If you’ve known me for very long, and were asked to create a list of things that I love the most, there are a few obvious choices that you’d probably be able to nail down:
- my wife
- graphic design
- my 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit pickup truck (yes, they made those)
- my fanboy favorites Brian Eno, Stefan Sagmeister and Teddy Roosevelt
…and, of course, sandwiches. I simply adore a good sandwich.
I’d like to say that I’ve spent years in pursuit of a good sandwich in Dallas, that this delicacy has been the Moby Dick to my Captain Ahab, but if I were to tell you this I would be lying. Actually, I found the perfect sandwich rather quickly, and it can be found at a little place called Deep Ellum Deli.
I was introduced to this fine establishment a couple of years ago during a stint at a design studio down the block from the Deli (capital D intentional) where it was a weekly standard. I think what really launched the tidalwave of adoration for me was the introduction of the whole “oil and vinegar” concept, which quite frankly, blew my mind. The magic to a Deep Ellum Deli sandwich is really the proportion of ingredients, which can only be applied properly by a truly experienced hand. The bread is fresh and non-soggy, the lettuce is crisp and shredded to perfection, the mayo is apparent but not overwhelming, and the meat/cheese ratio is truly inspired.
Deep Ellum Deli is definitely a labor of love and is staffed by an experienced husband and wife duo (I assume they are husband and wife, though I can’t say I’ve confirmed this) who must have gone to some sort of sandwich making school in France or wherever it is that sandwiches were invented (Germany maybe? Where was that Earl of Sandwich fellow from?) and are really great about acknowledging your status as a repeat customer. However, due to the precise standard to which each sandwich is held, the wait can sometimes be quite long. Once lunch time arrives the place tends to fill up pretty quickly, which is not hard because there approximately three tables in the whole place. So, make sure to give yourself plenty of time for lunch on a Deep Ellum Deli day. That’s okay though, because it should be an event. I kind of think it should also be a weekly national holiday.
Also, keep in mind that Deep Ellum Deli is a cash-only establishment. They rock it old school there. However, the prices are extremely reasonable, so a few bucks should fill you up pretty easily.
Now, perhaps some of you nay-sayers out there are questioning my dedication to the Deli. Maybe you’re saying to yourself “Dude, they’re just sandwiches! No one would write a ballad of any sort about a sandwich!” But if you’re saying that, you obviously do not understand my passions. You also apparently never made it to my apartment circa 2007, where in order to get online you would have had to log-in to a network named “Sandwiches” that was protected by the oh-so-appropriate password “Delicious”.
See? I told you I love sandwiches.
Deep Ellum Deli can be found at 3001 Commerce St # 10, which works out to the corner of Commerce and Hall in Deep Ellum.