What do Bryan Street Tavern, Cane Rosso and Urban Crust have in common? Not only do they each serve up bad ass pizza in their own right, but they each use the iconic Dallas, Texas original, Jimmy's Italian Sausage. For a first timer at any of these restaurants, you might ask, who the hell is Jimmy? Jimmy, in this town, is not a who or a what, it is a place. The place to be in for fine Italian meats, cheeses, breads and all sorts of other classic accouterments.
Not only do they make it and sell it…which is hard enough to do in this part of the world, but they do it incredibly well. There is a reason that most pizza places worth their weight in cheese flock to Jimmy’s. It really is that good.
Walking up it isn't immediately clear what you’re walking into. But, after entering the front door, you are transported to another time and another place, where shoppers are casually sipping espressos and glasses of red wine while perusing the aisles of hand made pasta, sauces, wines and cheeses. Be sure to grab that glass of wine when you walk in because if you are coming for the deli or the meat, you may be waiting for a while. Grab a number and wander the aisles to take in the wine selections, steaks, charcuterie cuts, pork chops, and yes, that ever fantastic spicy Italian sausage.
Side note. This sausage is so fantastic that it has been know to be bought in bulk, frozen with dried ice, duct taped in massive igloo coolers and shipped to all corners of the globe. Well at least Indonesia, Kazakhstan and Angola. Just ask my parents.
On this particular trip, Michal and I were interested in cooking a classic romantic dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We first hit the bread section, where the classic Italian loaf suited our need perfectly, then grabbed some sobresatta from the deli and the the butcher. They featured two types of New York Strips- one is prime, beautifully marbled with glorious fat and the other from a local Texas butcher that was significantly leaner. I got one of each to match our preferences. While at the butcher we also picked up a couple onion and bell pepper sausage links and a few pounds of Jimmy's Italian sausage.
We hit the wine section and found a nice rosè for Michal and an Italian red for me. Then picked up a couple of other items before making our way to the checkout. Though it was a tad cramped due to some social distancing policies that have been put in place the line moved quickly and the prices were fair. Everything was priced right for the quality and possibly cheaper then some higher end big box grocery store equivalents.
Michal, having never been before, was amazed by little corner shop at the corner of Bryan St. and Fitzhugh and both of us are looking for reasons to go back.
Next time you are looking to treat yourself, try out Jimmy's Food Store in old east Dallas. The shopping experience will be one of a kind and the food quality will be beyond reproach. We guarantee it. #WKNDR
Oh, we forgot to mention…They also make hot Italian sandwiches at the deli counter in the back. Expect a follow up review for those bad boys.
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