Why this bodega-meets-deli in Charlotte is a go-to for Dominican comfort food
“It’s like if a Piggly Wiggly grocery store and bodega in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood had a baby.” That’s the only way I could describe Compare Foods Supermarket to my nephew Malachi (or anybody else who expresses interest).
Founded in 1989 by Dominican immigrant Eligio Peña in the village of Freeport on New York’s Long Island, the grocery store chain eventually spread into seven states from Rhode Island to New Jersey and all the way down to North Carolina, where there are eight locations in Charlotte alone.
Which brings me to Compare Foods Supermarket on Milton Road. A Winn-Dixie in its past life, the grocery store is now home to Tony’s Deli, a Dominican “comedor” tucked inside.
Comidas de Republica Dominica
While others shop for packs of “Menudo Bombs,” lavender-scented Fabuloso, Guava-flavored Jarritos, Spongebob Squarepants-themed piñatas, stiff slabs of salty bacoalao, Virgen de Guadalupe devotional candles and slices of tres leches cake, I’m licking my chops legit, real-deal “comidas de Republica Dominica.”
I’m blessed enough to consider New York City a “second home” (my father is from The Bronx), so hopscotching from Dominican restaurants like Grini’s Grill to Malecon to Caridad during my time in the Big Apple bolstered my knowledge and appetite for things on the Tony’s Deli menu like mofongo, chivo guisado and lomo relleno (mashed plantains, goat stew and stuffed pork tenderloin).
However, if your command of the Spanish language is less than lousy or if reading this has inspired you to take your first step inside the Compare Foods Supermarket on Milton Road, here’s the trifecta of non-negotiable dishes to eat.
I think the only thing more beloved in the Dominican Republic more than sancocho might be the pride of Manoguayabo, Major League Baseball Hall-of-Fame pitcher Pedro Jaime Martinez. In fact, I’ve never met a Dominican who didn’t passionately promise that their abuelita made the world’s very best pot of this thick, hearty stew.
With a sofrito as its backbone, sancocho is rumored to have medicinal powers to cure hangovers and is filled to the tip top with beef, chicken, pork, corn, green plantains, yuca, auyama and yautia. It’s definitely something Campbell’s soup couldn’t achieve in its wildest dreams.
Next, is pescado frito. Just by proximity to where I was born and raised, all roads lead back to fried fish. The tilapia at Tony’s Deli is scored, seasoned and fried whole. The cook suggested I pair the fish with a bed of moro de habichuelas negra (rice with black beans) and heap of mangu plantains that are boiled, buttered and smashed to smithereens until they’re the consistency of how I remember the mashed potatoes to be from Kenny Rogers Roasters.
Last but not least, you must try the pernil asado. Not only did it represent the letter “P” in my A-Z guide of the best things to eat in Charlotte, it’s the most succulent and purest form example of a Boston butt living up to its fullest potential.
The skin is blistered and bubbled like the finest chicharon, and underneath are jiggly bits of fat mixed with chunks of sinewy strands of the most flavorful pork flesh you’re likely to ever eat in this lifetime. It comes with two sides, so you might as well get the moro con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) and plantanos maduro fritos (fried sweet plantains).
Now, the only thing missing is “Corazon Culpable” by Anthony Santos blaring from a radio somewhere in the kitchen and a few shots of Mama Juana.
Tony’s Deli
Location: Inside Compare Foods, 3112 Milton Rd, Charlotte NC 28215
Cuisine: Dominican
Instagram: @tonys_deli_
