Deli-lightful Openings in Store

DELI-LIGHTFUL OPENINGS IN STORE

A couple of weeks ago when we checked in with So.Cial at Le Magasin's deli-in-progress, the much touted feature of the new restaurant looked more like a furniture warehouse than a future purveyor of custom-butchered, organic meat products. A peek behind the curtained off area revealed tables, chairs and various bits of construction material heaped in the middle of the floor – but not a pastrami in sight.

The problem was not due to a want of industry on Chef Sean Cousin’s part, nor any lack of enthusiasm for stuffing sausages. All this time, Cousins has been hard at work producing so many proscuitto-style pork legs, cured salamis, pates and other items, that there is now barely room to moo in the cold storage section of his kitchen.

The wait has been due, as it usually is, for city permits to come through. The final one required being a seismic upgrade to the trunk of the large, dead cedar tree which decoratively stands in the middle of the room. (It needed to be anchored against the possibility of earthquakes.) The tree was there when restaurant owner Maureen Fleming and her partners started renos on the century-old Gastown building. They took a liking to it, so it stayed, but there have been headaches sprouting from it since.

The latest word is that the occupancy permits will be in hand in a couple of days and then work will begin immediately to finish up the room and stock the shelves, although Cousins may have to bring in a few supplies from outside sources as some of his cured meats will require a few more weeks air-drying on the hook before they are ready for consumption.

Below is a list of some of the items the deli will be selling. Cousins has used only meat from naturally raised and fed animals (most of the pork will be derived from the carcass of only one pig), and he has cured them without nitrates or other artificial preservatives. Hence a lot of the products, the bacon and corned beef for example, will not have the red colour that customers are used to, but they will still be tender and juicy.

Above is a detail of the menu showing how customers will be advised to venture into the deli and select their own cuts of meat before the kitchen cooks it up. And that’s about as far as most of us will want to go. Not like the U-Pick Steak Farm in Saskatchewan (profiled in June 13th's Globe & Mail), where families may visit to pre-order their roast beef and scratch it behind the ear at the same time.

Incidentally, whle we are on the subject of in-house delis, all that buzzing and hammering going on behind the curtain at the T&T on Keefer Street is going to end on June 25th when the Asian grocery store reveals its new and improved hot food & take out deli. While not as large as the deli in the company’s stores in Richmond, it will be a vast improvement on what had been not much more than a phone booth sized barbecue window before. A small amount of seating will also be provided for eating on the spot.


So.Cial Deli Items

Charcuterie (smoked, air-cured, salted, etc. ham)
Corned Beef
Duck Prosciutto
Pork Prosciutto
Pork Pancetta
Duck Rillette
Selection of Terrines, Pate’s, galantines
Sausages – Selection to include house made chorizo, crepinette,
Potted Foie Gras
Local and international cheeses
House baked breads

Take-away and sit down

Soups
Sandwiches
Coffee, Tea Espresso

Butcher Shop

Select cut and custom cut Canadian Triple A Beef
Select cut and custom cut Pork
Game
Chicken