Delis Abound in the Lou

The St. Louis area is awash in good delis—those small local shops that make and sell sandwiches and various salads. As to the difference between a sandwich shop and a deli. . . well, things get a little fuzzy there.

But most delis do more than sell prepared foods, they carry items geared to the neighborhood. Some grocery stores get in on the act with deli counters (i.e. Straubs in Clayton and DiGregorio on The Hill).

Devilishly Delicious Delis

So far I’ve only been to a small number of local delis: Pickles, Gioia’s, Adriana’s, Blues City, Carl’s Deli, Al-Tarboush. Posh Nosh, and Protzel’s. 

This week I added one more: Mom’s in the Lindenwood Park area. Along with a couple of friends, we drove over to Jamieson Avenue, where the busy little deli has been a neighborhood mainstay since the 70’s. Today the business is run by Denise Vago, granddaughter of the original owners. 

What to Order

The award-winning and best selling sandwich is “Mom’s Special.” The signature sammy comes on crusty French bread stuffed with layers of shaved turkey, roast beef, and ham.

Mun-chee Cheese?

The medley of meats is topped off with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and Mun-chee cheese. Huh? Mun-chee cheese?? What’s that? When I asked Siri, my All-Knowing Apple Assistant, I learned it’s a white, semi-soft American cheese—one that’s mild, sweet, and especially good on sandwiches.)

“A Saucy Cover Up”

But wait. . . there’s also the homemade, tangy, Thousand Island dressing besmeared on both sides of the bread. Wow! When you close the lid on that puppy, you’ve got some good eating.

Yes, Mom’s lives up to it’s name with a kitchen that’s open every day of the week and a staff that treats customers like hungry home folks.

Mom’s Deli. 4412 Jamieson Avenue in Lindenwood Park. Owner: Denise Vago. Open: Mon-Sat 7a- 8p; Sun 7a-6p. Menu