With Toronto’s deli scene heating up, we’re smoking the competition in a delicious smoked meat sandwich showdown! We’ve brought in chefs Anthony Rose of Fat Pasha and Vito Marinuzzi of 7 Numbers to judge a blind taste test between the city’s top contenders: Centre Street Deli, with roots in Montreal’s Snowdon Deli, and the trendy SumiLicious, created by a Schwartz’s veteran (yes, the Céline Dion one!).
Vito and Anthony had different takes on the coleslaw. Anthony thought Centre Street’s was “classic” but a bit “pedestrian,” preferring the crunch and pickle kick in SumiLicious. Vito liked the peppery, pickley flavour at SumiLicious and found it more exciting.
SumiLicious: Anthony: 3.25/5, Vito: 4/5 Centre Street Deli: Anthony: 3.25/5, Vito: 3.5/5
When it came to the fries, Anthony loved the Montreal-style ones from Centre Street Deli – crispy and soft. He thought they had that perfect old-school vibe, and Vito agreed. Vito also liked the spice on the fries from SumiLicious even if Anthony wasn’t a fan of the starchiness. They agreed on one thing – fries are always a good idea.
SumiLicious: Anthony: 3.5/5, Vito: 4/5 Centre Street Deli: Anthony: 5/5, Vito: 4.5/5
Vito thought Centre Street’s smoked meat was too thin, while Anthony found it a bit underwhelming. On the flip side, Vito loved the hand-cut brisket at SumiLicious, calling it perfectly balanced, and Anthony was all about the well-sliced meat and spices on its smoked meat sandwich. When it came to pickles, both agreed SumiLicious nailed the crunch and garlic, while Centre Street’s were more classic.
SumiLicious: Anthony: 8/10, Vito: 8.5/10 Centre Street Deli: Anthony: 7.5/10, Vito: 6.5/10
FINAL SCORE – SumiLicious: 31.25/40 Centre Street Deli: 30.25/40