Sparo’s Deli + Catering is an Italian-American deli located in Montclair and Ramsey. With family recipes passed down from generations as well as new recipes that have become just as popular, customers who order from Sparo’s are guaranteed high-quality and fresh ingredients no matter what. Read on to learn more about Sparo’s Deli + Catering.
Four Years In Business
Sparo’s Deli is owned by Adam Rose and Mike Sparacino, who have been friends since childhood and grew up in Nutley. Adam has been a chef for 25 years with a background in four-diamond hotels and has worked as the executive chef at NJPAC. He was also previously the chef and owner of Villalobos, a Mexican restaurant, for eight years before it shut down in May 2021. Pasta Ramen now occupies the space.
With the help of a friend named Lou — the person that inspired the sandwich “Angry Lou” — Mike and Adam got together after Mike wanted to do “an investment project like an Italian deli,” Adam told The Montclair Girl. “Mike deals with stock trading and stuff like that. That’s his main job. But I’m a chef by trade and this is the industry that I’m in, and when we got together over a cocktail one day, he told me his thoughts, I told him mine and they were quite similar. And the rest is history.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sparo’s Deli
Sparo’s in Montclair, located at 197 B Bellevue Avenue, opened in December 2019. The business’s most recent location in Ramsey, at 94 East Main Street, opened in May 2023. As a side note, Adam said that there is no difference whatsoever between both restaurants’ menus. He shared, “Since 2019, we’ve grown exponentially in sales and in popularity. We expanded our hours a little more with the addition of breakfast. Each year we’re just growing and growing. You notice things as the months and years go on and we haven’t missed a beat.”
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What’s On The Menu
Sparo’s has all different types of sandwiches on its menu — from premium to signature and from American classic to hot sandwiches. Sandwiches are served on a choice of Seeded Semolina or Unseeded Italian — or no bread for those who prefer lettuce as the base. All sandwiches are finished with salt, pepper, oregano, oil, and vinegar unless otherwise noted.
Photo Credit: John Romano Photography
When it came to picking the bread, Adam said that it was a “very hard decision” to make since “all bakeries in our area are spectacular.” Ultimately, Adam and Mike opted for Gencarelli’s Bakery. The chef explained, “The Italian is very light and white and fluffy, and the Seeded Semolina “has that good crunchy exterior, that golden dough inside with toasted seeds.”
In addition, the team sources ingredients, such as chicken cutlets and cold cuts, from other local businesses, including Violante + Son Meat Market and La Bella Mozzarella. Adam told The Montclair Girl: “Italian subs and chicken cutlets are kind of in our DNA, but what we like to think that makes ours better than anything is just the product from the local bakery that we use.”
Apart from the high-quality ingredients, Sparo’s sandwiches have become locally recognized by name, which are named after friends and family of Adam and Mike. “The menu just gets bigger when your best friend has the next best idea and then he bothers you too much to put it on the menu. So then that’s kind of how the specials kind of come about. And if they really stick, we keep them on full-time,” Adam said.
Photo Credit: @sparosdeli
Some sandwiches on the menu include: The Belle (chicken cutlet, American cheese, tomato, onion, + Duke’s mayo); Dani Girl (chicken cutlet, eggplant cutlet, mozzarella, + marinara or vodka sauce), Fat Dom (prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula, red onions, balsamic vinegar, + fresh basil pesto); and Mama Passero (chicken cutlet, soppressata, mozzarella, broccoli rabe, roasted red peppers, + Duke’s Mayo).
The number one bestseller, Adam revealed, is the Mama Cici, which includes chicken cutlet, prosciutto, mozzarella, broccoli rabe, roasted red peppers, and Duke’s mayo.
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Two Locations + Growing
Sparo’s recently added cheesesteaks to the Montclair location, as well as breakfast items, which have become a huge success. Breakfast includes a build-your-own sandwich or the Tony B special (fried mortadella, egg, provolone, and mustard).
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sparo’s Deli
The owner says that Sparo’s focus right now is “quick ordering, online grabbing and going.” As to why Sparo’s is so popular, Adam believes it’s because the business makes the best chicken cutlets around and what it comes down to is the quality ingredients from local butchers and bakeries. He shared, “We hope to just continue to grow and get on more people’s radar and deliver them the best product that we can.”
Aside from ordering in and takeout, the restaurant also prides itself on its catering menu. All catering comes in rectangular boxes with Sparo’s logo. Menu items include penne vodka, baked manicotti, antipasti platter, cavatelli and broccoli, caprese salad with bruschetta, and sausage, peppers, and onions. Adam suggests ordering a few days in advance to give the staff enough time, especially in February when Super Bowl orders are through the roof.
With business booming, Adam says that “expansion’s always on the top of our list.” But, “it has to be the right place and the right time.” He explained, “Right now, we’re really focusing on the brick-and-mortar aspect of our businesses. And I would certainly think in the next year or two you could see us in Morris County or Union County or something like that.”
Sparo’s Deli + Catering in Montclair is open 9AM to 4PM every day, except for on Monday which is open from 9AM to 2PM. From 2PM to 4PM during the week, the restaurant has a happy hour, which is $6 off sandwiches and wraps with a code found on a food takeout and delivery app (normally it is “HappyHour”).
