Old Town Deli

With a recent raise at my job, I find myself more and more going out and grabbing something at lunch instead of bringing something in. When the exist, leftovers are ideal to bring in, however, I often end up trying to throw something together in a half-awake dazed rush. When in this state, it is always tempting to walk out the door with a bit of rationalization instead.

Often I would end up going to Red Mei at lunch since their value for money can hardly be beat in the area--for anyone going there, I especially recommend the Thai Ginger Garlic Chicken and the Spicy Chicken!

After looking around for some reviews, I came across Old Town Deli which seemed to have good reviews, and boy am I glad I did.

It's hard to say whether I would have discovered this place were it not for the positive reviews online. The location isn't great as it's a bit off King street which can often cause oblivious me to not notice it. When you look at it from the outside, it hardly catches your eye. It's a bit of a hole in the wall with a nondescript sign and storefront. Finally, the name itself, 'Old Town Deli' really does not do it justice. For me, that name evokes a combination convenience store and butcher who cuts up some ham on an electric slicer and slaps it on some bread with mayo.

Instead the place is nothing like that. Instead it is full of freshly cooked mediterranean food (which I'm always a sucker for) and seems to be a family-run establishment where even in the middle of extremely hectic lunch hours (hectic is an understatement, its very popular at that time and gets packed), they manage to have a smile on their face and get you through the line with impressive speed.

I read several reviews that mentioned their Sampler Salad, so I went with that and was not disappointed. Listening to other people in line, I was far from alone with my choice. The salad is fairly simple--lettuce, onions, cucumber, grilled mediterranean chicken, pita chips, and a delicious lemon vinaigrette. I'm actually glad they resist stuffing it with too many different flavors that would distract from the great flavors already within.

I've already been back there a few times now and am sure I'll be back for more!