New York Deli, WIlliamsburg, Va.

N.Y. flavor comes with a side of Greek
BY SHELLEY RAUCH Daily Press
September 8, 2006
The Lappas family, immigrants from Greece, flung open the doors of the newly christened New York Deli back in 1969. Although the deli's location has changed along the way, the original vision remains the same: a variety of sandwiches, pizzas and Italian and Greek specialties, made to order with fresh ingredients.Picture a renovated former fast-food franchise, cleaned up and decked-out in framed retro-swanky New York images. Sinatra croons from corner speakers, while families and couples begin to line up at the counter.
My husband Dave and I slid into the end of the line, perusing an interesting array of options on the extensive menu board. From pizza to burgers to pasta, this place really seemed to have it all.As we moved up to the counter, a display case housed a variety of deli meats, cheeses and desserts. More surprisingly, a decent selection of available wines were lined up on top, available by bottle or glass. Finally, we placed our orders, took our numbered tickets, and settled into a corner booth.
The dining room, even at an early hour, was fairly busy, and maintained a steady turnover throughout the evening. Flat-screen televisions abounded, offering a variety of sports and news programs. Not so much sports-bar, rather, think family-friendly laid-back dining. Shortly, our number was announced, and we headed back up to the counter for meals, napkins and other such accoutrements.

Dinner began with a small Greek salad ($4.50). Perfectly portioned, it arrived with all the usual suspects, topped with fat chunks of feta. The dressing came on the side, along with two types of packaged crackers. I eschewed the bowl in favor of the serving platter -- better mixing, you know. The dressing was nice and balanced, and everything was bright and fresh.I'd come with the intention of sampling their Italian specialties, but one glimpse at another patron's gyro changed my mind. My gyro dinner ($10.75) came with the aforementioned salad, crispy golden planks of french fries, and one outrageously stuffed gyro. A thick layer of 'Santziki' -- that Greek cucumber-yogurt sauce, also known as tzatziki -- covered the contents of the gyro, both in and out of the pita.After adjusting the massive portion to a Shelley-appropriate size, I dug in. The meat was meltingly tender and juicy, aromatic with spices. The sauce was fresh and tangy, smooth as a cucumber, while the veggies made for crisp and clean partners. The pita bread seemed to have been lightly fried or seared off, and was altogether a fittingly satisfactory package.Dave played his wildcard, and instead of his normal pasta-driven leanings, opted for the Jimmie sub ($6.65). Ten inches of sturdy submarine roll had been bisected and stuffed to the max. Ham, Genoa salami, tender roast beef and melted provolone cheese converged into a savory powerhouse that made my taste buds tingle. Lettuce, tomato and pickle balanced it out, and even the smear of mayonnaise was ratio conscious. He ordered it cooked well, and it came out perfectly.Other visitations have seen further forays into the world of oven hot subs. The Holly, Italian and Delly all made for a fine and comfortably consistent showing.
New York Deli is a fine example of tradition trumping franchises at their own games -- and clearly coming out ahead. The service has always been friendly and prompt, the space more than welcoming for family-style dining. A large majority of the items are house-made from family recipes, from the pizza dough to the dressings. The fact that the menu items are spelled exactly as Papa Lappas wrote it is just icing on the cake -- don't let this one slip by.

New York Deli & Pizza 6572 Richmond Rd Williamsburg, VA 23188- Across from the Williamsburg Outlet Mall


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