Come for the food

Deli serves great meals in modest setting

Stacee Sledge

Jan 16, 2003 — Proving that an eatery doesn't have to focus on decor to win diners, Our House Deli is an appealing place for breakfast or lunch. You won't find much in the way of ambience, but you can't miss with fair prices, a variety of scrumptious menu items all made completely from scratch and a feeling of complete satisfaction after your meal.

Opened several years ago by Curt House (hence the name), formerly an executive chef with a hotel in Arizona, Our House Deli makes its home in a modest, spacious building on James Street next to Youngstock's. Serving a variety of hearty breakfast items, lunch sandwiches, soups and desserts to eat in or take away, the deli also offers extensive catering services.

The dining room easily holds two-dozen tables, its walls decorated with a handful of fruit- and vegetable-themed posters and other artwork. White ceiling fans whir overhead, their sound drowned out by the chatter of patrons and the distant din of dishes and the line cooks.

My first visit found me in a long line of lunch-goers who had obviously been there before. They knew exactly what they wanted and wasted no time getting a number and moving to the spacious dining room.

Me, I needed a little time to decide. Because the line formed just out of the sightline of the menu board, I felt hurried. The teenage girl behind the counter was, well, less than friendly, which added to my unease. Happily, I found the service at subsequent visits far friendlier and much more in line with the top-notch eats.

Our House Deli

Location: 2301 James St. Phone: 733-1884 Hours: 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., daily Serving: An array of sandwiches, salads and other lunch fare as well as hearty breakfast items. Menu items sampled:  French dip $5.29 Lemon bar $1.50 Grilled chicken breast salad $5.99  Chili $2.29  Smoked turkey sandwich $4.99  Red potato salad $2

My eye landed on the description of Our House's French dip sandwich, and I decided that would do.

Talk about serendipity. If I'd had more time to mull over the menu, I might not have gone with my old standby and I'm so glad I did. The French dip at Our House Deli easily surpasses my past experiences with the popular deli sandwich.

A super-soft hoagie roll was delivered to my table a few minutes after I ordered. It held a mountain of lean roast beef that still steamed from the heat of the grill. I noted a hint of toasty crispness along the edges of the roll as I dipped it into the accompanying bowl of savory broth. For a moment, I felt a twinge of thankfulness to the sullen teen who took my order, as she had asked if I wanted cheese. The melted Swiss mingled with the beef and broth, finishing the sandwich beautifully.

On the way out, I stopped at the counter again and looked over the fresh baked goods. Since the still-sulky girl behind the counter didn't have much in the way of suggestions, I took a chance on the lemon bar, which looked moist and inviting. Back at the office, I pulled out the generous dessert dusted with powdered sugar. Its crust was buttery and moist, but in my first sweet-yet-sour bite I encountered a sizable wedge of grated lemon rind. At first I thought it added to the quaintness of the obviously homemade goodie, but finding numerous pieces of tough rind proved a hindrance. Still, the crust was sublime and the flavor of the filling so fantastic, I picked out the bits of rind and forgave the small slip in an otherwise delectable treat.

My next lunch visit found me in the mood for a salad. I quickly learned that Our House Deli cuts no corners when it comes to leafy lunches.

The menu lists several specialty salads, such as Caesar and taco salad, that can be ordered in large or small sizes. Each large salad is served with a fresh baked Italian roll.

I settled on a grilled chicken breast salad with Caesar dressing.

The salad that was delivered mere seconds after I grabbed my number and chose a seat was gargantuan — piled high with sprouts, carrot sticks, cucumber slices, black olives, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, an entire hard-boiled egg, a grilled chicken breast sliced into uniform pieces and tomato slices.

The veritable vat of dressing that arrived with the salad little resembled what I think of as Caesar; it reminded me of a creamy Italian dressing that I only find when I'm visiting family in Iowa. Actually, the entire salad reminded me of a solid Midwestern affair: lots of crisp veggies, creamy dressing and huge portion size.

Had I known how huge and gratifying my salad would be, I probably would have skipped soup, but I had noticed a wide variety on my previous trip and chose a cup of chili from an offering that included clam chowder, French onion, navy bean with ham, and turkey wild rice. Generally you'll find at least five soups to choose from every day.

My cup of chili also reminded me of home: It was a near-perfect replica of my dad's recipe. Only Our House Deli does Dad one better by topping it with shredded cheddar cheese and a generous handful of rough-chopped onion. I happily scooped up spoonful after spoonful of the hot stew-like soup, chockfull of kidney beans and flavorful beef.

My third visit to Our House Deli was on a Saturday, where I found it still busy — this is one popular place. In all my visits, I'd yet to see an empty parking spot in the lot, which speaks well of the volume of business Our House Deli enjoys.

This time, there were menus on the counter for waiting patrons to peruse. I ordered a smoked turkey sandwich with cheddar on sourdough bread and a side of red potato salad.

The meal was yet another winner. The fresh bread was so soft it practically stuck to the roof of my mouth, sandwiching layers of smoked turkey, margarine, mayonnaise, mustard, shredded lettuce, tomato, sprouts and onions with a puckery pickle spear on the side.

The red potato salad was a smash, soft cubes of potato mixed with tiny pieces of pickle and a light dressing (in consistency although not calories, I'm sure) of mustard and mayo.

Opening daily at 6 a.m. for breakfast, Our House Deli also offers breakfast sandwiches, hot cereal, biscuits and gravy, cinnamon-swirled French toast and much more.

Plus, it accepts phone and fax orders if you're in a rush to grab and go and delivery to a limited area.