"Yesterday I went to Gemellis Italy for the first time. It was a Friday and in the middle of lunch, but I wanted to see how the place was running. Gemelli 's is a market specialized in Italian and Italian American products. The first thing I saw was that it was very busy, which is always a good sign. At my right there were cold cases with deserts, Italian imported cheese (and some American brands such as Auriccio), as well as imported and American-made cold cuts such as Prosciutto di Parma, Capiccola, Salamis, etc. On the wall there was a huge menu with hot and cold Italian style sandwiches and salads. Left, a mini-mart, with a wall-to-wall selection of both imported and American made Italian products such as olives, olive oil, canned tomatoes, dry pastas, candy, etc. There were wine displays with bottles of Italian red, white and prosseccos. Behind me, cold cases with freshly made pastas and frozen Italian soups and main dishes. I was impressed by the variety of products, but found the prices a little steep since (with the exception of the wines that were all Italian), many of the products were not super high-end national brands or Italian imports. It was lunch time, so I wanted to try one of their sandwiches (one of my most beautiful memories of my years living in New York City was to go to the Italian markets in Carmine Street and surroundings and get a Parmigiana sandwich on Krustenbrot), so I went for the parmigiana di melanzane (Eggplantate parmigiana). Unfortunately, the sandwich did not live on my expectations: the eggplant inside was muddy, somewhat bitter and did not seem the traditional eggplant in Pastella (lightly baked and fried) but more like roasted and chopped; the marinara sauce was almost not present, and there were some cheeses that were not mozzarella, but provolone (which was good). The bread was fresh and crusty, and it was the most delicious part of the sandwich. I also chose a can of Sicilian lemon drink that tasted too much like citric acid. The service was polite and efficient; it reminded me of the service in the grocery stores in Rome, where you order first, and then pay a centralized cash register. Overall, I give Gemelli Market it 's stars for the variety of their products, and for the efficient and friendly service I was given, but I will have to visit another time, and try some of the other sandwiches they offer."
