Posted on December 16, 2010 Posted by Fran

A meatloaf sandwich story

Urban Deli's very popular "comfort food," the much-ordered meatloaf sandwich.

Our menu consists of an array of deli sandwiches and that can make it hard for new customers to choose. After working a few shifts at Urban Deli, I noticed how many of our customers were ordering and raving about our meatloaf sandwich.

One busy summer afternoon, my parents drove from St. Andrews and visited the deli for the first time. I spoiled them with samples of our homemade ice-tea and lemonade (the lemonade is only during our summer season) and I encouraged them to order as much as possible.

My dad wanted to try our schnitzel and my mom right away asked for the meatloaf sandwich. To tell you the truth, I underestimated this deli delight. When her order arrived she made me taste a bite and with one forkful, I was hooked.

From then on I have been recommending this hearty sandwich to many of our customers. It is the comfort food to beat all comfort foods. It consists of a home-style meatloaf with an Urban Deli flare and is topped with melted aged-white cheddar cheese and sundried tomatoes. We serve it with sourdough bread that has been grilled and your choice of side.

The meatloaf sandwich guys: Carl, Ron, Craig and Doug.

Shortly after tasting the sandwich, I had a group of customers that came in for lunch during their break. They told me it was their first time and asked me for my recommendation. From that day on, they have been faithful regulars to Urban Deli … and the meatloaf sandwich as well.

Carl, Ron and Craig were in again last Friday and guess what? They ordered their usual (meatloaf with a side of deli frites) and brought a new face with them, Doug. I had to laugh because every time the guys come in they always order the same thing and they convinced Doug to do the same.

Welcome Doug! And thanks to all our Urban Deli regulars.

Posted on July 21, 2010 Posted by Fran

Comments: 4 Comments

At Urban Deli we have been told we have nice racks, racks of ribs that is…

Saint John, New Brunswick has been experiencing an excellent summer season. The sunny weather has incited many to heat up their barbeques, crack a cold beer (or non-alcoholic drink) and socialize.

At Urban Deli we have customers that come in specifically to enjoy our applewood smoked ribs (available as a half or full rack). What is really intriguing about our ribs (and many customers do not know this) is that they are available to be purchased and taken home to be re-heated.

Ribs after a five hour smoking process

This means you can throw it on the barbie and really impress your guests when they arrive.

These ribs are given special attention from the very beginning (starting first with their five hour smoking process which is done on-site) and so has our BBQ sauce.

Great care is taken to ensure the right flavours come through and since our BBQ sauce is made from scratch, we have been able to certify that it is gluten-free.

Half rack of applewood smoked ribs served with your choice of side

Each set of ribs purchased are pre-marinated in our BBQ sauce and we even give you enough on the side for basting or dipping purposes when you pick them up to take home.

So when you are thinking about heating up that barbeque or grabbing a case of cold beer, remember that even with a busy schedule you can always stop by or pre-order our ribs.

Add any of our appetizers (like our roasted garlic and artichoke dip), side salads, hand-cut deli frites to your order or get one of our fabulous desserts.

Take all the credit, we really don’t mind.

There’s no time like summer for barbecues and there’s nothing like ribs for putting the scent of summer in the air and floating through the neighbourhood. 🙂

Deli Menu

Below you’ll find our main, “in the restaurant” menu. This includes sandwiches, entrées, burgers, pasta and much more. Take out and catering orders – call us at 652.DELI (3354) – to-go container fees apply. (See menu below the pic.)

Montreal Smoked Meat

Soups

all soups served with a buttermilk biscuit
*Gluten Free

– Mulligatawny Mondays* – cup $4 | bowl $7
– Tomato Soup Tuesdays – cup $4 | bowl $7
– WTFS Soups – ask your server – cup $4 | bowl $7
– Split Pea & Ham* – cup $5 | bowl $8

_________

Choose one side for all sandwiches & burgers:

Daily Soup, Deli Frites, Pickles, Pasta Salad, Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Quinoa (for Quinoa add $.50 )
(Additional Side Options $3: House, Spinach or Caesar Salad)

Deli Specialties

Montreal Smoked Meat* – The best, east of Montreal! Sliced hot & piled high, Deli mustard on light rye bread $14
Uptown Big Beef Bad Boy* – shaved roast beef, a mix of sautéed onions, roasted red peppers, pepperoncinis (for a slight kick), Provolone cheese, horseradish aioli, Deli mustard & beef jus for dipping $14
Reuben* – Montreal smoked meat, mix of sauerkraut, bacon & onion, Swiss cheese, cumin curry Dijon mustard $12
Deli Meatloaf* – popular from day one!!! Deli meatloaf, sundried tomato spread, aged white cheddar, garlic aioli $12

Deli Delight Sandwiches

East Coast Club* – chicken, bacon, roasted red peppers, guacamole, tomato, lettuce, aioli (add cheese $1) $13
Philly Beef* – roast beef, sautéed mushroom & onions, garlic aioli, Swiss cheese $13
Chicken Cordon Bleu – lightly breaded chicken, ham, Swiss cheese, dijon aioli $13
Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese – lightly breaded chicken dipped in Franks Hot Sauce, melted aged cheddar and provolone cheese, Deli coleslaw $12
Curry Chicken Salad* – chopped chicken, red onion, celery, curry mayo, spinach, tomato – curry flavour without the heat! $11
Caprese* – Mozzafina, pesto, tomato, balsamic glaze (cold cuts add $2.50) $11
Mediterranean* – artichoke hearts, cucumber, black olives, feta, shaved red onion, roasted red peppers, lettuce, tomato, pesto, aioli $12
Chicken Parmesan – lightly breaded chicken breast, house made marinara sauce, pesto, mozzarella $12
Chicken Salad* – roasted chicken, cranberries, ‘toasted’ sunflower seeds, fennel, celery, carrots, honey, lemon, mayo, lettuce, tomato $11

Pressed Sandwiches

Vegetarian* – a mix of sautéed portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers, lightly breaded eggplant, pepperoncinis, black olives, spinach, pesto, sundried tomato spread, Swiss cheese $12
Croque Monsieur* – ham, swiss cheese, UD cheese sauce $12
Cold Cut* – beef and genoa salamis, ham, mortadella, pepperoncinis, shaved red onion, provolone cheese, aioli, vinaigrette $13
Tuna Melt – tuna, onion, celery, pepperoncinis, mayo, melted mozzarella cheese $12
French Dip* – beef, aged white cheddar, UD creamy cheese sauce & au jus for dipping $13

Burgers

Urban Burger* – UD patty, lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic aioli $12
BIG Burger* – UD patty, bacon, mushrooms, Swiss cheese, spinach, aioli $14
PB Burger* – UD patty, bacon, aged cheddar, peanut butter, lettuce $13
Salmon Burger* – salmon fillet, spinach, tomato, lime caper aioli $13

Salads

Half salads available for Spinach, Caesar & Deli House
Add: chicken, tuna / curry chicken / ham / breaded chicken $5
Add: Salmon $8

Spinach Salad* – spinach, grilled portabella mushrooms, feta cheese, diced tomato, sausage meat bits, egg, maple vinaigrette $13
Cobb* – chopped romaine, (choose one: chicken, tuna, or potato salad), egg, ham, diced tomato, carrot, red onion, feta, vinaigrette dressing $14
Deli House* – romaine lettuce, bell peppers , artichoke hearts, shaved red onion, cucumber, pepperoncinis, black olives, tomatoes, feta cheese, breaded eggplant garnish, vinaigrette dressing $12
Caesar Salad UD Style* – chopped romaine, seasoned sausage meat bits, croutons, dressing, Parmasean cheese $12

Urban Deli Pasta Bowls*

Mac n’ Cheese* – UD signature cream sauce, aged white cheddar & Parmasean cheese – creamy! $13
Vegetarian Pesto Pasta* – sautéed portabella mushrooms, spinach, roasted red peppers in UD cream sauce $14
Coconut Curry Chicken* – pasta, roasted chicken, house made coconut curry sauce – great flavours! $14

* = available gluten-free
Please advise server if you are tested celiac, or choose no gluten.
We offer gluten-free products and do our best to reduce cross-contamination.
However, we are a deli.

______________________

Take – Out / Catering Orders call us at 652.DELI (3354)
to-go container fees apply

PLEASE ADVISE YOUR SERVER OF ALLERGIES

Posted on March 11, 2010 Posted by Urban Deli

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Pulled Pork and Fries

Urban Deli does a great pulled pork and probably has the best frites, or fries as you may call them, in the city. But, on this day, I put together my own version of this tasty treat, which was actually my last order at UD.

It’s quite the process requiring some patience and attention to a few details. However, if you don’t mind such things, the end result will be a fine meal for you and your loved ones.

Here is what you need (see recipe suggestions below):

Pork butt – It’s actually from the front shoulder, and comes as bone-in and boneless cuts. Bone-in is preferred but either will do. It’s a fatty piece of meat with lots of connective tissue. With low and slow cooking, this will result in juicy and tender meat. Sometimes it is called Boston Butt, or pork shoulder. It should look something like this.
Rub
Sauce
Slaw
Wood chips (hickory, apple, cherry, or whatever you have on hand)
Buns – you can make your own or buy a good Kaiser bun that has a nice crisp crust

Rub:

Paprika – several tablespoons
Oregano – a bit less than paprika
Garlic and/or onion powder – a bit less than oregano
Cayenne, salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, ancho/chipotle/chili powder in about equal quantities but go with taste here. Make a rub that you like the taste of. Rub this into the meat several hours before you’re ready to cook. Rub hard.

Sauce:

This is a free for all – do what you like here but maintain some sort of balance between sour, sweet, and spicy. I used:

Juice (orange, mango, pineapple, apple, or anything else, maybe even a mixed cocktail – even some beer) – about ½ cup or so
Apple cider vinegar or any other vinegar – same amount as you use for juice
Ketchup – about ½ cup
Brown sugar – 1/3 cup
Onion and/or garlic powder – a few shakes
Tabasco – a few shakes
If you want, add a few squirts of your favourite store bought BBQ sauce

Whisk well. It should be a pretty runny affair so it can absorb into your pulled pork. It won’t be like a store bought BBQ sauce.

Pork:

I started my pork on a Weber charcoal grill with all the coals put on one side and the pork up on a rack on the cool side. I let that smoke for 1 and a half hours. After that I could have added more coals to the Weber, but instead I transferred to my propane grill for several hours until tender. I cooked it at about 300-350 degrees, allowing the fattiest part to drip down into the meat.

When done, don’t bother letting your meat rest as you normally would. Throw it into a bowl and tear apart with two forks, or your hands if you can stand the heat. Mix with the sauce. This will allow the dry parts of the meat to absorb the sauce (this is why I asked you to keep it runny). Let sit in the sauce for several minutes and then serve on a bun with slaw.

Slaw:

Cabbage, half a small head or full head if serving several people
Carrot, shaved
1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of salt
2 tablespoons of sugar
½ cup or so of vinegar, whatever type you prefer

Let sit and stir a few times over a few hours.

Strain before putting onto the bun.

Fries:

Russets are best. Cut into fry sized pieces. Soak in water while your grease heats up. A proper deep fryer is safest, but do as you wish. Double frying makes the best French fry, always. First fry is to get the consistency of a tender potato (at about 325 F or so), no colour, about 5 minutes. Make sure you put the potatoes into the grease as dry as possible to avoid your grease from “boiling over” – it can be very dangerous when a lot of water hits hot oil. After your first fry, the longer you let the fries sit, the better. 30 or so minutes is great. Then, put the fries back into hot oil (360-380 F) and cook until golden and crispy, another 4 or 5 minutes but keep an eye on things. Sprinkle with kosher or sea salt, toss, and serve.

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Bio: Dan Jones is a food, drink, and travel writer from Saint John. Follow him on Twitter: @danjjj