When Jeanine and Brian Edward Little were preparing to open Luigi’s, their new Italian deli along The Avenue in Hampden, they organized a blind meatball tasting before a panel of foodie friends. The winner? Marcello Luigi Little, their 12-year-old son, who now makes 40 pounds of meatballs each week. Other than the “little chef,” as his mother calls him, the team at Luigi’s includes folks who’ve previously worked at Grano and Sapori D Italia in Cockeysville, which means they know their imported meats and cheeses, sandwiches and paninis, and homemade antipasto and mozzarella. And there’s talk of a “Big Night” style timpano this summer. BYOB. 846 W. 36th St., 410-814-0652, http://www.luigisdeli.net. —Laura Wexler
