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The Twinbrook Deli Italian cold cut: Best. Sub. Ever. Growing up in the D.C. suburbs, and even when I was only an hour away from both Baltimore and D.C., you’d think a good Italian cold cut sub would be easy to find. In fact, it’s not. I’m struggling with it here in central Illinois, now, too!
That’s not to say there aren’t lots of deli options around. There are. It’s just that none of them are amazing. Either the bread’s too dense, or the cold cuts aren’t very good, or…
Or, it’s because they’re not Twinbrook Deli.
I sometimes wonder if my snobbishness towards subs stems from being exposed to Twinbrook Deli, in Rockville, Md., at a very young age — and then all the way through my high school years — on a regular basis.
The Twinbrook Deli shop isn’t a fancy place. In fact, the Twinbrook Deli I knew growing up was more of a hole-in-the-wall. It felt a little like a bodega you’d find on the corner in Brooklyn, when to be honest, it was really a small space in an aging strip mall shopping center, about a 10 minutes’ drive from Rockville city center.
Note: I haven’t been to Twinbrook Deli, myself, in a few years, and apparently there’s been a renovation and an expansion…
And yet, regardless of the aesthetics of the shop, they make THE BEST Italian cold cut sub on the planet. Hands down.
Childhood friends of mine who’ve returned to the Rockville area to visit family, or for business, make it a specific point to stop in and grab a sub … even if it’s a little out of the way.
Me included.
If friends know they’re going to swing by Twinbrook Deli, they’ll ask family members ahead of time whether they want any picked up and brought back. Even if it’s a plane ride away to get home.
My husband once stopped in Twinbrook Deli when he was headed towards the other side of Rockville, just because he knew I’d salivate over having an Italian cold cut. They were about to close, but he was able to grab one from the refrigerator chest just in time. Even not freshly made, they’re incredible. Incredible!
Friends of mine have pre-ordered Twinbrook Deli subs for a girls’ night in when out-of-town Rockville natives were visiting for an evening.
Patrons don’t just enjoy the subs privately, like one might do with a so-so sub from chain shop, they always share (with glee!!) on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat (you name it) just how excited they are to eat them. It makes those of us who’ve been without for a while, jealous.
(In the best way possible.)
What is it exactly that makes a Twinbrook Deli Italian cold cut sub so amazing?
My dad and I have gone round and round about this. It definitely has something to do with the bread, and with the oil and Italian dressing they use. Beyond that, it’s the ratio of meat to veggies to cheese to condiments.
But, mostly it’s the bread and the oil. For sure.
