Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writer

Left: Chicken salad on a bed of sliced cucumbers, prepared by The Deli, located inside the Super Plus Supermarket, 29 Trafalgar Road, St. Andrew.   Right: The Deli, located inside the Super Plus Supermarket, 29 Trafalgar Road, Kingston 10. Things are quiet now, but lunch hour on a typical weekday will see the dining area at The Deli filled with eager customers ready to delve into their extensive menu offerings. - hotos by Norman Grindley /Deputy Chief Photographer

Tucked away in the back of the Super Plus Food Store on Trafalgar Road is a charming little deli, appropriately called 'The Deli,' which might very well be New Kingston's best kept culinary secret.

Since it opened late last year, the deli has grown less and less secret as its scrumptious yet affordable menu drew the New Kingston business community and its environs through the supermarket doors, popularising the quaint little eatery as a lunch-time hot spot.

On any given day their menu reads like that of a gourmet restaurant, boasting dishes like strawberry-glazed smoked pork chops, herb-roasted chicken, or garlic scallops for your gastronomic delight, but at tuck-shop prices! "They have an imaginative menu, not just the usual rice and peas and chicken," says one satisfied customer.

Up to seven dishes daily

Deli Manager Janice Tyson-Craigie who has been there since inception explains, "I don't like people to get bored, so we are known for our variety. Some days we offer as many as six or seven dishes!" She and her culinary staff, headed by chef Wayne Lawrence often come up with new and interesting dishes to delight the customer.

With this, you have an array of 'sides' to complement your meal, ranging from their twist on the traditional rice and peas, to their almost legendary Italian macaroni and cheese. Not to be discounted, is their extensive salad bar which offers your choice of Greek, fruit and nut, cold cut, tossed, pasta and balsamic salads, among many more selections.

Speciality vegetarian dishes

For those who abhor the carnivorous nature, they also do speciality vegetarian dishes, such as escoveitch tofu, and vegetable casserole, in addition to the salad bar, so there is always variety for the vegetarians.

"We try to make sure that the food is healthy. We never carry anything over, and everything is freshly made", explains Tyson-Craigie.

The supermarket and the deli share a symbiotic relationship, as each complements the other. "Everything we use is available in the supermarket so if someone wants to try making one of our dishes at home, I can indicate which items to purchase and give them the recipe," she continues.

To top off lunch, one may enjoy their pastry, choosing from strudel bites, cookies or 'made-from-scratch' blueberry, strawberry and cherry cheesecakes.

Soon they will be offering breakfast, but for now the deli will expand their lunch operation by providing additional seating for their growing clientele. There are also plans to offer a ham-baking service for the coming Christmas season, where customers can bring in their hams and have them prepared there for pick-up.

Whoever thought all this could happen behind the aisles of a supermarket?

Well, the CEO of Super Plus Food Stores, Wayne Chen, and his team did, and now that 'The Deli' paradigm clearly works, Chen indicates that they are looking into expanding operations to at least two other stores.