One of the vows I took when I became a restaurant reviewer was not to eat at, let alone write about, any eatery that serves both food and gasoline. While this has caused some hungry and unhappy children on several long-distance trips over the years, it is a promise that has allowed me to avoid bologna sandwiches reeking of onions wrapped in cellophane, brittle or cardboard cookies, or carbonated drinks served in cups the size of oil drums.
Because of this bias, I was more than a little skeptical while sliding into a parking space adjacent to Bob's Deli in North Salt Lake. Even though the exterior resembles a 1940s roadside diner, I couldn't help but notice the gas pumps nearby. But Bob's interior is spotless, reflecting its fairly new construction (it opened in June), and there is not a trace of onions or gas inside. It also sports a bright color scheme of white, red trim and red furniture set upon a checkered floor.A large deli case filled with cheeses, meats, salads and other deli specialties beckons customers and dissects the center of the small eatery. A Wurlitzer juke box blares out tunes from the '40s and later decades. While we enjoyed our lunch, we heard tunes that ranged from Kay Kyser and Lionel Hampton to Elvis and Peter, Paul and Mary.
The bill of fare features cold and hot sandwiches, priced from $1.10 for the peanut butter to $4.99 for Bob's Special, tailor-made for aspiring Dagwood Bumsteads. Served on a large hard roll, it includes ham, turkey, pastrami, salami, roast beef, bologna and Swiss, American and provolone cheeses.
Hot sandwiches include barbecue beef, pork and smoked turkey, French dip (these cost $3.29), vegetarian special ($2.69), seafood and avocado ($3.29), tuna ($2.35), egg salad ($2.10) as well as turkey, avocado and sprouts, ham, roast beef and pastrami. The cold meat sandwiches come with mustard, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, choice of cheese and bread. A crisp Claussen dill slice and Country Crisp chips are served on the side. Tacos and gyros along with several soups round out the menu.
We sampled the pastrami ($2.69), a specialty of proprietor Bob Kellersberger, who for years had a highly regarded meat processing business in the area. The sandwich was a generous serving of lean, tender pastrami, piled high between two thick slices of pumpernickel. It could easily serve two when combined with a serving of soup. The vegetarian was also very good, brimming with lettuce, tomato, avocado and several choices of cheese.
While the soups ($1.19 and $1.59) are not homemade, though we were told the clam chowder is a special, they were satisfying. The choices were also interesting, with the chicken with wild rice especially enjoyable. Other soups offered are vegetable beef, chili, and broccoli and cheese. We also tried some of the homemade salads, which include potato salad, coleslaw, green salad, pasta, seafood, fruit jello and acini de peppi. The three we shared, pasta, potato and acini de peppi, were fresh and flavorful.
Shakes, malts and cones made with soft ice cream satisfy one's sweet tooth, with the malts and shakes, priced between 79 cents and $1, good sized. Besides the regular choices, there are also Nestle's Crunch, Oreo and root beer freeze to name a few. Other sweet treats include cheesecake, pie, "moose" cake and doughnuts.
We also savored some of Kellersberger's custom-made jerky. Variations range from the regular beef to such flavors as barbecue, teriyaki and jalapeno. There is also a nicely spiced turkey jerky. The wonderful jerky, $10.49 per pound, can be purchased by the piece, too. Somehow we still had an appetite to nosh on the different flavors for the ride home. (Oh, and I filled up the gas tank, too.)
Rating: ****
Bob's Deli, 10 North Highway 89, North Salt Lake, 298-1771. Open from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday. Major credit cards and checks accepted with guarantee card. Pickup window and phone orders welcome with takeout available on most items. Catering services available.