Tenuta’s Italian Grocery & Delicatessen

• 3203 52nd Street
• Kenosha, WI 53144
• (262) 657-9001
• Website
• Menu

At some point, I usually end up leaving J and L at the rink when we go to these figure skating competitions. I like to explore whatever city we’re in. L likes to stay with her friends and teammates so we usually get to the rink way before L needs to be so she can watch.

We had a pretty busy day on Thursday. L had three events then we went to the beach and to dinner. We didn’t have to get up quite as early on Friday. L’s only event of the day wasn’t until 5 PM but she wanted to be at the rink at 11 to watch some of the other skaters.

I sat around for a while but I wanted to go look for some beer. J’s mom was looking for something specific and there was an Italian deli in Kenosha that the brewery’s beer finder said had it.

I left the rink around noon. I had already eaten lunch at Kwik Trip but figured if this deli had anything at all to eat. I was going to get something. Boy, was I in for a surprise.

I found Tenuta’s Delicatessen on the corner of 52nd Street and 32nd Avenue in Kenosha. The humble, but amazing Italian Deli has been a “Kenosha Tradition” since 1950.

The parking lot is off to the side of the building and you have to walk by an “outdoor grill” to get in…but I’ll get back to that in a little bit.

When I walked in the doors I was instantly overwhelmed. There is so. much. stuff. And not just stuff, but good stuff.

I didn’t know where to go first but I was instantly drawn towards the deli. They had what feels like everything. It looks like you can get sandwiches inside but I was going to do that outside so I passed.

I didn’t have a cooler with me and that sucked. They had their home made Italian beef available at the deli counter.

They have a bunch of pre-made meals too. I have to assume it’s all made from scratch like most things in the store.

Booze brought me to Tenuta’s so that’s where I went next.

I was looking for the Ginger Brandy from Dells Distillery that J had the night before at dinner, but I’m not certain they actually distribute. I looked through all the brandy and couldn’t find it so I moved on.

I headed over to beer next and, again, talk about being overwhelmed. It was a lot. I’m used to places with a lot of beer when it’s Michigan beer. I know what I’m looking for. This was all Wisconsin/Illinois beer. I didn’t know where to start. There was a large selection of Michigan beers so I kind of started there because it was something that felt comfortable and familiar.

I didn’t find then beer I was looking for for J’s mom but I still grabbed six singles in a make your own six pack for myself.

I had to go back and grab a basket at this point so that just meant I could get more.

I kept walking around and came across these big bags of 00 flour. I have bought this stuff of Amazon a few times to make pizza dough and it’s amazing. This huge bag was half the price and probably 3x as much as I could get on Amazon. I don’t really need it. I haven’t made pizza in quite a while but I couldn’t pass it up either. I had to grab a bag.

I turned around and there are freezers of fresh pasta. Again, I didn’t have a cooler so this wasn’t an option but I did mange to squeeze three jars of their home made pasta sauce in to my basket before heading to pay.

I went and paid..spent more money than I was planning on then headed to drop things off in the car.

I didn’t *need* to eat but I also couldn’t pass up the grill.

Right next to the parking lot is a little outdoor grilling area. They have an actual grill next to the building grilling up Italian sausage. There’s a little hut that’s part of the building for order takers.

There’s a menu on one of the brick columns but there’s also another menu with some special sandwiches hanging from the opening. A couple of those looked good so that’s what I got.

I thought I ordered the Combo Bomber. That’s what I meant to order anyway if I didn’t. That would have hit both the Italian beef and the Italian sausage. That’s not what I got there. When my sandwich was delivered to me, it was clearly the Sausage Bomber. I didn’t really pay attention so I already took a bite before I realized there was no beef on it. Eh…whatever. The sausage bomber was still really good. It’s their home made Italian sausage in their home made red sauce with their home made giardiniera. Every single piece of this sandwich was amazing. I do kind of wish I had the beef but I’m not complaining at all about this insanely good sandwich.

I couldn’t eat a sandwich like that in the car. Fortunately, they had some concrete picnic tables in front of the sore between the building and the very busy street.

Not gonna lie. I hope L’s skating coach decides to go back to the Pleasant Prairie competition again next year just so I have another excuse to go to Tenuta’s. I’m already making plans to take a cooler with me.

This place is amazing.