On one of my recent visits to East Nashville's Tower Market and Deli, one of the friendly staffers asked the woman in line in front of me what she thought of the new neighborhood restaurant.
As she waited for her sandwich — tuna salad on rye — she demurred, "I have different standards for a deli ..."
Well, tuna salad on rye, that's why I was there: on my continuing search for a bona fide delicatessen in Nashville.
In his 2010 book Save the Deli, author David Sax laments the nationwide closure of true kosher delis, purveyors of cultural discourse and community gossip as well as the perfect pastrami. Nashville, too, has suffered these losses, first Schwartz's, then Goldie's, the latter shuttering its doors in 2009. When the annual Nashville Jewish Film Festival ends its run this year on Nov. 7 — it starts Wednesday, Oct. 13, at Nashville Children's Theatre with the comedy Dough — it will address these issues with a screening of Deli Man, a documentary about the ethnic and historic roots of the deli. The film's subject Ziggy Gruber, of Houston's Kenny and Ziggy's, will be on hand for the film and the closing (deli) dinner.
By my definition, borrowed heavily from own upbringing and from reading Sax, whether it is "New York-style" or not, a delicatessen should have meats and cheeses that are sliced in house, breads sold by the whole loaf, a small selection of grocery items, and — this is essential — prepared foods sold by the pound. In terms of process, it should be relatively easy to get a to-go/takeout order from a counter. And if there were a wooden barrel of half sour pickles with a set of tongs, it wouldn't hurt.
Sure, there are plenty of sandwich shops, many of them delicious, in Nashville today. Some even call themselves delis. But do they fit the definition of the D-word? I headed to Tower Deli to find out if the newcomer does.
Open for about a month, the East Nashville eatery is still a work in progress. But it is working toward meeting the deli definition — the mission of Jimmy Saba, one of the owners.
Saba, who has owned convenience markets in East Nashville and Antioch for decades, has been working toward opening Tower's doors for as long as he can remember. "Since I was a kid I have wanted to own a deli," he says, "and the time was right, with all the diversity, for a deli in East Nashville."
Located at 1305 Gallatin Ave. in a renovated building with an ample parking lot, across from the Lincoln Tech auto-diesel college, Tower greets customers with a long deli counter. To the right is the cash register, a selection of Bongo Java coffee, and (within the next five weeks) a juice bar. To the left are aisles of grocery items, largely organic or alternative brands — think Zevia soda, Newman's Own and Kashi — sold at convenience store prices, plus local honeys and jams. One aisle and several cases are currently empty, but Saba says fresh produce (including some organics) will be there within a few weeks.
Front and center is the deli line, where the engaging staff will make your hot or cold sandwich to order. There are Tower sandwich creations on a large menu board, including the Tower Burger with an egg on top, two different hot vegetarian options, and classics such as a traditional Reuben on rye. Or you can choose your own combo on your choice of breads or in a wrap. The East/Nasty has several kinds of meat (spicy breaded chicken breast, capicola, jalapeño bacon) and a secret spicy mayo.
The deli case features tuna and chicken salad and potato salad made in house from organic ingredients when possible. (The pimento cheese is the exception, brought in from a local supplier.) The case contains several kinds of olives and more. Boar's Head meats and cheeses, which are available by the pound, are used on the sandwiches. Bagels from local favorite Bagel Face are options for breakfast sandwiches. Saba says soup — another deli staple — will be added as the weather turns colder.
"We want people to have a really fresh, sliced-right-in-front-of-you, affordable sandwich," Saba says.
By the basic definitions, Tower is a deli-in-progress. As any new restaurant, it is still working out its kinks, and the staff is anxious to iron them out. Most sandwiches are served with tomato, shredded lettuce and pickled red onions. On each of my visits I've ordered different sandwiches, and on each there have been minor execution issues. One of my Vegetarian Delights was just yellow squash — no other ingredients — albeit on delicious, buttery toasted ciabatta bread. The day I got the signature homemade pickled red onion on my sandwich was a good day. It was perfectly pickled, salty and crunchy. I'd eat a takeout container of those on their own. The chicken salad is flavorful; I thought the potato salad could have used a little more seasoning.
As Tower finishes its build-outs and stocking, with the produce and the juice bar, it will likely become a must-stop for East Siders looking for a sandwich to grab and go, and I'll be in line. My tuna-salad-on-rye friend and I are hoping to see the pickles, and — well, a giant black-and-white cookie wouldn't hurt either.
Chasing the Music City Deli Dream:
A look at other deli-style Nashville stops
Cochon Butcher, 1120 Fourth Ave. N., 615-567-5887, . The brand-new Nashville outpost of James Beard Award-winning chef Donald Link's New Orleans hotspot, this Germantown butcher-shop-slash-wine-bar has NOLA classics such as muffulettas as well as takeout items with advance notice, including jambalaya, potato salad, meats and cheeses and coleslaw. Dine in to have a cocktail with your sandwich.
Sliced Deli, 103 White Bridge Pike, 615-873-1085, . Grab solid sandwiches, soups and salads from this eatery near Nashville State, which packages to-go items in brown paper containers, not Styrofoam.
Mitchell Delicatessen, 1306 McGavock Pike, 615-262-9862, . Over the years Inglewood's Mitchell Deli has evolved away from takeout grocery goods and more into a restaurant. They make some of the best sandwiches in the city; don't miss the Turkey Apple Brie. Bagels are from Bagel Face.
Noshville, . With locations in Green Hills, Midtown and the airport, this is the closest Nashville has to a New York-style deli, although the focus is dine-in eating. Grab sweets and other goods to go, plus matzo ball soup — and, yes, there will be a plate of pickles on your table.
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