Deli to be launched downtown in fall

By TED BOOKER
TIMES STAFF WRITER

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2012

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A deli offering homemade sandwiches, soups and salads over the counter is slated to open Oct. 1 in downtown Watertown.

Owner Todd V. Tarzia said the restaurant at 3 Public Square, to be called Vito’s Gourmet, will offer fast-paced service and a menu featuring homemade recipes.

“There are a lot of people who work downtown who don’t have time to go to a sit-down restaurant,” said the Watertown resident, who owned a similar deli in the 1990s when he lived in Tampa, Fla. “They often quick run down to restaurants off Arsenal Street, but their choices are limited. A place that’s going to have quick service is something that’s going to be in demand.”

Vito is Mr. Tarzia’s middle name, inspired by his late grandfather, Vito Tarzia, a second-generation Italian who planted his roots in Watertown. The name fits well with the deli’s menu, which will include about 10 gourmet-style sandwiches and different soups daily, Mr. Tarzia said.

A dish called Chi Chi de Pasta, for example, will come with garbanzo beans, chopped spinach, carrots and celery.

“I cook a lot at home and am never making the same thing twice, always tweaking it,” Mr. Tarzia said. “But I’m going to keep some of the same basic things on the menu for customers.”

The 1,500-square-foot restaurant will seat about 20 people, he said, and will be staffed by four employees.

Donald G.M. Coon III, managing partner for Watertown RX LLC, which is leasing the space, said the deli will be set apart from sit-down restaurants downtown with its faster service.

“It’s going to be different than the other restaurants in the Paddock Arcade,” he said. “In terms of the food, I’m always looking for a place where I can pick up something quick.”

The restaurant will be between Sandy’s Luncheonette and the Beauty Bar. Hours will be from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.