Listen & Be Heard Weekly Archives

Old Thyme Deli
960 Grant St #B
Benicia
707 747-9715

Open 10 a.m. ?Äì 3 p.m. Monday through Friday

When I explored the Arsenal, the artist community of almost 100, in Benicia
during a recent Open Studio, the sign, Old Thyme Deli, caught my eye. I
wondered, what feeds Art in Benicia?

It took awhile to coordinate my schedule with the Deli?Äôs limited hours. The
Deli specializes in lunch items although snacks or a late breakfast could be
obtained here. The menu is on a big sign over the display counter. There
are the usual selections of meat, cheese, bread and condiments, with extra
charges for things like bacon and avocado. There are also 7 Specialty
Sandwiches, a few salads, and a daily special.

I ordered one of the Specialty Sandwiches, #3, pastrami, Swiss Cheese,
Saurkraut and Russian Dressing on Rye and had a seat at a nearby tall table.
The surprise was the sandwich was delivered warm! The cheese was melted and
the tangy red dressing lightly out of the sandwich. There was lots of
pastrami and it tasted very fresh.

My partner constructed his own mammoth sandwich from the list of ingredients
with the works. It was a meat and two vegetable meal inside a large roll.

Salad choices include potato, macaroni or pasta concotions. There is a
green salad, and a ?ÄúStuff-A-Mato?Äù option of a tomato filled with things like
tuna salad.

Old Thyme Deli has one of the largest selections of chips to accompany
sandwiches, and their desserts are homemade. We were warned when we entered
that there were only two cookies left. They were sold by the time I
finished my salad.

The featured coffee is from Duvall?Äôs, a local roasting company. Bottled
cold drinks are also available.

Despite the simple offerings, after all, sandwiches are available many other
places, Old Thyme Deli has an atmosphere that would bring me back for
another lunch. The staff was welcoming and acted like they enjoyed their
time at work. The young women giggled as they made sandwiches. The woman
who delivered mine said, ?ÄúDelish. Hope you enjoy it,?Äù in a way that made me
feel like I?Äôd chosen the best sandwich on the menu.

This friendliness was extended to other customers who came in, and to people
who phoned their orders in. I hope whoever was on the other end of the
conversation I heard recognized the care the server took in getting all the
details right to ensure everyone enjoyed their lunch.

The atmosphere is partially created by the setting. The art hanging on the
walls was worthy of a closer look. There was music playing and an ample
supply of reading material ?Äì local papers were neatly displayed in front of
the radio. But the sum here is more than the parts. I could easily have
lingered over coffee writing poetry in this cozy yet invigorating setting.
It?Äôs hard to put my finger on how this atmosphere was created, perhaps by
the presence of so many unseen artists.

Old Thyme Deli does catering and they will deliver for orders called in or
faxed by 10:30 a.m.

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