JANUARY 2018 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM 33
and building off of the burrito business,
the menu initially boasted plenty of
vegetarian fare, including homemade
soups and salad dressings. Over the last
30+ years, The New Deli’s menu has
undergone numerous changes based on
trends and customer feedback but the
menu still includes numerous vegan
and vegetarian options, unlike many
delicatessens. The current menu is
primarily lunch fare, but when The
New Deli Café first opened, they served
breakfast and even dinners. In the early
days, Jen and Tom offered various
elaborate foods to continue to attract
and retain customers. They even had an
espresso machine (well before Starbuck’s
became popular), which was popular
with customers, but understandably, this
has long since been retired. Eventually
breakfasts and dinners were discontinued
because the business was not sufficient to
sustain the long hours, Jen and some of
her staff do most of the cooking at The
New Deli, and Tom is the “brains” (and
brawn!) behind the operation. Although
his responsibilities are many, he often
works as a cashier, and keeps the café
stocked with inventory at all times.
Over two-thirds of The New Deli’s
current menu--sandwiches numbered
1 through 27-- have been offered since
The New Deli Café first opened. These
include fourteen Vegetarian and thirteen
traditional sandwich selections, many of
which are not creations typically found
at other delicatessens. For example, the
New Deli’s vegetarian menu includes a
Mozzarella Roast, made with eggplant
and peppers, served on wheat toast with
lettuce and sprouts; and a Mideastern
Burger, made with falafel, Tahini,
cucumber, tomato, onion, and sprouts
on a wheat bun. The traditional menu
includes a fresh Meatloaf sandwich,
served hot or cold, with house-made
thousand island dressing and “the works”
served on a sesame seed roll; and a
Bacon/Mozzarella sandwich with roasted
peppers, eggplant, and lettuce, served on
wheat toast. There are, of course, many
traditional favorites, as well as their own
separate menu of Specialty Sandwiches.
With so many choices, there is certainly
Ham and Salami Sandwich
something to tempt everyone’s palate.
At The New Deli, nearly all of the
foods offered are made from scratch
using wholesome ingredients. All of the
chickens used for sandwiches and salads
are cooked on site, and they also roast
their own beef daily. And although they
used to make their own bread, they
now source their breads fresh daily from
the popular Richmond-based Maggiora
Bakery.
The menu also includes nearly
a dozen large green salads, as well as
half-salads, which are served with your
choice of fresh house-made dressing
on the side (unless specified tossed) and
buttered baguettes. All salads are freshly
made to order, and the variety and
uniqueness of choices is pretty impressive
for small café. There is also a daily
home-made pasta salad available, perfect
for a sandwich accompaniment or simply
to eat by itself! Home-made soups are
also a specialty at The New Deli. The
standard menu includes French Onion
Soup and Black Bean Chili (with or
without cheddar cheese.) But there is
also at least one featured Soup of the
Day, and sometimes, there can be up to
three or four featured specialty soups.
Most of the soups are gluten-free and
vegetarian, and many are also non-dairy.
And what could be better on a cold
winter’s day than a hot bowl of freshly
made soup? Customers are encouraged
to call ahead to find out about the daily
soup specials. Jen creates a variety of
appealing soups that you’ll surely want
to try!
Rounding out The New Deli
Café’s extensive menu are three popular
hot pasta entrees: Chicken Alfredo,
Spaghetti and Meatballs, and Pasta
Carbonara. All three are made fresh
daily and feature Jen’s homemade sauces.
Although I did not have the opportunity
to try any of these dishes, any one of
these paired with a half-salad seems like
it would be a very hearty and delicious
meal. Jen and staff also make several
“grab and go” homemade desserts to
satisfy one’s sweet tooth after partaking
of one of their many healthy lunch
selections. The standard dessert offerings
include the ever-popular Chocolate Chip
cookies, Oatmeal Shortbread cookies,
Brownies and Lemon Bars. When
I visited, the café offered Lime Bars
instead of Lemon Bars, as one of the
employees had shared a plentiful harvest
of limes with Jen. I was lucky enough
to partake of one of these luscious
sweet treats, and it was scrumptious! It
was pretty sweet, yet had just a slight
hint of tartness. I should also mention
that the crust was melt-in-your-mouth
luscious—a “must try” for those who
enjoy something sweet after lunch.
I visited The New Deli Café one
weekday afternoon as the lunch rush was
winding down. From the outside, the
deli looked rather small, so upon entry,
Hours: Monday – Friday: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM | Closed Weekends