FOLIO
With the stress of a nine-to-five workday, lunch is a sacred half-hour (or hour, if you’re lucky) that’s wisely and reverently spent. People do not waste these precious 30 or 60 minutes fleeing to the nearest McDonald’s; no, lunch is the time to indulge, a time to commiserate with coworkers and, above all, a time for The Sandwich. And not just any old bread slapped together with an ounce of mayonnaise and two measly slices of meat in between. The hallowed lunch break deserves a special sandwich.
Perhaps no other place in Northeast Florida holds a better claim to being the domain of the lunchtime sandwich than the areas in and around Downtown’s urban core. There are at least 15 delis from Avondale to downtown. Multiply that by the number of sandwiches each deli offers, and the choices can be overwhelming. To prevent laborious effort during a well-deserved break, Folio Weekly took on some of the most well-known lunch spots around the city’s urban core and tested the most popular sandwich at each.
Johnny’s Deli & Grille // Riverside
On Riverside Avenue at Forest Street is a restaurant that has owned that corner for about nine years. As the growing Brooklyn Station brings more lunch-goers to Riverside Avenue, Johnny’s continues to offer fresh sandwiches and wraps. Manager Johnny V, whose accent reveals his New York heritage, recommends the Grilled Chicken Pita ($7.25), which is the first item on the menu. It’s a simple sandwich, with chicken, lettuce, tomato, and ranch dressing. The warm, doughy pita that surrounds it elevates its cachet beyond the typical chicken sandwich; it’s toasty, reliable, and just plain good. The best thing about Johnny’s might be Johnny himself, who will greet you like an old friend and strike up a conversation, no matter how busy his restaurant is.
European Street Café // San Marco
European Street has been around since the ’80s. With counters full of candy and more than 200 beers, the café is a place for the young and the old. A German-inspired sandwich is European Street’s most popular: The Blue Max ($9.50) is an intense combination of smoked pastrami, hot mustard, corned beef, Swiss cheese, blue cheese dressing and — the real kicker — sauerkraut. The mustard and sauerkraut are the strongest flavors in this zingy, warm sandwich. The fermented cabbage does what pickles usually do: Provide a tangy crunch that completes the sandwich. Lest this meal be too overwhelming, the blue cheese saves the day by cooling down the flavors. Spicy, sour, and creamy, Blue Max is certainly not for the fainthearted.
Pinegrove Market & Deli // Avondale
A midday break along Pinegrove Avenue wouldn’t be complete without a stop at Pinegrove Deli, where the steaks are dry-aged and drivers battle over what should be ample parking, but due to Pinegrove’s popularity, well, isn’t. The small restaurant staff has been perfecting its butchering skills for more than 40 years, but the menu includes much more than just beef. At Pinegrove, try The Stu ($10), a chicken salad mixture on a ciabatta roll, with bacon, cheese, tomato, and tabouli. The chicken is moist enough without being flooded with mayonnaise, while the couscous in the tabouli calms the taste of parsley. With each crunchy, savory bite of The Stu, one hopes the chicken won’t fall out of the bread — if it does, just scrape the meat back in with some of Pinegrove’s house chips.
Akel’s Delicatessen // Downtown
The Akels have been cooking since 1973, when Tanya Ganim’s father immigrated to New York and opened the first Akel’s Delicatessen with his brothers. The family moved to Jacksonville in 1988, and there are now three Akel’s locations. The most popular sandwich here proves that Jacksonvillians love grilled chicken pitas. This Mediterranean-style pita ($6.99) includes tabouli and tzatziki sauce that blend well together in a way that highlights the fresh parsley and mint that surround the mesquite chicken. The sandwich is easy to hold and enjoy, especially for those who appreciate a Mediterranean twist. Fair warning: It’s drippy, but good.
Any of these restaurants — and many more in the area — comfort the weary Downtown worker with the assurance that, come noontime, the sandwiches will still be there, as they’ve always been.
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