European deli with a familiar owner open in downtown Gulfport. Is it as good as it sounds?
The aroma is the first thing that arrives when you walk into Tavi’s Salumeria.
That’s followed closely by the crooning melodies of Italian music flowing through the open space. Tavi’s puts authenticity above everything.
From the creators of Pop’s Brothers comes a longtime dream come true. Located at 1618 25th Avenue just across the street from the original Pop’s Brothers, Tavi’s is a just-opened European deli that is the brainchild of Spain native Octavio Arzola — whose nickname is the namesake of the restaurant.
Arzola has long desired to bring tastes of his old home to the people of his new home. And that starts with aesthetic and atmosphere and ends with a double-wrapped sandwich assembled from well-traveled ingredients.
The floor of the interior is flat blue and the brick walls white. A large map of the Western World hangs on one wall, focused on the Atlantic Ocean — the perfect symbol for what’s happening here.
Behind the deli counter are ingredients imported from Spain and Italy through a New Orleans company. Everything except my Dr. Brown’s cream soda arrived from overseas.
With authenticity comes a particular price: the menu is strict. There are around a dozen sandwiches. Substitutions and removal of ingredients are strictly prohibited. Therefore it is important to note this is not a dairy- or gluten-free friendly restaurant.
I ordered the Catania and my wife the Verona. These were sided with pesto chips and Iberian ham chips. She also got a slice of limoncello riccotta — or lemon cheesecake.
The Catania was splendid. It featured Italian sausage, smoked provolone, roasted peppers, grilled onions and calabrese pepper pesto. The ingredients were layered and portioned with care. To describe it crudely, it tasted like a pizza when you fold it and eat it like a taco.
The Verona was stuffed with house meatballs and fresh mozzarella, along with pecorino, grilled onions, basil pesto and calabrese pepper pesto.
It was equally as good. It felt like a homemade spaghetti and meatball meal with bread in sandwich form.
The pesto chips had a garden taste and the ham flavor reminded me of a Christmas meal. All of it paired well with the Dr. Brown’s soda, which was chosen by the establishment for its close ties to the original emergence of deli’s in New York City in the late 19th century.
Tavi’s Salumeria succeeds in bringing a true taste of Europe to the downtown scene of Gulfport. It provides a lunchtime escape to another continent through taste and experience for residents of the Mississippi Coast.
The restaurant opens at 11 a.m.
