Super Bowl Ticket to Fantastic Deli

by Missy Kavanaugh

I’m breaking away from my usual format to promote one simply divine deli opening in Hyde Park this weekend. I had the privilege of getting a preview taste of what it has to offer a couple of hours ago. It sent me to straight to heaven and dropped me into the chair in front of my computer. And you’ll have to excuse my gushing–I’m still a little high from the experience.

The deli of which I speak? Datz Delicatessen & Foodie’s Market (2616 S. MacDill Avenue).

The decor is urban: exposed brick and a loft that houses a full bar and restaurant. Racks of wine line the walls of the loft, boasting an impressive array of labels. (While I did not imbibe–it was only 11 a.m.–I did get a tour of the small but impressive chilled wine cellar.) You can literally swipe a bottle off the wall and have  it served at your table. 

Maybe I need to get out more, but I’m certainly not used to seeing a wine cellar and full-service bar in a deli. If you are, please write and tell me.

The first floor is take-out with a small market of carefully selected gourmet fare. So, with this bar-restaurant/deli-market combo, you could feasibly enjoy a cocktail or two with friends after work (or the Super Bowl), and then answer those inevitable cravings for comfort food that follow without traveling more than a few feet. (Plus get take out for the lazy morning after.)

Now let’s talk about the food. The menu is 24 pages, chock-full of delicious offerings and personality. Dishes have names like Palin’s Predicament (Wild Alaskan salmon and egg salad on grilled rye) and Freebird in the Hand (Chicken salad, smoked bacon, avocado, lettuce & tomato on whole grain bread).  There’s a bacon-banana-peanut butter concoction called Sunrise at Graceland. And they have a fried baloney dish, too!

I happened to have the Charlie Chedda. (Right. Tuna salad. Tuna salad on gourmet steroids.) It was that just-right blend of satisfyingly mild but chunky tuna, sea salt, mayo, spices, gentle scallions and the creamiest Wisconsin cheddar with just enough bite to contrast nicely with the VERY thick multi-grain bread on which it was spread. Oh, and with HOMEMADE potato chips baked just that morning. Drizzled in blue cheese dressing. And a pickle.

They have everything. Truly. Desserts (cheesecake, sundaes, malts — and egg creams, too!) Breakfast: omelets, bagel, pancakes, french toast, biscuits and gravy. Salads. If you can name it, they pretty much have it (again, the menu is 24 pages long). It’s easier to name what they DON’T serve. And don’t ask me, ’cause I truly can’t think of anything you’d find in a deli that they don’t offer.

And I could go on about the fact that they strive to be totally organic and eco-friendly–using free range chickens for meat and eggs, for instance, but that’s a WHOLE OTHER post. And I’ve taken up enough of your time already.

But really. Check out Datz. It’s worth it.