Next Door, the Sfizi Deli Cafe

Wednesday, December 22, 2004; Page F07

The popular Dolce Vita restaurant has spawned a sibling along Lee Highway in Fairfax—Sfizi Deli Cafe, a bright and friendly Italian market. Banking on the idea that everyone could use a little more ziti in their life, Giuseppe Ricciardi, known as Joe, and his brother Lino opened the shop last October. Sfizi (SFEE-tzee)—meaning a craving—is loud and cozy, with chocolate-brown walls and plenty of seating inside (and outside, when the weather permits.) It says simply, like an Italian mama, "Come. Eat."

Patrons come for the authentic Italian coffee—from a beautiful Fiorenzato espresso and cappuccino machine—and kisses on both cheeks. They chow and mingle or grab and go. The market sells grilled panini ($5.95 to $6.95), hot and mild Italian sausages, more than 20 cheeses such as Black Wax Parmesan (a younger Parmesan) and Caciotta (a Pecorino Romano), 15 different types of olives (among them Picholine, Cerignola, lemon-marinated olives and Chiantigiana), artichokes stuffed one day with bread crumbs, raisins, pine nuts and cheese, or crabmeat another.

There's also marinated eggplant, rapini salad and rustic-style pizza ($1.75 per slice; $12.95 for a full pan). The rest of the shop is all gourmet market. Bottles of Pellegrino water stand next to wines such as Nobile di Montepulcinano and Barolowine, San Benedetto peach and lemon tea—a more grown-up and less sweet flavor than say, Snapple—Fabbri syrups in almond, caramel, amaretto and vanilla, Chinotto, a caramelized coffee-flavored drink, and Yoga, a thick fruit drink that comes tasting like apricot, peach and pear, which the Ricciardis drank growing up in Naples. There is fresh fettuccine and linguine made on site ($3.75 a pound), plus pennette—mini penne—and cooking essentials such as Antica Salina sea salt and Carapelli and Bellino olive oils. The Ricciardi family's love of sweets is evident in the cannoli shipped in from New York, which share space with the pignoli cookies, cantucci (cookies containing almonds, hazelnuts and candied fruits) usually eaten with a glass of vin santo) and the Neapolitan pastries sfogliatelle and struffoli (the latter made with honey, almonds and sugar beads—a holiday tradition).

Dolce Vita and Cantina
10824 Lee Hwy., Fairfax, 703-385-1530;

Sfizi Deli Cafe 10826 Lee Hwy,  Fairfax,  703-359-0417. Monday - Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 Janelle Erlichman Diamon