Bryan A.
Yelp
First, the employee who made my sandwich today did not wear gloves.
Now, the sadder part. Over the last decade and a half, I have picked up sandwiches from Deluca's Market (either in Back Bay or Beacon Hill) at least 100 times, probably closer to 150. It has been one of my go-tos to grab a quick, reasonably priced sandwich to eat on a bench on Commonwealth, the esplanade, or Boston Common. They also have a few tables outside their store on Newbury.
This year, they've raised their prices from $10 to $15 for a sandwich ($16 with tax). Now, these sandwiches aren't bad. But, they are basic sandwiches. We're talking grocery store cold cuts on grocery store bread. The type of sandwich that you could easily make at home in 3 minutes if you wake up in the middle of the night and want a snack. The french long roll that they use comes from Piantedosi bakery, which is a classic Boston-area staple. It's pretty good. The sub itself has a moderate amount of filling and measures 8 inches long. Being in measurement mode, I also weighed the half that I brought home. It weighed ~8 ounces, so a full sandwich is probably about a pound. It's pretty filling and, if you're not that hungry, it's easy to split for a light picnic with a bag of chips or side of your choice.
Still, it's not a $15 sandwich. At that price point, you're approaching some really excellent sandwiches to be found around the city. It's the type of thing that you make at home with cold cuts that you pick up from an average grocery store. This brings me to my next point. There is a large grocery store about a quarter of a mile away (behind Dick's off of Boylston) that makes 12 inch subs on Piantedosi rolls, using Boar's Head cold cuts, including roast beef, for $10. Beyond that, there are so many other places in the area with options in the $15 range that make better and/or more interesting food.
There's an outside chance that I will come back at some point out of nostalgia, but probably not. Sad to see this change in a place that I've been fond of visiting for quite some time.