The best sausages in New England
This is Al Scheps of Al Ducci's Italian Pantry in Manchester Center, Vt.
This is his soulmate and partner, Nancy Diaferio, who owns the store with him. Al comes from Fair Lawn, N.J., Nancy from Corono, Queens, and they know Italian food. Which is all to explain why the best sausages in New England are in this little town in the southwest corner of Vermont (where, by the way, the outlet shopping is pretty fabulous).
The assistant sausagemaker pulls the spicy ground pork mixture through the casing, and forms links.
Look at Al's hands and you'll see he's tucking sausages into small bags and twisting them shut. Here's a close-up.
When he gets to 10 pounds, he stops, puts them in a large shopping bag, and hands them -- to us! We buy 10 pounds whenever we go to Al Ducci's, tuck them in the freezer, and eat them little by little all winter.
That night, we cooked the sausages and served them with crusty multigrain bread (made by Al), and a mozzarella and tomato salad (Al also makes the mozzarella). If you could die from enjoying something too much, we would have.
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A "tips" jar??? At a grocery store? What's next?
The next time you're up there, try the Blue Benn Diner, in Bennington. It's about 1/2 hour from Manchester, but it's hipster diner heaven, in an old silver doublewide.
Al Ducci's is by far the best place to eat. The ingredients are all fresh and top-notch. Al and Nancy take pride in all the foods they prepare. When in Manchester, we eat lunch there every day and wouldn't consider eating anywhere else.
You might also want to try their tomato tart, eggplant napoleon, a multitude of freshly prepared veggies....and don't forget Al and Nancy's fabulous cannolis and rice pudding. As good as it gets!
The author forgot to mention that we 'locals' wait in line for the mozzarella (little balls of heaven) and that you have to get to AD's early if you want to be sure to score a loaf of sourdough bread -- it's just that good!!
You have to make sure to stop off at Al Ducci's the next time you are near Manchester. It's the most wonderful experience. The food is unbelievable and Nancy and Al are a pure delight.
I would have trouble believing they're better than DePasquale's in Newton or Sulmona in the North End...
Al Ducci's is an original, no-nonsense fantasy of everything Italian. I live in Corona, Queens, NY, in the house Nancy was born in, and there is no place like Al' s in my neighborhood... Only Mamma's/Leo's Latticini, and they're too famous to be good anymore. Plus I am a little biased. Nancy's my sister!! ;-)
Al Ducci's is by far as authentic as it comes! Beautiful food... and smells that capture your mouth, heart , and soul as soon as you walk through the door.
ALTHOUGH...
Al Ducci's doesn't have sourdough bread and is also a take-out restaurant, not just an Italian pantry. The beautiful deli girls and boy behind the counter serve your every need with a smile! That is why there is a tip jar.
I worked there for a bit and enjoyed every minute of it. The food, the customers, but most of all the warm hearts of all the employees that work there. They all work very hard to make sure the products they sell are worthy for their customers! Al and Nancy are the sweetest people and it shows in the way they do food and interact with their customers. If you want a great meal...go to Al Ducci's!
Al, Nancy...please tell Ernie, Dan, Brad and the clan I said hello!
Love ya,
Brian
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