recipes|February 11, 2009 2:47 pm

Mi Amore: Better Bite for Your Money

By Amy von Eiff
Dining Divas -

The Dining Divas braved the wind and cold to find a new deli on the northeast side of town. Mi Amore is located at 8922 E. 96th Street and has been in business for just a few weeks. This quaint deli offers reasonably priced specials, dinner entrees and desserts reminiscent of what our grandmothers made. The restaurant is billed as fast and healthy, offering many delightful dishes such as grilled Atlantic salmon with tomato basil relish, which the gals and I had the pleasure of tasting while catching up on the latest gossip.

The owner/chef, Patricia Corn, is from Santiago, Chile. Patricia stores all of her recipes in a large binder that she calls “The Cookbook.” This sacred book holds pages upon pages of delicious recipes which Patricia has down to a science. The Dining Divas tried a variety of dishes including her signature southwest chicken salad sandwich on a hoagie roll, lasagna with Bolognese sauce and a flank steak entrée marinated tender with soy sauce, honey, corn syrup, oregano and jalapeno. For dessert, we gushed over this deli’s peach upside down cake, which melted in our mouths and left us wanting more — but without the calories. Mi Amore also offers German chocolate cake and lemon pie, which ranks up there with the likings of Southern chef Paula Deen.

All the dishes were full of flavor and fresh ingredients, but the Divas were hoping Mi Amore would incorporate more of the “Old Country” into its dishes. A bit more South American flare certainly would help to escape the drones of 96th Street traffic.

The daily lunch specials are far better than any chain sandwich shop, roasting their own roast beef and turkey on the premises and having the natural taste come out instead of covering it up with excessive salt. Priced to meet your budget, included in the lunch specials are a full sandwich and a cup of homemade soup. These unique combinations include prosciutto, pastrami, chicken salad, tuna salad and Portobello mushroom sandwich (just to name a few) served on white or whole wheat hoagie roll — all for only $4.99.

Mi Amore is still in the early stages of development. The décor of the restaurant has a “Euro” feel but still needs some work to become more inviting. You do, however, feel that Patricia wants to share her talent with you and puts her finishing touch on all of her dishes with love. In the months to come this newly opened establishment will see customers coming in for more and more of her tastes. With time and experience, I would expect to see her rate climb up the chart.