North Park Deli & Grocery
149 N Park Ave
Rockville Centre, NY
(516) 763-2044
Categories: Grocery, Delis, Mexican
written: 09/28/2007
I took a joyride in RVC today. Near the end of North Park Avenue I found what I was looking for. North Park Deli advertises steak with tostones and chicken wings with fries on the window.
I walk in. Not too much in there. Two Latinos talking, watching gringo as he strolls in.
I expected to find the display of cooked food which I am used to; 6 or 7 dishes laid out, I usually just use my finger to communicate. Not this time.
“Steak? with tostone? wheres all the food?”
“I can make it….”
“ahhh, hmmm nahh, do you have anything ready?”
“pork. i have pork”
“chich? chicharones?? my favorite!”
“with rice and beans? come on”
He leads me to the back room. The kitchen is literally a walk in closet with one door to the store and one door to the backyard. There’s a stove with 3 pots inside and 1 pan on top. One pot with white rice, one with beans, and one with chich. My god, the bare-boneness of it all! Charming as a daisy. He pulls up the aluminum foil and gives me a piece (reminiscent of katz’s), I approve and he packs it in.
7 dollars for lunch and a merengue refresco.
Food was fried with a ton of taste in it. There’s been better, but I would be greedy to ask for it. As far as experience, stepping into someone’s kitchen to browse your choices and shoot the breeze gives you a closeness that can’t be beat. Unfortunately it’s probably against the law. What can I say? I like contraband.
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