Thanks to the Westside Neighborhood Association Facebook page (and a tip from our realtor) we learned this morning that a new store is opening at the corner of President and Fishburne. Turns out the space, West Side Deli, will be opened by photographer Paul Cheney and Marguerite Chalmers (with an additional silent partner). In the post Cheney shares the scoop:
We are excited, too. We have been hush hush just because this is not a newsworthy venture. Trying to make this a normal, utilitarian corner store/deli. Like a bodega in NYC pretty much! Bagels, Boar’s Head sandwiches on white butcher paper made to order, normal coffee/espresso, NYC style cheesecake, rotisserie chicken, pastrami, about three salads, and limited, but normal groceries like milk (organic!), veggies, fruit, butter, bread, etc. Walk into a corner deli/bodega in NYC and it is pretty much what we are emulating. We are hoping to even place flowers/fruit/veggies outside to promote the vibe and good karma. Goal is for cops, MUSC, Citadel, neighborhood, everyone to have a nice, normal place to grab and go at lowest prices we can provide. We do not anticipate winning any culinary awards … but our cheesecake recipe came from my German grandfather’s bakery on Long Island. It is simply a traditional NYC-Style cheesecake … and it is awesome. We hope to help reclaim a little normalcy in the dining scene much like our friends at Park Place [Park Cafe] are doing … a lil bit of a ‘back to the basics’ mentality. One of the owner/operators works on a farm now, but we will not be farm-to-table-marketed! Very kid friendly, no alcohol, a lil candy…
Cheney says he’ll work the front of house and Chalmers will take the back, and they’re hoping for a September/October opening.
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