Growing up in North Jersey, Italian delis were everywhere. I lived about a hundred yards away from one — the legendary Villaggio’s Deli in Ridgefield - for the first 20 years of my life, and it never dawned on me that having a place like this nearby was unique in any way. I always assumed that every region of America was also blessed with this particular style of culinary specialty shop.

As I started to spend more time in South Jersey, I began to realize how rare they are, and so when someone tipped me off about the sandwiches at Bagliani’s Market in Hammonton, I had to make the trip. A staple of Hammonton since opening up shop in 1959, Bagliani’s is essentially a miniature supermarket — the kind of place grandmothers swear by with good reason.