One of the many lovely things about having YES Gallery as a daily destination is that I've become more adventurous in my travels to and from there. Places that I used to walk past on my way somewhere else have become places that I now walk into to explore, and sometimes when I'm in a hurry to get to the gallery and I haven't had time to eat a good lunch beforehand I'll stop somewhere to see what their options are and find a treasure of wonderful culinary delights.
As I made my way to YES Gallery on a beautiful afternoon, I decided to walk into Losurdo's Italian Deli and Bread Bakery, and when I first stopped in I didn't have time to do much more than to let them know that I had always wanted to walk in and visit them over the years because I'd heard so many wonderful things about them, but that this was the first time I'd had a chance. On that first visit the very nice man behind the counter gave me a taste of their dried mozzarella cheese, something I'd never had before, and not only was it flavorful and fresh, but it was so delicious it made me want to order something right there and then. He told me that every Tuesday through Friday they had a special of eggplant parmigiana, something that is a favorite of mine since childhood when my mother made it and taught me how to slice and bread the eggplant and sometimes let me cook with her as she made it. Hers was always so memorable that it's hard for me to order it anywhere else, but I had a feeling that Losurdo's would make one that would be a lovely experience. They were out of it that day so I tried again on another, and another, until one afternoon I got there in time to get the last piece.
On every visit I ordered something that was wonderful, and when I finally was able to try the eggplant parmigiana it was everything I could have hoped for. The eggplant was so thinly sliced and delicate that my mother would have definitely approved, and the sauce and cheese within the layers and covering it were excellent. I brought it to the gallery to have lunch there, and the portion was enough to bring some home for another day. Because it was such a wonderful experience to enjoy it, I made it last for as long as possible. Served with a good sized slice of their own special bread, it was a meal to savor, and as everything they make or serve in their store, it's filled with the warmth and the welcome that is part of their history of hospitality in Hoboken.
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