I was surprised at how much space and
seating was actually available inside. Eight
glass-topped tables with tablecloths line
the inside perimeter of the café, each of
which seats two to four patrons each. On
warm days, additional seating is available
outside to accommodate patrons who
choose to dine at the care. Just inside the
door is the order counter, above which
hangs four large menu boards suspended
from the ceiling, highlighted with track
lighting. The kitchen/preparation area is
visible behind the order counter, where
staff busily work as a team to prepare
customer orders. The workspace is cozy,
but I observed at least 6 – 8 workers
clad in The New Deli Café T-shirts
and aprons, bustling busily in that small
space. That same small space sometimes
accommodates up to thirteen workers
during extremely busy times!) There
is a refrigerated unit next to the order
counter which holds salads and other
items. After ordering, patrons proceed
around the corner of the order counter
to the cashier, where they can select
beverages, chips, or desserts to accompany
their lunch, and pay for their selections.
34 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM JANUARY 2018
The overall atmosphere of
the café is casual and friendly.
Picture frames on the walls
feature past news articles
about The New Deli Cafe,
and miscellaneous pictures of
the staff and their families.
After introducing
myself to Jen, she offered
me the opportunity to try
something from their menu.
With so many options
available, I asked Jen for a
recommendation to expedite
the process, or I may have
spent the next 15 minutes
reviewing the menu! Jen
mentioned that the Reuben
sandwich had been very
popular lately, and since I
love Reuben sandwiches,
I happily accepted her
suggestion. The sandwich
was prepared within minutes
and delivered to my table.
It was served warm on
marbled bread and was
grilled to a crisp perfection.
Between the slices of bread
was a generous portion of tender sliced
pastrami, accompanied by an equally
generous amount of sauerkraut. The
thousand-island dressing used on the
Reuben sandwiches is made in-house,
and the natural sauerkraut used was mild
and delicious. Every bite was delightfully
crisp, and there was no greasiness or
dripping dressing. It is one of the best
Reuben sandwiches I’ve ever eaten! The
side order of pasta salad that I’d ordered
to accompany my sandwich was made
with corkscrew pasta and was topped with
fresh Parmesan cheese. Although the salad
seemed not to have as much dressing as
I would prefer, it was still very delicious.
I found the salad to be a little dry, but it
was still very flavorful. Although I did
not order a drink that day, I noticed that
the drinks offered were mostly soft drinks,
bottled water, and other bottled beverages.
The New Deli Café does a robust
take out business. Orders may be phoned
in to the deli ahead of time, or customers
can e-mail their orders in advance to:
jennifer@thenewdeli.com, preferably 24
hours in advance. All e-mail orders should
receive a response confirming receipt of
the order; however, if no confirmation
is received, customers are encouraged
to call the deli during business hours to
confirm receipt of their orders. The e-mail
ordering works especially well for large
orders, which the deli staff is happy to
accommodate. While they no longer cater
large, formal events, such as weddings,
The New Deli Café is the “go to”
provider for quality, freshly prepared foods
for many local school events and business
luncheons. Although the café does not
open until 9:00 AM, staff members arrive
as early as 6:30 AM to prep the day’s
ingredients and prepare special orders.
Their website provides a list of available
catering options and pricing.
Garden Salad with Bacon
Yummy Reuben Sandwich
Del Monte Plaza | 624 San Pablo Ave, Suite A, Pinole | (510) 724-5335 | gratefultable.com | Facebook @thenewdeli