Coppola’s Deli

5/3/13:

Stars: 4.5 out of 5

Pros: Selection, Service, Quality of the Product

Cons: Price for Serving Size

     Friday is quickly turning into my favorite day to have off. I can go do things and not fight a crowd. Like, tastings at a cidery followed by a walk on the flood wall. No crowd to contend with in either location. And that is exactly what NK, MF and I did. The cidery was great (this is another future post) and the flood wall was beautiful. Walking along the river certainly does one thing though... builds a hunger that only a fresh deli sandwich can satisfy. MF suggested one of his favorite places, Coppola's Deli (Coppola's Deli). We hiked back to the car and headed over.

     Coppola's Deli is located at the end of Carytown down by the Byrd Theater. It is located right on the corner in a brick building. There is a little outside seating, but it was a touch too chilly for us to be sitting outside. The building is deceptively deep with a big counter and plenty of seating. I loved the feel of the place as it screams deli with the jars of pickles and deli meat everywhere. Just being in there excited me for my upcoming sandwich.

     There is plenty to choose from at Coppola's, depending on the type of sandwich you are looking for. There are vegetarian selections as well as pastas to choose from. Their big thing is, of course, deli sandwiches. There are plenty of different meats, cheeses, breads and condiments to choose from to craft your own master piece. You can also go with one of their sandwiches, which is what all of us did. NK went with a grilled cheese. MF went with the Industrial. I went with the South Bronx. I'll describe all of these in a moment. The guys who took our order were super nice. They gave suggestions when we were stumped. They laughed and chatted while they cooked. Generally just pleasant helpful people.

     We found a table we liked and our food was out to us in roughly 5 minutes, which is super quick. The sandwiches looked and smelled great. NK went with your basic grilled cheese, which was cooked perfectly. The cheese was melted, but the bread showed no signs of burning. This is sometimes a harder feat then people think to accomplish. MF went with The Industrial which is basically an Italian sub with Genoa salami, mortadella, capicola ham, and provolone
cheese. There were also onions, peppers, lettuce and tomato on it. It was certainly very good. The bread had a fresh taste to it and the veggies added great texture. All of the meat had great flavor. It would have been my choice had I not decided to branch out. I got The South Bronx. This sandwich had a lot of things I very very very VERY rarely order, if at all. But, I felt it was time to give them all a shot. It was a grilled sandwich with corned beef, sauerkraut, and pastrami covered with melted Swiss. It's served on rye bread that is toasted with a house made dressing. This was a big branch out for me, so I was hoping I wouldn't have buyers remorse. I did not! All of the ingredients blended together perfectly. The meats were bursting with flavor and the sauerkraut was delightfully tangy. The rye, one of my favorite breads, was perfectly toasted. It was an excellent sandwich.

     The only complaint I have is that you get this great sandwich, bursting with flavor, but that's it for $8.50... That seems high for just a sandwich. Most places you go to you also get chips and a drink for that price. I added a fountain drink to my order and it brought the total past $10. That is a bit excessive. I would have felt better with a combo for $8. But, it is as it is. Just note that before you get there that Coppola's is not going to be your cheapest sandwich, but it is tasty.

     Coppola's Deli is truly all a deli in Richmond should be. They have excellent food and quality service. Even the pickiest eater will be able to find something off their menu. It's certainly a place to hit up for lunch or even to grab a sandwich to go, maybe for a picnic or Friday Cheers... Viva la deli!!