Fusaro’s Brings Italian Deli Comfort to Stamford

A crispy chicken cutlet, prosciutto and roasted peppers make a formidable starting point at Fusaro’s, the Italian deli and market at 646 High Ridge Road in Stamford. The Calabria Mia is a deliberately messy sandwich, the sort that calls for a stack of napkins and makes a quick lunch feel a little more serious.

But Fusaro’s is not simply a sandwich counter. It is a compact neighborhood grocery where a stop for lunch can turn into a bag of pasta, salami, cookies, sauce ingredients and something useful for dinner. The mood is warm and personal, with the family-run character of a place where regulars are known by their usual orders.

The menu invites a little browsing before ordering, and the staff can help sort through the options. Fusaro’s has been known for substantial made-to-order sandwiches including the Bella Nonna wedge, the Godfather, the Italian combo and a BLT that puts real emphasis on crunchy bacon.

The Sure Thing takes a different route, combining broccoli rabe, sweet peppers and mozzarella. It is a useful reminder that the sandwich board goes beyond the standard cold-cut formula.

Customization is comfortably within the spirit of the place. An Italian combo can be made as a wrap, for example, with tomatoes left off and honey mustard served on the side. Hot peppers are also available for people who want a sharper bite; they bring genuine heat.

Morning brings the familiar and welcome logic of egg-and-cheese sandwiches made to order. Sausage, egg and cheese and bacon, egg and cheese are available on choices such as a wedge or plain white bread.

The format is straightforward counter service and takeout, making Fusaro’s an easy stop for coffee and breakfast before the rest of the day gets moving. An espresso machine adds one more small Italian-market note to the room.

The prepared-food selection gives the store another useful role on a busy afternoon. Lasagna, eggplant, meatballs, mozzarella and sauce are available for taking home, so dinner can be assembled without beginning from scratch.

The homemade beef-and-pork lasagna is one of the heartier options. Homemade meatballs and mozzarella, including mozzarella balls, are equally handy things to pick up when the refrigerator needs a little help.

This is the sort of market where a person can leave with a sandwich for now and the makings of dinner for later. A container of sauce, a few meatballs and fresh mozzarella can take the pressure off the evening in a very practical way.

Beyond the deli counter, Fusaro’s carries imported Italian meats, salami, pasta, gnocchi, ravioli, snacks, sweets and specialty drinks. There are ingredients for a large pot of Sunday sauce, a pantry refill, or a more improvised meal built around whatever catches your eye.

Pizza night can be particularly well supplied. One home-style combination built from the store’s shelves and case included sliced pepperoni, a Fusaro’s meatball, onion, mozzarella, homemade sauce and hot honey over flatbread-style crust. It is an appealing illustration of how many directions a grocery stop can go.

Produce shares space with the imported and deli goods, helping fill out a meal rather than just supplying one star ingredient. If an item is not obvious at first glance, it is worth asking; staff can help locate products and may be able to source things that are not immediately visible.

The imported selection has room for the sweet side of Italian shopping, too. Pizzelles, cookies, panettone and pandoro sit alongside savory pantry goods, making it easy to add dessert to a dinner package or bring home something more celebratory.

Around the holidays, Bauli pandoro, panettone and chestnuts have been among the seasonal finds. These are the kinds of specialty items that can prompt a second look at the shelves, particularly for anyone with a family recipe or a favorite old-school Christmas treat in mind.

Fusaro’s has the close quarters and quiet conversational feel of a small market rather than a full-service restaurant. The pleasure is in moving between the menu, deli counter and grocery shelves, then carrying the result home.

The family-run atmosphere comes through in the personal style of service. Familiar customers may find that the people behind the counter remember a usual order, an increasingly rare convenience that suits a neighborhood deli very well.

There is no regular indoor seating. A few outdoor chairs are available, but Fusaro’s is primarily arranged for ordering at the counter and taking food home, along with whatever groceries make their way into the bag.

Free parking is available in front of and behind the business. From the road, the compact shop can be easy to overlook, which makes finding it feel a little like gaining a useful local address: breakfast in the morning, a serious sandwich at lunch, and mozzarella, pasta or prepared lasagna when dinner needs a head start.