Although New Yorker John Locantore has been in the Northwest for more than
20 years, he hasn’t lost his accent or his love for barbecued ribs and
chicken or pastrami and corned beef sandwiches.
He
opened his business on West Street, a block from Olympic Avenue, several
months ago in the small retail center that includes the Arlington Pharmacy,
La Hacienda and RadioShack.
“I
grew up in a family of fantastic cooks. My New York flavors are new to
Arlington, but people love my food. Now I’ve added pastrami, and I’ve got
people coming from Seattle and Renton for it,” he said.
He
makes his own Italian sausages, barbecue sauces that range from mild to
“insane” and side dishes for his meals, but people talk the most about the
tenderness of his barbecued meats — and the size of the servings.
“Having people come here is like having them come to my home. Italians like
to make sure no one goes away hungry, and that’s what we do here, too,” he
said.
Locantore also caters food for small to large groups and plans to keep
expanding his menu.
