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Valona Deli & Market
1323 Pomona St., Crockett
510-787-2022

Many of the places I?ve visited in order to write these reviews have spirit that extends beyond their menu. The Valona Caf? and Deli in Crockett is definitely one of those places

The deli and grill area opens to a large room with art on the walls, a grand piano in the middle of the room, and a small bar in the corner, which offers wines by the glass. In between is a scattering of tables covered in cheerful red floral tablecloths and comfortable wooden chairs. This is the perfect place to drink one of the caf??s beautiful lattes and write, or to sip wine and discuss the creative process.

The menu is a large chalkboard listing hot and cold sandwiches. The main ingredient such as Chicken Pesto or Grilled Italian Sausage identifies some of the sandwiches, but others carry names that must refer to local characters, like Kim, or Moe.

At the bottom of this chalkboard, more sandwich possibilities are listed by the choice of meat or cheese. This is a deli. The meats and cheeses are available in sandwiches with all the fixings, or by the pound. Soups such as Chicken Noodle or Roasted Red Bell Pepper, salads, pizza squares, and pastries are also available,

On my recent visit, I ordered the Chicken Pesto sandwich at the front and sat down near the window large enough to watch the street. The sandwich arrived quickly and was warm from the grill. It consisted of thin slices of grilled chicken breast, cheese, avocado, tomato, lettuce and pesto. It was a juicy sandwich with a savory mix that stayed in the toasted sourdough bread.

Sunday afternoons, this is the place to be. Live jazz starts at 6 p.m. On the second Sunday of the month, a lively poetry reading is held starting at 4 p.m.. One or two featured poets read for the first hour. An open reading follows.

I was lucky to get a seat for the March Sunday?s poetry reading, and lucky to hear many fine poets. The variety of voice and subject matter was encouraging. All were welcomed.

One wall boasts refrigerated cases with a wide variety of bottled waters, soda, beer and wine. This plus the candy selection behind the cashier keeps a stream of young people ? or those young at heart coming through at any time.

One of the charms of the caf? is hearing the friendly banter between customers and the people who work here. Valona Caf? and Deli is much more than a place to get a quick lunch. It is a place to be known, or perhaps even discovered.

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