369 East 17th Street #18
Costa Mesa. CA 92627
This is another place I heard about on Instagram. About a year ago, 17th Street Deli started following me, and I returned the favor and followed them back. Their sandwiches looked so good that I quickly put them on my list of places to try. I would have tried them out sooner, but they are only open from 11 to 3 daily, and with my work schedule, that leaves me only two days to visit. I purposely cleared my schedule on a Thursday and made my first trip for what I hoped would be some killer sandwiches,
17th Street Deli has been in business since 1989 under different names and ownership in the Westport Shopping Center, a shopping plaza that features the favorite breakfast spot, Plums, Massimo's Pizza, House of Yogurt, and a Jack in the Box. The current owner is Hanna, who left the restaurant business, was successful in real estate, and achieved her dream of owning a deli when she purchased this place at the start of this year.
Their website proudly proclaims the vendors that they have partnered with. Their meats and cheese come from Boar's Head, while their loaf bread is made by Bread Artisan. Local produce supplier Penjoyan Produce handles the veggies here, and the baguettes come from C'est Si Bon, located in neighboring Newport.
The 17th Street menu is broken up into hot and cold sandwiches, lettuce wraps, sides, and chips, and they even offer a freshly baked cookie, which you will see in a moment. Their sandwiches run anywhere between $10 to $16. Since I live about 30 minutes away, I utilized their online ordering, which worked like a charm. The ordering process was easy to navigate, and my lunch was ready at the promised time. The hardest part of the process was my drive home, as I could not wait to dig into what I was expecting to be some solid sandwiches. So let's check them out.
All the sandwiches here excited me, but I knew I'd have this Bomb Pastrami ($16.49). This explosive sandwich comes with coleslaw and sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, and chopped pastrami on rye bread. I loved the contrasts in this sandwich. The tangy kraut and the sweet coleslaw worked well together. The savory pastrami and the creamy swiss were an excellent tandem. The bread held firm, even after my half-hour drive home. Boar's Head makes some good pastrami which 17th Street Deli puts to good use. Definitely one of the better sandwiches I have had this year.
When eating at a deli for the first time, I like pairing a hot sandwich with a cold one. At 17th Street Deli, I had to choose from 12 different sandwiches. Maybe it was because of the name, but the Bacon Monster ($15.79) jumped out at me. This baguette was filled with a whole cavalcade of things. It starts with bacon, turkey, roast beef, and ham rolled up in the inner core of the sturdy but soft baguette. Provolone cheese, avocado, mayo, mustard, lettuce, and oil and vinegar completed the outer rings of this sandwich. Again, with the name of this sandwich, I was expecting more from the bacon here, but it did not stand out much. The rest of this was tasty, but I'd probably skip the lettuce next time to allow the meats and condiments to stand out a bit more. I'd also add some jalapenos or pepperoncini to give this a burst of spiciness next time.
I've been on a Potato Salad ($1.99) kick recently. I'm trying to find one better than the one at Mario's Butcher Shop in Newport. This one from 17th Street Deli could not topple that one for the throne, but it was okay. The texture was spot on, equal parts creamy and chunky, but the flavor profile was just average. A fine accompaniment to your sandwich, but it didn't blow me away.
I'm very particular about Chocolate Chip Cookies ($2.15). I usually like a cookie that has a crunchy outer ring and a soft doughy center in the middle. Even though this one was soft throughout, I really enjoyed it. Plenty of chocolate chips in it, and it had that just baked enough texture that a lot of people want, apparently like myself.
17th Street Deli was well worth the trip. This is another deli I wish was located closer to where I live. I'd be a very faithful devotee to this spot. With all the excellent places to eat on 17th Street, it's almost not fair the number of choices that the residents of this area have when it comes to fantastic restaurant options. This deli is solid, the people are so lovely, the online ordering process worked like a charm, and that Bomb Pastrami sandwich is probably in my top ten sandwiches in all of OC. I'm so happy we connected on Instagram, and I look forward to some return visits soon.
Out of five tow trucks (because the Automobile Club of Southern California is the 6th largest employer in Costa Mesa, and they run a fleet of tow trucks), five being best to zero being worst, 17th Street Deli gets 3.5 tow trucks.
For more information about 17th Street Deli, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.17thstreetdeli.com/
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