A&S Fine Foods, Thornwood
You don’t have to go to Arthur Avenue for the best in fresh sausage, meats, mozzarella and homemade soups and sauces. Thornwood’s A&S Fine Foods has it all.
Colette Connolly, photo
The signature deli and catering company, located in the Thornwood Town Center, has a new owner who intends to continue building upon the stellar reputation the company has earned among locals over the past 30 years.
This is not the first time that owner Chris Cardillo has worked at A&S Fine Foods counter. When he was 19, he worked part-time for its former owner, Anthony Argiro.
Since opening a month ago, Cardillo has been expanding his full-service catering business. Over the years, A&S Fine Foods has been known for its off-premise catering, and Cardillo will continue to provide that for customers who look to him for food for their barbeques, pig roasts, clam bakes and cocktail parties.
Cardillo, who also specializes in weddings and other special events, offers a one-stop service for clients throughout Westchester, Connecticut and Long Island, taking care of everything including table, chair and tent rentals, bar service, wait staff and chefs.
At the deli, there’s an array of fine food and meats to choose from. Cardillo explained that three different types of pasta, including gluten-free, are made on the premises every day.
His head chef, who formerly worked at Gabriel’s Steakhouse in Greenwich, Conn., now runs the kitchen, along with two butchers and five additional employees at the deli counter. It’s a place where Cardillo feels right at home, meeting customers and helping to keep the business running smoothly.
“I remember helping my mom and my grandmother in the kitchen when I was about eight years old, squeezing tomatoes, peeling roasted peppers and stuffing artichokes,” said Cardillo, who studied culinary arts and business management at Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES while still in high school.
This old-school deli, with its dried salami and cheeses hanging from the ceiling, has built up a loyal following who regularly enjoy its high-quality meats, including Sterling Silver Premium Meats and Certified Angus Beef, New Zealand lamb, pork, veal cutlets, and poultry as well as more unusual offerings such as rabbit, pigs feet and knuckles and quail.
The store, which has received the Best of Westchester award for the past 10 years, carries a wide variety of imported products such as olive oil, vinegar, spices and other Italian specialties.
Customers can choose from over 35 varieties of imported cheese and an array of cold cuts, including chicken cutlet, ham, roast beef, turkey, prosciutto and traditional speck, among others.
An assortment of heat-and-serve meals are tempting for those who don’t want the bother of cooking. On a daily basis, A&S Fine Foods offers baked ziti, meat and cheese lasagna, gnocchi with vodka sauce, cavatelli with broccoli rabe and many other delicious options.
Homemade soups like pasta fagioli, escarole, split pea and clam chowder are also on the menu in addition to over 30 sandwiches, assorted salads, wraps and classic lunch specials.
Cardillo said he is excited about his latest venture and the chance to meet many of the customers who’ve been frequenting A&S Fine Foods over the years.
“I love meeting people and building new customer relationships,” said Cardillo. “For me, though, the business is only as good as its team.”
A&S Fine Foods is located in the Thornwood Town Center at 986 Broadway in Thornwood. It’s open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Call 914-747-1449 to order or check out its website at http://asthornwood.net/asfoods.html for more information on its catering service and upcoming cold cut, sandwich and holiday specials.
Colette Connolly is a copywriter and p.r. expert. She owns Connolly Communications, which is based in Bronxville, New York. Colette specializes in providing content-rich, SEO-optimized press releases, articles, newsletters, brochures, and customer success stories.