A bite of deja chew
Rocco's signature sandwich is as delicious as remembered
Some restaurants are better in your memory than on the table. You go back, take a bite, and realize you should’ve left the place exactly where it was-in your head.
Rocco is the opposite.
At lunch on Drusilla Lane, regulars greet each other and ease into conversation with strangers. Behind the bar is Mike Dellocono, narrating the moment and gently steering the conversation the way a good host does when he knows he’s running a place people rely on.
Rocco has its signature, too—the same as Anthony’s Deli on Government. It’s the muffuletta, served on Leidenheimer bread from New Orleans, stacked high with Italian meats, warmed just enough to melt the cheese, and finished with a homemade olive spread that brings the sandwich together with a briny punch (pictured above).
Mike is rightfully proud of the sandwich.
If you’re trying to keep the Lent traditions intact this Friday, JR Ball—my RedEye co-founder—recommends the seafood muffuletta. Same setup, same olive spread, but tuned for the season.
The best part of revisiting a beloved place is realizing you didn’t make it up. Rocco’s is still there. Still humming. Still feeding Baton Rouge at lunch like it’s a civic service.
