We have a quick note about today … Our last seating is at 6:30pm and our doors close at 7:00pm to get ready for tonight’s function: an evening with local photographer Beaver Smith and Uptown Saint John captured through his lens.
We still have tickets available and they can be purchased at the door. We’re looking forward to an amazing night!
Coming up on Sunday we have another cooking class with Bob McVicar (aka Chef Bob). If you would like to join us, give us a call at the Urban Deli: 652.3354. If you would like to know more, have a look at our post, Creole jambalaya. Or you can just let Bob tell you about it himself:
One last thing: For those who have signed up to our newsletter, we are giving away tickets from the Saint John Theatre Company to their November 25th show: The Importance of Being Earnest. If you haven’t signed up yet, you still can subscribe and have a chance at winning. Just visit our newsletter page and subscribe.
We did it a few months ago; we’re doing it again – a cooking class coming up on a Sunday – November 21, 1:00pm to 3:00pm – with ‘Chef Bob.’ That’s Saint John’s Bob McVicar. The subject of the class? Creole jambalaya!
Traditionally, jambalaya is put together in three main parts involving meats and vegetables, and there are two main types of jambalaya: Creole and Cajun.
There are likely many more, because cooks love variations. We understand that Chef Bob has a Creole jambalaya in mind for us on November 21. If you’re the curious kind, you can read more about jambalaya and its history.
The class at the Urban Deli will be ‘reserved seating only.’ There is a cost — $25 — to help offset some of our costs. But we’ve tried to keep it as minimal as possible. And we ask that you bring your own “to-go” container so you can take away your own sample of the finished dish.
Of course, you’ll also learn how to make this jambalaya and take home a copy of Bob’s recipe.
This should be a lot of fun. If you get thirsty, beverages will be available for purchase: beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks.
If you’re interested in what promises to be a flavorsome and entertaining afternoon, just give us a call at the Urban Deli: 652.3354.
The details one more time:
Cooking class at the Urban Deli
Creole jambalaya with Bob McVicar
Sunday, November 21, 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Cost: $25
We hope you can join us!
We have a big night coming up at the Urban Deli: Uptown Saint John Captured Through the Lens of Beaver Smith.
A great friend of the Deli, Beaver Smith is the talent behind bigdayfoto, wedding photographers, a man with a great eye for incredible shots.
He’s recently had that creative eye set on our own Uptown and the Urban Deli is going to host an exhibition of his work. You haven’t see Uptown Saint John until you’ve seen it through Beaver’s eye! We think you’ll find the pictures fascinating.
Prints taken by Beaver will be unveiled at the Urban Deli the night of Saturday, November 20th. They’ll be available for viewing and purchasing and the event will include a variety of complimentary (and savoury!) hors d’oeuvres. There will also be a cash bar.
The Details:
We have the event posted here on Facebook. As for getting tickets? They’re available at the Urban Deli or give us a call at 506.652.DELI (3354).
We’re looking for some volunteers for Sunday, October 10th (a week from tomorrow) in order to help serve a Thanksgiving dinner to inner-city families in support of the Salvation Army.
This is “no charge” meal for the families and we are planning to have two seatings (4pm and 5:30pm).
Can you lend a hand? Here’s what we’re looking for help with:
We think it’s going to be a great day with food and people and families. If you can lend a hand, please contact us at 506.652.3354 (DELI). Just leave us your name and contact number. (You can also contact us using our contact page.)
Thank you!
Yes, it’s something new we’re working on. As you can see over on the upper right, we’re putting together a newsletter. You can sign-up for it there or just go straight to the sign up page here.
No, we won’t be flooding you with oodles of emails.
We hope to provide you with news, events, recipes and maybe even a surprise or two … You can be “in the know” about what is new at the Urban Deli as well as get some tasty info on food. If you’re a foodie or just like being up to date on what we’re doing and planning, subscribe to our newsletter and be a part of our Urban Deli family!
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Pulled pork eggs benny on an English muffin served with deli potatoes. Home-made hollandaise sauce is gluten-free.
I was at the Urban Deli a few Saturdays ago for breakfast and went with an old standby – Eggs Benedict. Even though the Deli has a wonderful breakfast menu including Eggs Benny available four ways, I went with the traditional Eggs Benny – back bacon, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce (gluten-free) and Deli potatoes.
No, I’m not a foodie and I’ve not known for being adventurous when it comes to food.
Simply put, it was the best Eggs Benny I’ve had in years.
So how does a restaurant make a breakfast staple like Eggs Benny a standout? I asked and the answer is this: the Urban Deli does just about everything themselves with the possible exception of laying the eggs.
The first thing I noticed was the English muffin. It was the freshest muffin I recall having Eggs Benedict on. The muffin may be the least noticed element in Eggs Benny. It’s usually just an English muffin. But when it’s as fresh and soft as mine was at the Urban Deli believe me, you notice. There’s a reason for that.
The Deli gets their bread delivered fresh every morning from City Road Bakery. (They are one of the four bakeries the Deli uses.)
Of course, there’s more to it than an English muffin. There are the eggs. Mine were poached perfectly. When I broke into them, the yoke spilled out to embrace and merge with the hollandaise like a teenager in love.
Speaking of hollandaise, at the Deli they make it from scratch. It’s not a sauce they have delivered from elsewhere. They put it together in the kitchen so it is homemade.
And it’s all served with our Deli potatoes — served for breakfast and a blend of grade-A Chef potatoes, sweet potatoes and leek.
When I lived in Edmonton there was a restaurant down the street from me where I would go on weekend mornings and have (you guessed it) Eggs Benedict. I got into the habit then of always getting a mimosa. I’m always surprised when I go into some restaurants for brunch and they don’t have it available. In some cases, they don’t even know what it is.
Mimosa is pretty simple. Orange juice and champagne. But again, the Urban Deli steps it up by doing it the right way. The orange juice at the Deli is freshly squeezed. They take the time to get the freshest juice possible by doing it themselves. (Fresh squeezed orange juice is only available Saturday mornings for the breakfast menu.)
Believe me, when you get a mimosa at the Deli, you can tell the difference.
Yes, I also had coffee. What’s breakfast without coffee? The Urban Deli’s comes from Red Whale and mine was freshly brewed and tasted the way coffee should taste and was beautifully aromatic.
If you get the sense that I enjoyed my breakfast at the Urban Deli you would be correct. I did. Actually, I loved it.
For me, the real test of skill and passion is in doing the most common and simple of things well. You do them well by paying attention to the details. Apart from bacon and eggs, what could be more common than Eggs Benedict for breakfast? What could be simpler than mimosa?
When you do the common and the simple in ways that make them rise above the usual; when you capture the essence of good food by working on getting the tastes and textures perfect, you aren’t just doing something right. You’re doing it with passion and focus.
At the Urban Deli, you can taste it.
(Note: Bill can’t claim to be completely impartial. He is a friend of the Urban Deli and helps them with their web site and social media. He is a writer, social media practitioner and maintains Writelife.)
