Careful on a wet day. For some reason they put wall tile on the floor. Um, that's not smart. This has nothing to do with the food, but from a designer's perspective it's like "duh".
Ok, back to the food. This place is a little Italian deli essentially that serves sandwiches, soups, salads, hot prepared foods, gelato, coffee, deserts, etc. Yeah, that's a lot, but it's doing a pretty good job at a variety of those.
What I Eat:
I really have honed in on the sandwiches. You can get a pressed hot sammy called a "Tostino" or a sandwich on a giant focaccia, or a meatball sub. But, I stick with the cold sliced meat Italian Sub. If we were back in Philly, this would indeed be a Hoagie (Pronounced something like "Hewwgee", or "Houwgie" by my Philly friends). But, alas we are not in Philly. We are in Chicago where everyone wants something dipped in meat juice. I get a mixture of turkey and roast beef with either Provolone or Mozarella on Italian bread. The lettuce is shredded. I'd get a tomato but it's really not worth it if you like good quality tomatoes. Just so hard to get these days. No mayo. I've decided it ruins this particular sandwich. I also get a side of mild Giardiniera. For those of you not from Chicago, this is not a parasite you pick up while camping. It's a condiment made from peppers, carrots, celery, cauliflower and olives that's been marinated or pickled in olive oil and vinegar. It's a must I think. I get it on the side as it will be all over the place if they put it on. I like to put it on afterwards and get a little into each bite. Frankly, the other Italian sandwiches look great, but this is what I get. Oh, don't expect a ton of meat and cheese. It's not that kind of sandwich so stop complaining.
I love the bread. It's soft and chewy. I must be like 90 years old, but I just can't chew the bread down at Pastoral. I love those sandwiches, but it's like a chewing marathon and my jaws feel like they've been in a MMA boxing match after eating. No, the bread at L'Appetito is really perfect for my cheeks.
What She Eats:
So my wife gets the Tonino. A Tostino sandwich of mozarella, sliced chicken, basil and tomato. It's very good. Last time we were there she said something like, "Ooooh, that meatball sub looks so good. I'll get the Tonino."
Desert is good here too. I have only tried one gelato and it was insanely delicious. I loved that it was a bit firmer than I find at Paciugo. Not many flavors. Just enough. The lemon cookies are also very good. Crumbly and lemony. My wife may just now be finding out that I've been eating those.
What They Eat:
My daughter pretty much always gets the Tonino without tomato. My son gets the pizza. I don't love the pizza. It's a bit greasy for me and is a thick style. Not for me. But there are plenty of options for kids.
This really is a takeout place mainly, but there is a great outdoor seating area when you've got nice weather. There are only two tables inside and some counter seating. Service is relatively fast, so it's a good spot for an On the Go meal. This is family run and there usually or always is one of the family members at each location. They are super nice. The guys behind the counter can be a bit short, but maybe that's part of the charm. Or maybe they don't like my picky, off the menu order.
As I said, there is plenty to sample from here at L'Apps, and you can get whatever you want. Up to you really. But that's my usual.
