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On the cheap: T-Rex Taqueria

On The Cheap

Trutony's Deli

The Langley’s variety-store wares are a bit thin, so the main reason to visit is the deli case, loaded with a broad selection of Boar’s Head deli meats, some housemade salads, and hot entrées like chicken parmesan ($7.95) and stuffed shells ($6.50). I found the generous signature sandwiches the most appealing, each piled high with cold cuts methodically sliced to order. The Tony’s Special ($6.95) is overstuffed with spicy sopressata, copa, provolone, and roasted red peppers. The Honey Bee ($6.75) boasts a thick stack of turkey, ham, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard. A chicken-salad sandwich ($5.95) is simple, not overdressed, and very good. These can be had on rolls — plain, unsalted Tuscan or sesame-seed-encrusted braided ones — that owner Tony picks up daily from North End bakeries. Both are authentically Italian-American, thus a little softer and less crusty than I prefer, but they’re fresh and better than machine-cut breads and wraps. The customary assortment of mass-market chips and soft drinks are available.

If these sandwiches don’t sound innovative, it’s because they aren’t. The real appeal of Trutony’s is the inimitable flavor of a shop where the one place to sit looks like a busy family’s kitchen table strewn with newspapers, and there are daytime junk programs on the tube. If it’s slow, the owners are likely to sit across from you and share extended anecdotes about their more-than-nodding acquaintance with local sports stars, including Jason Varitek, a neighbor and customer. That’s the kind of charming, homey accompaniment to your lunchtime sandwich that you won’t ever get at Quiznos.

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