Old-school subs at Leone’s and Courthouse Seafood
Good local eats
A sausage, onions and peppers sub at Leone’s Sub and Pizza in Somerville.
Leone’s, the plucky pizzeria counter in Somerville, has been at it since 1954 and to this day is family run and still serving up those renowned Sicilian slices of squared, gooey goodness. At the base of Winter Hill as Broadway crosses the McGrath-O’Brien Highway, it’s an old-school part of the city that feels defiantly – and miraculously – unchanged by time. The “Subs” sign affixed atop the small shop is classic 1950s art deco and serves as a wonderful reminder of how the eatery, which has seen the comings and goings of JFK and Whitey Bulger as well as the arrival of the Internet, smartphones and GrubHub food delivery, has remained an area stalwart based on reputation, hard work and doing one thing (or maybe three) righteously.
The slice of the day and the griddle-chopped steak and cheese sub are the staples of its grab-and-go midday rushes. I recently saw one hungry lunchtime patron order and gobble both – an impressive accomplishment, considering the subs are substantial in size and filled generously. Part of the reason for those subs’ winning success is the freshness of the Italian bread, which is pliable, chewy and moist, perfect for soaking up the tangy homemade marinara that makes the meatball sub a belly-filling winner.
On my last visit I gambled on the sausage, onions and peppers sub, an order triggered by fond but fretful memories of The Sausage Guy over in Fenway. How many times have you emerged late night from a Sox game, ordered a sausage sub on the fly and rued it the next day? At Leone’s that was not the case: The sausage was diced neatly into bite-sized medallions, the onions and peppers were not overcooked, greasy or wilted, but still had a tad of fresh crunch to them, and the friendly server behind the counter asked if I wanted some of that house marinara simmering in a big pot next to the griddle. I didn’t say no, and was glad I didn’t. The red sauce at Leone’s is mouth puckeringly addictive and a zesty way to take that combo to another level.
Leone’s also bakes up calzones and traditional pies, and has a breakfast menu. You can sense while waiting on an order (my sausage sub took 10 to 15 minutes because it’s all done fresh) the pride of the staff, the loyalty of customers and the sense of community along this enshrined stretch of Somerville. Famously, during an interview on “Good Morning America” in New York City while promoting the 2014 Captain America film “The Winter Soldier,” Sudbury-raised Chris Evans was surprised by a few boxes of Leone’s pies delivered to the studio. He rose and extolled the soft doughy virtues of Leone’s emphatically.
A seafood roll from Courthouse Seafoods in East Cambridge.
Even more old-school, in a bittersweet kind of way, is Courthouse Seafoods in a similarly time-encapsulated section of East Cambridge on Cambridge Street – bittersweet because the Courthouse Fish Market, which opened back when Fenway Park was erected (1912), closed last year. (With the closing of The Fishmonger in Huron Village in 2022, Cambridge has a dearth of places to get fresh fish). The folks at the market opened a sub and fried fish cafe next door in 1987. Blessedly, the eatery persists. The space is down home and no-nonsense, with about a half dozen tables. Refrigerators filed with linguica, chowder and eggs and other produce to-go cast a distinctive bodega vibe. On the vast menu board, you can get fried seafood dinners – smelts, clams, scallops, shrimp and, of course, your classic fish and chips. Most all come as seafood boxes, which underscores the clam-shack-adjacent experience; I had the fresh crab meat and fried scallop roll. The scallops were pretty spot on, moist and tender inside and not too breaded. The offset of the tartar sauce and plump, airy roll was perfect, but I’d maybe opt for a box next time. The crab was indeed fresh, real meat, and there was thankfully not a lot else in the bun. It checked my boxes for a crab roll, though if I had my druthers I’d want a tad less mayo. And the sub roll, while more than fine, isn’t my seafood bun go-to. I’m partial to a brioche or classic New England-style split-top hot dog bun.
Awaiting returns are the housemade clam chowder, lobster roll and a fried smelt plate – the one I am most curious about. Courthouse Seafoods also slings burgers and grilled chicken, with all plates coming with crinkle-cut fries.
If you’re jonesing for fried clams and don’t want to drive all the way to Woodman’s in Essex, Courthouse is around the corner to serve you your seaside summertime in a box. That said, if you’re planning on running over soon for your seafood sub or fried scallop plate fix, know that staff is on vacation through Monday. You’ll need to tamp down your urban clam shack craving for a few days.