Stuff to Eat in the Suburbs: Belmont—Angelato

For lunch in the suburbs this Bostonist is always in search of one thing: a better sandwich. Forget fruit plates and salads, sandwiches are what lunch is all about. A good sandwich can be special because of so many things: the bread, the meats, the condiments, the cheese. And each sandwich shop is unique in the way they combine these ingredients making it worthwhile to visit as many as possible to find the best sandwich options. This Bostonist has been known to drive as much as half an hour out of the way just to fill a particular sandwich craving and Angelato; a small sandwich shop, Italian deli, and geltaria in Belmont has become one of those detours. The first time we sampled Angelato's wares was after visiting Silk Road BBQ across the street. We noticed Angelato because we were in the mood for something sweet to finish off our lunch. Angelato is the company owned shop of the Angelato foods the company who makes Firenze frozen desserts which means that they have fresh local made gelato ready for serving in the shop. The hazelnut chocolate gelato alone was well worth the trip out to Belmont. The gelato had a rich dark chocolate flavor without being too bitter or too sweet, and the small pieces of roasted hazelnut were the perfect addition—an occasional textured surprise hidden in the smooth creamy goodness.

As if that weren't enough to make a detour into Belmont, they also have sandwiches. The thing that makes the sandwiches at Angelato great is the unique pairings of flavors in their specialty sandwiches. Of course they have the old standbys, the caprese, the chicken parm, the meatball, and the ever popular make your own option. But it's the specialty sandwiches that shine at Angelato. Unfortunately, the really interesting sandwiches aren't listed on the online menu, but instead are on signs hung up around the deli counter. One sandwich in particular comes to mind, it has an unruly name but the sandwich consists of chicken salad, bacon, and honey mustard. This Bostonist was skeptical when she ordered this interesting combination but has since come to crave this unique flavor combination. The base of this sandwich, a shredded chicken salad, provides a nice smooth texture that is pleasantly interrupted by salty crunchy bits of bacon, while the honey mustard adds a sweet sharp tang that makes each bite a delight.

The other sandwich we sampled involved a breaded chicken cutlet, cheddar cheese, bacon, and ranch dressing. Another unexpected combination this sandwich was the ultimate salty richness. The creamy ranch dressing paired perfectly with the moist chicken cutlet and the cheese and bacon added perfect salty accents.

While this Bostonist has yet to try a sandwich based on cold cuts, the deli meat at Angelato looks top notch and the fact that you can purchase the meats individually leads us to believe we will be trying the "Three Honeys" sometime soon. So the next time you're looking to calm your sandwich craving head out to Belmont and give one of Angelato's creations a try, you'll be glad you did.