Larry Bly

Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.

Recent columns

• SoRo is a go
• Hobos in Rehoboth
• Collins House Inn: Eating is half the fun of staying
• Bubblecake: Aren't you a sweet little cupcake?
• Paradise on Melrose
• Column archive

• Recipe of the day

Those Yankees always lay claim to the only "authentic" subs and sandwiches. I know; I was with my Yankee friend from Philly the day she and the Geonetti's owner first met. It was love at first bite. My friend, who measures all subs and grinders by those she grew up eating, dared the Geonetti's folks to impress her. They pretty much did.

We decided to try two items that she could make some comparison to: The "Italian" baked sandwich and, of course, the Philly cheese steak. Both passed muster with flying colors. The bread is first-rate (the secret to a good sandwich): crunchy on the outside and tender-flavorful on the inside. And the meats -- capicolla ham, pepperoni, Genoa salami, honey baked ham -- are first-rate, as well.

I also tried a cup of Geonetti's homemade chili. It was much to my liking: tender beef swimming in a thick tomato sauce, featuring several types of beans.

Yes, I did state-competition chili judging for years and I know that beans are verboten, but I personally prefer them in my chili.

The chili leaves you with a slight burn on the lips, but it's not too overpowering. Frankly, it's pretty close to my own homemade version, so I was pleased.

Geonetti's recently opened, but the word's already out on the streets, and so were the lines the day I was there. Despite the crowds, the kitchen crew manages to keep things moving and the waits are minimal. There are enough tables and chairs to seat most patrons and the turnover it fairly quick. This is the location of the former Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea, which has moved down the street a half-block into larger quarters.

Prices are moderate at Geonetti's:  eight-inch sandwiches and subs are $5.49, foot-longs are $7.99 and the 16-inch versions sell for $9.99. Those are about the only prices you'll need to remember, and there's a big board over the cash register to make it all easier and faster. Choose cheese steaks, Italian steaks, chicken Philly, Pizza hero or reubens. Or opt for the oven-baked Italian, club, ham, bacon and cheddar, BLT, Italian meatball, New Yorker, or three-cheese melt varieties.

Oven-baked items include smoked turkey breast, honey-baked ham, roast beef, pepperoni, pastrami, corned beef, spicy capicolla ham or Genoa salami.

For the dieters among us, Geonetti's offers chicken-salad, tuna-salad and veggie subs, plus the usual garden salads: Greek, chicken fajita, Italian, chef, taco, and Jeanette's House (romaine lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, black olives, green peppers, red onions, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes). The salads are in the $6 range, which gives dieters a billfold break, of sorts.

There are lunch specials, too, and plenty of sides: Italian meatballs, chips, cookies, cheesecake, chili, soups and crispy dill pickle spears.

It's strictly order-at-the-counter and then pick-up-when-your-number-is-called, but it's efficient and it's fast.