NORWICH – Traffic is known to be heavy at times on state Route 12 in the Town of Norwich, approximately one quarter of a mile south of the Price Chopper and South Side Plaza intersection. The hustle and bustle of cars and trucks at lunchtime is unmistakable, and it’s partly what led to the decision of restaurant owner Angelo Oliveri to open his road-side business, Angelo’s Lunch Box, two years ago.
I ventured to Angelo’s Lunch Box on a busy Friday afternoon, where Oliveri showed me the ropes of being a short order cook in a fast-paced kitchen for this latest installment of Punching the Clock. Along with the traditional hamburgers and deep-fried hot dogs so often associated with the long summer months, Oliveri also serves up a variety of wraps, seafood, salads, subs and side dishes.
“What we’re most widely known for is the portion sizes,” said Oliveri, noting that a full order of french fries tips the scales at close to two pounds and wraps are often overstuffed. The restaurant also serves a signature Philly Cheese Steak using in-house roast beef in place of frozen commercial product, and maintains prices that compete with any local eatery.
And if all that isn’t enough to serve the larger appetite, there’s always a few in-house baked treats to top it off. “We joke by saying if you leave hungry, we are doing something wrong,” he laughed.
“We have a good following of people here who keep coming back,” added Oliveri. Angelo’s Lunch Box is a two-man show, with Oliveri at the helm and additional help from Jennifer Flynn, who has been an extra set of helping hands at the restaurant since its opening in 2011.
Angelo’s Lunch Box isn’t the customary sit-and-eat establishment. In fact, without a good reputation and marketing via word of mouth, his business might be mistaken as an empty trailer nestled alongside a busy highway. But Oliveri’s custom built trailer is truely a “kitchen on wheels,” he pointed out, with all the equipment of a traditional commercial kitchen, including three deep fryers, a flat-top grill, char broiler, and a full size oven for baking.
