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Delicatessen

January 8, 2022 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Travel: Perly’s Restaurant in Richmond, VA for an Amazing Deli and Dining Experience

Perly's in Richmond, VA - nctriangledining.com
Perly’s in Richmond, VA – nctriangledining.com

Usually when I travel or road trip, food is top of mind for me. What better way to learn about a new city than through their food and eats? A trip up north to Washington, DC gave me a chance to check out the Richmond (RVA) food scene on the drive up. Some online research turns up Perly’s, a modern Jewish delicatessen and I am so glad I stopped in for lunch. They are so good, in so many ways. Here’s what to expect when you visit, and I highly recommend you do if you’re driving through the area!

 

Perly’s in Richmond, VA – Ambiance and Decor

Dining counter at Perly's in Richmond, VA - nctriangledining.com
Dining counter at Perly’s in Richmond, VA – nctriangledining.com
Dining room at Perly's in Richmond, VA - nctriangledining.com
Dining room at Perly’s in Richmond, VA – nctriangledining.com

If you’re driving on I-95, Perly’s is an easy 5 minute stop off the interstate. Wind your way through downtown Richmond (capital of Virginia) and you’ll soon find yourself in front of their weathered storefront. Parking is not too bad around here, I found free 2-hour parking within a block or so. Upfront, I find a queue of people milling about, Perly’s has just re-opened after a short holiday break and I’m guessing people have missed it. It’s a crowd of locals with maybe a smattering of tourists, a good sign. Given how popular Perly’s is, expect a short wait but as a single diner I was able to get in quickly for a counter seat. Inside you’ll find a retro but modern space: wood booths, old portraits on the wall, green wallpaper, and metal-stamped ceilings feel a bit throw-back but Perly’s has only been around since 2014!

 

Perly’s in Richmond, VA – Food and Dishes

Jewish eggrolls at Perly's in Richmond, VA - nctriangledining.com
Jewish eggrolls at Perly’s in Richmond, VA – nctriangledining.com

A plastic, laminated menu is dropped in front of me. There are the usual smattering of breakfast and lunch offerings that delis are known for: bagels, knishes, latkes, cabbage rolls and more. The specialty sandwiches at Perly’s is where the action is at and they are cleverly named in theme with a Jewish deli: The Jewbano (play on Cubano), Shapiro Schnitzel and Goy Vey are some examples. I start off with the Jewish eggrolls and go with the Perly’s patty melt for my main. Perly’s also offers up Boylan sodas on tap along with a small selection of draft beers, cool! My Jewish eggrolls show up and they are nicely browned, served with a small side salad and two fruit sauces. The eggrolls are well-stuffed with corned beef and sauerkraut, yum! Served with a side of bright honey-mustard and a peach-like compote, makes for a great treat. The patty melt is an amazing sandwich. A lean, grilled burger topped with pastrami, grilled onions, Swiss cheese, and Russian dressing on marble rye works together perfectly. It’s a delicious but messy sandwich that’s well assembled. The side of lightly coated fries are perfectly crispy with a fluffy potato interior. Perly’s gets it right with all the small details, a great sign for a restaurant.

Patty melt at Perly's in Richmond, VA - nctriangledining.com
Patty melt at Perly’s in Richmond, VA – nctriangledining.com
Schnitzel Perlstein at Perly's in Richmond VA - nctriangledining.com
Schnitzel Perlstein at Perly’s in Richmond VA – nctriangledining.com

Perly’s in Richmond, VA – Service and Final Thoughts

While the restaurant was pretty durn busy, service was awesome. It’s a professional crew here, used to large crowds and they checked in with me frequently. All in all I was super impressed with Perly’s and it exceeded my expectations. Not only is the food great but with prices in the $8 to $18 range along with the excellent portion size, Perly’s is also a good deal. And as much as I’m not a fan of leftovers, I devoured my Perly’s leftovers later that evening in my hotel room. So congrats RVA on this wonderful gem of a restaurant! Perly’s melds an old-school deli menu with modern taste and service making for an awesome dining experience. I’ll be back as soon as I can to try more off of that plastic, laminated menu!

Dining room at Perly's in Richmond, VA - nctriangledining.com
Dining room at Perly’s in Richmond, VA – nctriangledining.com

 

Perly’s Restaurant

111 E Grace Street

Richmond, VA 23219

804. 912.1560

Location on Google maps

Filed Under: Restaurant & Bar Reviews, Travel Tagged With: Delicatessen, Richmond

November 21, 2021 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Mookies NY Deli in Cary Serving Up Over-stuffed Sandwiches and Delicatessen Eats

Mookies NY Deli in Cary - nctriangledining.com
Mookies NY Deli in Cary – nctriangledining.com

When it comes to delis, we’ve had a mixed bag of options. While there are tried and true chains like Jason’s Delicatessen, independently owned delis have had some challenges over the years. Lucky’s and Reuben’s are just some that have spun up and shut down a year or two afterwards. So I was really surprised when I heard about Mookie’s NY Deli opening up in Cary (near the Raleigh city line) in the midst of the pandemic. But I’m really glad they did since they have been hard at work, doling out some fantastic deli meats, sandwiches, and more! Here’s what to expect from this casual little deli located in Tryon Village!

Dining room at Mookies NY Deli in Cary - nctriangledining.com
Open dining room at Mookies NY Deli in Cary – nctriangledining.com

Located in the sprawling Tryon Village plaza at the intersection of Walnut Street and Tryon Road, Mookie’s NY Deli sits at the western end of the complex in a one-way loop. Head on inside, Mookie’s has a narrow dining space with a bar in back and a nice patio to the side. It’s a pretty simple and utilitarian setup for casual eats. A couple of TVs behind the bar accentuate the casual feel of Mookie’s. But hey, delis are usually pretty basic so let’s focus on the food!

Cinnamon-raisin bagel with butter at Mookies NY Deli in Cary - nctriangledining.com
Cinnamon-raisin bagel with butter at Mookies NY Deli in Cary – nctriangledining.com
Lower East side eggrolls at Mookies NY Deli in Cary - nctriangledining.com
Lower East side eggrolls at Mookies NY Deli in Cary – nctriangledining.com

Grab a seat and let’s check out the menu for this place! On that front, Mookie’s is offering a lot of the standard deli eats plus some twists. For starters, try one of their bagels, imported all the way from NY! Fluffy on the inside and chewy on the outside, they get a thumbs-up from this former Northener. Another fun app option is their Lower East Side egg rolls stuffed with pastrami, sauerkraut, and mustard. Served up with some horseradish aioli, it’s a great savory starter although the shape isn’t very eggroll-ish!

Pastrami reuben sandwich at Mookies NY Deli in Cary - nctriangledining.com
Pastrami reuben sandwich at Mookies NY Deli in Cary – nctriangledining.com
Club sandwich at Mookies NY Deli in Cary - nctriangledining.com
Club sandwich at Mookies NY Deli in Cary – nctriangledining.com

As you can expect for any place that calls them a deli, the real, food action is in the sandwiches! Over-stuffed is the name of the game here and Mookie’s NY Deli does an excellent job here. Nom on the pastrami reuben which is served up on light rye bread and layered with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and dressing. It’s a handful and a half but delicious. But wait, there’s more! The Mookie’s Club is a ridiculously-sized sammich. Sliced turkey, bacon, lettuce, and tomato stacked in between three slices of lightly toasted white bread with a smear of mayonnaise, wow! I stared at it for a minute before finding a weak spot in the sandwich to start eating this bad-boy. While it is huge, it’s also nicely constructed and put together, plan on bringing half a sandwich home with you.

Open-faced turkey sandwich smothered with gravy at Mookies NY Deli in Cary - nctriangledining.com
Open-faced turkey sandwich smothered with gravy at Mookies NY Deli in Cary – nctriangledining.com

And Mookie’s classic open-faced turkey sandwich is a people pleaser. Soft, brown gravy over turkey and bread makes for a super satisfying, old-school lunch. Served with some nicely salted, skin-on fries and you’ve got yourself a great meal. Mookie’s also serves up a nice selection of Dr. Brown sodas, beers, wine, and cocktails to wash your food down with.

Side patio at Mookies NY Deli in Cary - nctriangledining.com
Side patio at Mookies NY Deli in Cary – nctriangledining.com

Overall I’m impressed with what they are doing here at Mookie’s NY Deli, the menu feels classic with excellent portion size. I had a chance to chat with the owner Ron, who signed a contract to lease the space right before the COVID pandemic started. He decided to take the plunge even with all the challenges and opened up Mookie’s in July of 2020. They’ve really worked hard to keep Mookie’s running over the past 18 months with shortages of condiments and equipment. They’ve also had to increase prices to cover the sky-rocketing costs of meat but want to keep the same dining experience and portions for their customers, all tough decisions. But thanks for taking those chances, Mookie’s! You make a mean, over-stuffed deli sandwich and I love the traditional menu. I’ll be back soon for another reuben sandwich and more great deli eats from you!

 

Mookies NY Deli

1010 Tryon Village Drive, Suite 705

Cary, NC 27518

919.900.7770

Mookie’s NY Deli – Menu

Location on Google maps

Filed Under: Cary, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: bagels, Delicatessen, Patio, Sandwiches

February 28, 2021 by Ron Wen 2 Comments

Photos: The New Bongiorno & Son Italian Market in Raleigh

The new Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
The new Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Over the course of many years of food blogging and food reviews, it’s great to stumble across culinary surprises. One perfect example is Zanyu Asian Noodles which opened up in Lafayette Village in late 2017. I stopped in there, not expecting much but was wow’ed by the depth of flavor and presentation in their noodle bowls. Chef-owner Michael Bongiorno has done a lot of cooking in professional kitchens in SE Asia and had brought his talents to N. Raleigh and it was impressive. He has now moved on to open the new Bongiorno & Son Italian Market in the same plaza in homage to his family and childhood. While it’s still early, expect high-quality Italian-American sandwiches, imported Italian goods and a lot more! Check out the pics below to get a feel for what he’s doing up at Lafayette Village, I was able to try a delicious chicken parm sandwich on a crusty roll for my first visit, delish!

Deli case at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Deli case at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Sides and cheese case at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Sides and cheese case at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Meat and olive case at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Meat and olive case at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Sweets selection at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Sweets selection at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Deli menu at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Deli menu at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Sandwich menu at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Sandwich menu at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Chicken parm sandwich at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Chicken parm sandwich at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Porchetta sandwich at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Porchetta sandwich at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Italian sodas case at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Italian sodas case at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Parmagiano-Reggiano wheels at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Parmagiano-Reggiano wheels at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

 

Front of Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Front of Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Cheese case at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Cheese case at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Cured meat case at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Fresh pasta case at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Fresh pasta case at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Fresh sauces at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Fresh sauces at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Dry pasta, tomatoes at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Dry pasta, tomatoes at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Snack section at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Snack section at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Auricchio provolone at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Auricchio provolone at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Cash register at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Cash register at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Rainbow cookies at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Rainbow cookies at Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Chicken parm sandwich from Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Chicken parm sandwich from Bongiorno & Son, Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

Bongiorno & Son Italian Market at Lafayette Village

8450 Honeycutt Road, Suite 106

Raleigh, NC 27615

919.594.1544

Location on Google maps

Filed Under: Raleigh, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: Delicatessen, Lafayette Village Restaurants, Sandwiches

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