Padow's Hams & Deli, Glen Allen

Biting into a Padow's ham, pizza slice, or sandwich means taking part in tradition. George Padow founded his grocery store in 1936. Fifty years later, when his sons Sidney and Eddie transformed their pop's shop into a specialty foods shop, the brothers couldn’t open their multiple locations fast enough to keep up with demand—people loved their ham, preserves, and gift baskets. Expertly aged and cured pork is the Padow specialty—as are jumbo Virginia peanuts—but as a deli, it's also well-known for its made-to-order sandwiches and pizzas. Whether stocking up with a Dinner Survival Kit sampler, making one's own bread with an artisan dough mix, or painting the walls of one's kitchen with a proprietary relish or spread, generations have relied on the Padow family for lip-smacking food of top quality.