The Best New York Deli Is in New Jersey, at Fiore’s House of Quality

Fiore’s House of Quality has been around for 111 years. Frank Sinatra was a fan of their mozzarella, and so is Munchies.

The Best New York Deli Is in New Jersey, at Fiore’s

New York City. There’s a lot that the bustling metropolis has going for it, but there’s one thing it can’t claim. The best New York-style deli. 

That honor actually goes to neighboring New Jersey in a town called Hoboken, directly on the other side of the Hudson River. There resides Fiore’s House of Quality. This business has been around for 111 years dating back to 1913. 

Videos by VICE

Its popularity goes beyond its 16,000 Instagram followers. Fiore’s is frequented by stars and celebrities dating back to Frank Sinatra, whose mother, Dolly, was a top customer. The crooner fell in love with the deli’s signature mozzarella, which he even had flown out to a show in Las Vegas. Talk about a man who knows what he wants!

A recent video produced by Munchies documents the deli’s rich family history and tradition. John Amato, Jr., who handles the business now, put it best when he said, “This is the type of place that Tony Soprano would have sat in the back in.” It’s just how you’d expect a New York-style deli to look and feel. 

Fiore’s aforementioned staple, its mozzarella, keeps with the traditional recipe of hot water and raw cheese. Simple, yet it’s all about the “feel,” as Amato stresses, and that’s definitely where Fiore’s shines the most. 

“I’ve learned through the years from my dad and uncles,” Amato said of the family legacy item. “They told me what to do, how to do it, and what the feel is.” 

Fiore’s is known to have one special every day. During the Munchies video, it was corned beef.

The old-school joint has people come from “far, far away.” I can attest to this, having grown up in South Jersey about 100 miles from the town. People from the southern part of the state rave about Fiore’s.  

Everything about this small shop is built on a foundation of family and values. Amato said working with those he shares blood with is “the best” because it “actually doesn’t feel like work.”