Turkey Pesto Sandwich on Focaccia
THE NEW DELI CAFÉ
Pinole’s “Not-So-New” Fine Food Venue
As the title of the article implies, The New Deli Café
is anything but “new!” In fact, it has been established in its
current location for 32 years, nestled inconspicuously on the
north side of the Del Monte Plaza in Pinole, next to the 99
Cents Only store. It’s one of many well-established and popular
venues in the local community that I’ve driven by for years
but didn’t know of its existence. I was totally surprised when
co-owner Jennifer (Jen) Cote told me that she and her husband,
Tom, originally opened the café in 1985. And while The New
Deli is no longer “new” to the community, it was certainly new
to me, and it just may just be new to you too. Read on to learn
a bit about the evolution of The New Deli Café and the many
reasons you’ll want to add this venue to your favorite eateries in
the New Year!
Jen learned the art of cooking at a very early age from her
32 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM JANUARY 2018
French Onion Soup
By Vickie Lewis
mother who made nearly everything from scratch. As a child,
she helped with the cooking, and at the age of 10 compiled her
first construction paper “cookbook” and gave it to her Mom
for Mother’s Day. Cooking and baking became second nature
to her, and she continued it into adulthood. She married Tom
at the age of 17, and the newlyweds aspired to someday open
their own restaurant. The road to opening The New Deli began
when Jen assumed ownership of a small, local vegetarian burrito
business in 1982. She made hundreds of burritos, sandwiches,
and salads out of their small home which were delivered daily
to Bay Area health food stores. After three years, the business
became too big to manage out of their “cottage,” so Tom quit
his job and the couple sought out retail space, and The New
Deli Café soon after became a reality.
Committed to offering a “new” style of delicatessen food,
RESTAURANT REVIEW
Del Monte Plaza | 624 San Pablo Ave, Suite A, Pinole | (510) 724-5335 | gratefultable.com | Facebook @thenewdeli