signature item. The "Silicon Valley Lunchtime Dives" restaurant review site (http://www.razz.com/dives/index.html), which "celebrates some of the best dining establishments that you won't see written up in the S.J. Mercury or the Metro" (and whose critic can be tougher than the audience at the Apollo), praises D'Agostino's for its cheesesteaks. Employees from one of D'Agostino's most frequent catering clients, the eBay office at Hamilton Ave., always order cheesesteaks.
"We sell a lot of hamburgers, too. We have fries for $3.95. We sell a lot of those, too. But the cheesesteaks are the most popular," says D'Agostino, whose now-retired father, Joe, founded the deli in 1975.
The deli began as Chicken Delight at 1594 Meridian Ave. in 1965. Ten years later, Joe phased out the Chicken Delight name and switched the emphasis from chicken to sandwiches and other deli items. In 1994, D'Agostino's moved across the street to its current location at 1583 Meridian.
Jim started working at his father's deli when he was a student at Gunderson High School. His brother and sister also worked part-time at the deli during school.
After his father retired four years ago, Jim took over the deli. He says the busiest day of business always varies each week.
"One day, you might be busy on a Wednesday, and then next week, it could be Thursday and Friday," says D'Agostino. "If I could figure out when they were going to come in, I would sell that talent to people."
What is the D'Agostino's secret to staying in business for so long?
"It's a lot of hard work and luck. A lot of hours. That's all there is to it," says D'Agostino, who lists the chicken and beef cheesesteaks as his personal favorite items on his menu. "You just got to know what your limitations are."
D'Agostino's Deli Caterers, 1583 Meridian Ave., is open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Sundays. For more information, call 408.269.1371.
Willow Glen, California Since 1992
