Meet the people behind Antonelli's Deli | Richmond's new must-try sandwich shop

RICHMOND, Va. — A partnership forged in the heat of a mobile wood-fired pizza oven has blossomed into one of Richmond’s newest sandwich shops.

Antonelli's Deli, which opened in August in the city’s Museum District neighborhood, is the creation of Superstars Pizza owner Taylor Antonelli and baker Giustino Riccio.

The collaboration began a few years ago when Antonelli, who also operates the FiftyOne Pizza truck, needed help for private events.

He reached out to Riccio, a baker and musician he knew through his brother.

"I was like, hey, by the way, like I have this wood fired pizza truck, and if you're interested, I'd love to have you come cook some pizza," Antonelli said.

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The time spent together in the 1951 Ford truck laid the groundwork for the deli.

Antonelli had long envisioned opening a small, neighborhood-focused restaurant in a specific building that was formerly a dry-cleaning drop-off.

When the property became available for lease in January 2022, he knew he had the right partner in Riccio to bring the concept to life.

"I had this idea for this deli, and I said, you know, I'd love it if you would come bake bread there," Antonelli recalled telling Riccio.

At the heart of Antonelli’s Deli is the bread, a responsibility Riccio takes on daily, arriving at the restaurant at 3 a.m. to begin the process.

He described his bread as an "amalgamation of different styles" from Italy, developed specifically for its purpose.

"It's meant to be a sandwich bread," Riccio explained. "It doesn't have a really thick crust, and it has a fairly open crumb inside, so it's easy to chew."

Antonelli's Deli

The menu is intentionally concise, featuring six core sandwiches, each named after one of Antonelli’s nieces and nephews.

The bestseller so far, Antonelli noted, has been "The Rome," his take on an Italian-American classic with mortadella, capicola, and salami. The simplicity is by design.

"He comes from just wanting to do a few things really well, and I love the idea of that," Antonelli said of Riccio’s influence.

For Antonelli, opening the deli at the corner of Patterson Ave and Roseneath Rd. near Albert Hill Middle School is a full-circle moment.

He grew up in the neighborhood, which he fondly called "WOB," or West of the Boulevard.

"I was on the line making sandwiches, and I looked out the window, and there was kids riding their bikes," Antonelli said. "It was just kind of had like this weird moment where I was like, 'Man, that was me like 30 something years ago, and now I'm here making sandwiches across the street.'"

Since opening, the community response has been overwhelming.

"We have been blown away with the amount of people that have come to support us, and it's been crazy," Antonelli said.

Antonelli's Deli

While both partners have deep roots in the Richmond food scene—Riccio having worked at places like Bottoms Up Pizza and Galley, and Antonelli leading the 32-year-old Superstars Pizza—they hope the deli fosters a broader appreciation for hospitality as a profession.

"I think [Richmond is] still trying to learn how or figure out like that this can be a career," Antonelli said. "You know, I couldn't tell you how many times I hear, 'Well, when I go get a real job,' and I'm always like, 'Wait, this is a real job.'"

Riccio, who came to Richmond in 1992 to join the Latin band Bio Ritmo, added that customers may not realize the depth of talent within restaurant walls.

"Something I think about regarding Richmond restaurants is how many great musicians work in them," Riccio said. "There's a lot of artistic, creative people who rely on restaurant work."

Antonelli's Deli
3401 Patterson Ave.
Richmond, VA 23221