Faicco's Pork Store

Faicco's is, to many New Yorkers, synonymous with sausage. Links of homemade broccoli rabe- and fennel-flavored, chicken, cheese and parsley, and plain old sweet or hot Italian sausages abound in this brightly lit, sparkling store. But there are also fresh, meticulously trimmed meats of every description, from London broil to pork liver, all reasonably priced and ready to be wrapped by Faicco's trained staff. At the old-school counter, patrons take a number upon entering the store and step to the counter when called to rattle off their order. And that takes some doing, since there's still more to Faicco's than just meat. A healthy sampling of Italian delicacies—eggplant appetizers, fresh pesto, olives—as well as basic staples like dried pasta and tomato sauce ensure that no sausage need ever be eaten unaccompanied. Hefty wedges of provolone and grapefruit-sized balls of fresh mozzarella are enough to make regulars of vegetarians. And for those too busy to labor over a full-on Italian feast, Faicco's offers prepared heat-and-eat packages of eggplant Parmigiana, stuffed shells, dry sausage, seared broccoli rabe and other specialties to take home. — Jessica Branch