River Deli

[Deb Van D]

We stopped at River Deli on Joralemon for dinner on Friday night on one of those best and loveliest evenings. We were reluctant to miss a minute of it, but their doorway beckoned, appealingly cozy even on a warm evening.. There were a fair number of strollers to be breached, but the place had a comfortable elbow room.

 

We started with a generous salumi and cheese platter (okay, there were two sizes and we ordered the larger). At $15 it was impressive; served on a wooden platter the meats and cheeses, scattered with olives, cherry tomatoes, walnuts, orange wedges and some really nice cantaloupe. Nice counterpoint. There was also a flatbread that looked uninteresting but actually had plenty of character, a traditional Sardinian flat bread called pane carasau.

 

After the salumi we knew we weren’t going to make it past the primi, so we ordered those: a lasagna for me, traditional and as good as I have had recently, and malloredus sardi alla campidanese for him. This was a short Sardinian pasta, saffron-flavored, with sausage, tomato sauce and pecorino cheese. We had to work around the malodorous-sounding name and the pasta that looked rather like a plateful of grubs, but it was really good. These were both primi-sized, not an entrée if you have an appetite, but after that meat platter we weren’t feeling cheated.

 

We like the feel of the place but I really think they might have punched up the name, famous or not. It reminded us of a kinder, gentler Frankie's 457.

 

[scamhi]

Deb,

they are right across the street from us.

You should have stopped in. #25

[Deb Van D]

Dmnt, s, we hammered and hammered on your door. Must've been 20 minutes, no answer. We finally gave up any hope of getting a meal from you and went to River Deli.

[Lex]

Dmnt, s, we hammered and hammered on your door. Must've been 20 minutes, no answer. We finally gave up any hope of getting a meal from you and went to River Deli.

They probably thought we were Jehovah's Witnesses.

[scamhi]

after 31 years at that location the JW's know never to knock at our door.

anyway we weren't home on Friday evening.

[Deb Van D]

I KNEW it.

[Miguel Gierbolini]

Nice pictures Deb. Thanks.

[Deb Van D]

Thanks Miguel.

[juuceman]

We've eaten here ten or so times since it's opened. Good local place, the owners are the nicest and friendliest people around, and the kitchen has been coming along well. Smallish menu by today's standards, the fish is always a whole orata that's grilled with a nice pour of herbed olive oil. Lex has been eating the pasta bolognese pretty regularly, it's good (better than Noodle Pudding's imo) but I don't think it's the standout. Bruschetta are always great, fresh and flavorful. Small, cheap wine list (I think entirely under $30/bottle) and the primi are cheap as well (all under $14) and can easily feed someone if you also order a starter. Bartenders who know what they're doing and make a good Negroni. All in all, a lovely place to have down the street and I hope that they make it and that the neighbors stop complaining about the change to the block to anyone that will listen.

[Steve R.]

We also have been there a half dozen or so times, always eating at the bar. This is the nice local place with potential that everyone wants to have within a block or so. I agree with juuceman, although we still havent gotten to the entrees yet.

[Suzanne F]

Joralemon and what? That "better than Noodle Pudding" caught my eye, so maybe we'll try it if they are open on Mondays when we go to the Barge.

[Sneakeater]

Way way way down at the bottom.

[Sneakeater]

Is this where that extremely pleasant if not very exciting Japanese restaurant used to be?

[Steve R.]

Is this where that extremely pleasant if not very exciting Japanese restaurant used to be?

 

No. They built a condo there. It's directly across the street from it, where the (yes, you knew this was coming) DELI was. The deli was named River Deli and the owners of this new restaurant thought it cute to keep the name.

 

And I dont think it's as good as Noodle Pudding by a long shot... yet. But, NP started much like this. Long walk from Barge Music, especially since this part of the park (Pier 6) is not yet connected to the one down there (Pier 1). But it's only 1 block short of the park & that's nice in its own right. (not to mention across from the scamhis and not much further than that from steve r & ginny.

[Sneakeater]

All of whom will dive behind the couch and pretend not to be home when the rest of us go here.