Unique Italian Cuisine
by ELMER GUARDADO
Offering a unique and varied menu and an authentic Italian ambience, Frumento’s Italian Deli and Specialty Foods feels like a quick and affordable trip to Italy.
Beginning business in 1958, Frumento’s was opened by Antony “Tony” Frumento and his wife Barbara Viola. Both children of Italian immigrants, they formed the Deli (and then market) under the values and ethics that their parents brought across the Atlantic in the early 1900’s. Now run by their children, Gina and Anthony, the Deli has evolved to fit the needs of the changing Montebello community by focusing more on sandwiches, pasta meals, soups and catering.
With a menu that includes more than 35 different types of hot and cold sandwiches the Deli serves classic subs like the Italian B.L.T and the meatball sub, but what makes Frumento’s sandwich menu special is its set of unique (and sometimes unorthodox) specialty sandwiches. Among the cast of all-star specialty subs is the Mile High Club (pictured below) which includes pastrami, lean roast beef, corned beef, Swiss cheese, mayo, tomato, and a dollop of their signature sweet cole slaw in between three slices of grilled corn rye. The Mile High Club marries the sweetness of the cole slaw and the natural saltiness of the meats to create a unique flavor profile.
Opposing the accessibility and friendliness of the Mile High Club, the Fireball, also a specialty sub, brings meatballs, marinara sauce, Italian sausage, melted pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, hot cherry peppers, red crushed pepper flakes and Italian pepperoncini together to create a sub for those looking for some extra heat.
To round out a meal, Frumento’s also offers a variety of fresh soups, pastas and desserts. Soup standouts include the Minestrone, which is rich with pasta, vegetables, beans, and Italian herbs all within a seasonal tomato base, and the chicken noodle soup which the deli has made its own by including Italian herbs. Some pasta standouts are the three-cheese lasagna and the Lemon Caper Chicken Piccata. The Deli also offers a variety of dessert pastries and authentic gelato imported from Italy.
Besides offering variety and excellence in cuisine, Frumento’s also features one of the most authentic and welcoming dining locations in Montebello. Frumento’s Italian Deli and Specialty Foods is located across from Beverly Hospital at 214 W. Beverly Blvd, and is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. To view their full menu visit frumentosdeli.com.