A glimpse of the New Look Blacksmith.When The Speedshop opened its doors, I was a bit confused. Was it a clothing shop? Moto paraphernalia? And where was I going to buy incense now that Ponderfusion had closed its doors? There was a "Deli" sign, but also T-shirts in the window. What is this place, I wondered? So I went in to find out.
The little sliver of a shop on Wall Street that once housed a much loved head shop, got a complete remodel (including the upstairs) and has turned into "moto" themed clothing store and deli. This is a fairly odd concept but it's forging a niche among those that pride themselves on their "deli palates."
The menu offers build-your-own options for "sangwiches" (as the menu calls them) with seven different Boar's Head brands of meats and cheeses and a variety of breads and condiments.
I opted for the Big "Boar" Twin (proscuitto di parma, fresh mozzarella, roasted red bell peppers, olive tepenade-roasted garlic spread, oil and vinegar) on an Italian roll. It was big, thick and bursting with flavor. Everything was real, not a faux to be found.
My dining companion chose the Red Line ("Genoa salami, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and our very own 'nuke paste,'" according to the menu) in "third gear" with a Nuke pickle on the side. Nuke paste is a blend of a myriad of types of chilies and peppers and packs a serious punch. The gear depends on how much you want - first gear is barely there and sixth gear is slathered on. I tried the Red Line in third gear and dubbed it to be inedible, but I must admit that I am a hot pepper wimp. My dining partner thought it was great (although he was chugging his sweetened beverage rather enthusiastically) and took half home to his wife, who also thought it was yummy.
The Nuke pickle is a big, fat, juicy deli pickle that has been bathing in all those nuclear peppers to render it as geared up as the Nuke Paste. Wanting the flavor of the chili/pepper combo without loosing all feeling in my mouth, I ordered a little Nuke Sauce on the side. Nuke Sauce is Nuke Paste mixed into mayo, which cools it down considerably. I found myself gingerly dabbing my sandwich in it and enjoying the fantastic flavor while still retaining my sense of taste.
The kids enjoyed their purposely-plain turkey/cheddar and ham/swiss sammies. They were glued to the big screen watching crazy downhill bikers sporting impressive body armor catapult themselves down steep slopes. Actually, the whole place is nirvana for little boys, apparently big boys as well.
Dept. of Corrections
Alert (and even not-so-alert) readers would have noticed that we reversed the name of Pizza Mondo in the recent Dining Guide story about restaurants that cater to those with dietary restrictions - in Mondo's case gluten-free pizza.
Apologies guys.
The Speedshop Deli
805 NW Wall St., 728-0303. Open every day.
