What’s a neighborhood without a decent delicatessen? Slicing and spooning out the sustenance, these daytime dens of Long Island life keep cravings at bay, from folks grabbing a hot coffee and a buttered kaiser roll to construction workers filling up on monster heroes and mac salad to kids after school hitting up their local for a Slim Jim and a soda. Pound for potato salad pound, deli culture is alive and well on the North Fork.
Sterlington Deli
3 Sterlington Commons, Greenport, 631-477-8547
Would you like a little egg with your bacon sandwich? Owner Fred Schulz is not messing around when it comes to filling your belly with hearty fare for the hungry. The screen door on this popular, convivial morning-to-afternoon beloved deli is ever-slamming, and the snappy, friendly patter from the amiable staff or Schulz himself is part of the charm. Bonus: There’s a great sitting area toward the end of the counter if eating in your car isn’t your jam.
Wendy’s Deli
55 Middle Road, Mattituck, 631-298-1500
From the second you open the door and get a, “Hi, how ya doin’ today?” greeting from owner Wendy Zuhoski herself, to the cheery signs hung choc-a-block on the walls and countertops, meant to make you chuckle (“Seek the happiness in all of life’s crappiness”), to the excellent house sandwich board (40 options!) plus daily breakfast, soup and sandwich specials, like the oh-so satisfying corned beef with Russian dressing, slaw and Swiss on a roll will keep you coming back (as will Zuhoski’s wonderful warmth).
Duffy’s Deli
1566 Main Road, Jamesport, 631-722-2150
This solid lunch standby, with its butter-yellow shingles and duo of pull-up-a-chair tables out front feels like a big ol’ deli hug. Owner Duffy Griffiths, who also co-owns the Clam Bar at Alizé Brewing in Mattituck, sells the usual bevy of breakfast and lunch staples, North Fork Pot Pies to go, and even cold brew coffee on tap. Note: There’s a breakfast happy hour! Get an egg and cheese on a roll with coffee for six bucks and change ‘til 11:30 a.m. daily.
The Meetinghouse Deli
543 Main Road, Aquebogue, 631-722-2222
With its sweet little covered porch, picture windows and cedar shingles, Meetinghouse Deli feels like the quintessential country store. When you step inside and catch the hub of local chatter over cups of (good!) deli coffee and sandwich orders, you can see why this one’s been around a while. You can’t go wrong ordering one of their heroes, like the Italian: ham, capicola, Genoa salami, provolone with oil and vinegar on a nice, cushy hero roll.
North Road Deli
46520 County Road 48, Southold, 631-765-4110
Ricky Palumbo’s ample, sunny spot in Southold Square offers house-made bagels and bread, a board of solid breakfast and lunch sandwiches named for local points of interest, like the Horton Point (turkey, provolone, bacon and Russian dressing) and the Long Island Sound (all hail the return of that deli staple, liverwurst!) and excellent homemade pupusas, nodding to the growing Salvadoran community on the East End.
Wayside Market
55575 Main Road, Southold, 631-765-3575
Father-daughter duo P.T. and Isabella Rutigliano may be famed for their prime-meat butcher fare and gourmet specialty items stocked on the shelves, but don’t overlook the proper deli counter in the rear left of the shop. Not only are the sandwiches here famous for their generous proportions, the Rutiglianos make their own roast beef — a dying art in the deli world!
Grateful Deli
55700 Main Road, Southold, 631-765-6408
Sure, at this sweet little Southold spot, you can get any order of simple to gourmet-centric sandwiches, from a French Wedge (smoked turkey, gruyere, sundried tomato and honey mustard on French bread) to your basic bologna and cheese, but the real bounty here is the incredibly warm, kind atmosphere keeping the small-town vibe alive and well.
