August 3, 2026
Set foot inside Tutti’s Italian Market & Deli and you’ll feel like you’ve been whisked away to that most beloved New York City staple: the neighborhood deli.
Shelves are stocked with imported goods — olives and sauces, pastas and cookies, soft focaccia. Walls are lined with Italian wines and beers. Coolers keep the perfect temperature for specialty meats and cheeses. And behind the counter, hand-dredging eggplant, making sweet sausage, simmering homemade ragu and greeting customers by name, is co-owner and chef Tommy Cook.
A Place for Community
Tommy’s enthusiasm for what he does and his passion for sharing Italian food culture with people is infectious — and part of the grander vision that he and his brother and co-owner Johnny Cook had when they first opened Tutti’s in Concord in 2022.
“We make food,” says Tommy, “and I’d like to think the food I make is good. But what matters most is that people feel welcome here, like they have a community place. Food has an emotional appeal for Italians and Italian American families, and that’s what we’re trying to share at Tutti’s.”
‘Everyone to the Table to Eat’
The Cook brothers come by this notion naturally. Hailing from an Italian family from Brooklyn and Long Island, Tommy recalls fond memories of his late grandparents — immigrants to the United States during World War II — getting chicken cutlets from the local deli every day, eating dinner together every night and demonstrating that serving food was, in and of itself, an act of love.
“There’s a phrase on the wall at Tutti’s,” explains Tommy. “It says: ‘Tutti a tavola a mangiare.’ It means ‘everyone to the table to eat.’ We have it on our wall not as a marketing pitch, but as a genuine invitation. You’re being welcomed to be part of how we — Italians, my family — have dinner.”
And how do they have dinner? With cooked-from-scratch, handmade, homemade food of the highest caliber ingredients. That’s what customers will discover at Tutti’s.
On the Menu
Tommy, like Johnny, was an English teacher in a former life. He now spends his time crafting a mouthwatering menu of grab-and-go and take-and-bake Italian fare.
Choose from sandwiches such as meatball parm (with beef and pork meatballs made in-house), The Godfather (a stacked sammie of mozzarella, pepperoni, Genoa salami, prosciutto di Parma, capicola, arugula, tomato and onion, plus Cook’s oil and vinegar) and The Goombah, two thick slices of bread cradling a breaded chicken cutlet layered with fresh mozzarella, prosciutto di Parma and roasted red peppers.
Or go for hot dishes — again, all Tommy’s creations, all made in-store and every one created with love in tribute to the way his grandparents did it — like sausage and peppers, stuffed shells, penne alla vodka, baked ziti and lasagna.
And don’t skip dessert! On the menu are the brothers’ mom’s crumb cake, New York City-style black and white cookies and icy, creamy gelato.
Handmade and Feels Like Home
No matter what you opt for, you’ll find a hands-on approach to every aspect of Tutti’s.
“I breaded that eggplant. I cut those tomatoes. I made our own oil and vinegar,” says Tommy. “That’s the quality of product and the type of experience you can expect here. People have come in and said, ‘You made me feel like I was home.’ That matters more to me than any amount of revenue or income.”
The Cook brothers’ grandparents would be proud.
Tutti’s Italian Market & Deli is open to the public Wednesday through Sunday (check the website for hours) and offers full-service catering in addition to a regular menu of grab-and-go sandwiches and take-and-bake dishes.
Work Up an Appetite
Dive into the delicious cuisine at Tutti’s after a day spent exploring all that Cabarrus County has to offer. Check out the Things to Do to plan a fun-filled outing.
