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Munch goes to the Market St. Deli
Friday, June 02, 2000 Munch
Oh, Buoy!
That's the name of one of the many delectable and intriguing sandwiches you can pick up at the Market St. Deli, located in the food court in the basement of PPG Plaza. And indeed, the eats at the place are good enough to make Munch want to shout, "Oh, boy!"
But if the names of the sandwiches fully described one of Munch's favorite lunching spots in Downtown Pittsburgh, they should be called Service With A Smile, Made to Order and ... Whatta Selection!
The Market St. Deli isn't your average deli. First off, they offer tacos and turkey burgers for patrons wanting something warm. The burgers are zesty and thick, and the tacos, while a bit thin, come with good rice and beans.
Then, with the sandwiches, you get the choice of pretzels or potato chips (barbecue or plain). They even throw in a pickle because they're nice.
And then there are the sandwiches. They go beyond your average ham and cheese, roast beef or turkey with Swiss. They've got those, to be sure, but this is the place to also find veggie sandwiches loaded with sprouts and cucumbers (called the Get Hip), a crab salad sandwich (the I'm Crabby) and reubens (the Wild Turkey Reuben is a healthy alternative to the corned beef one).
It's helpful that the folks behind the counter concocted such intriguing combinations because by noon, Munch's brain is too fried to be creative with lunch meats. Munch especially likes the Moab Club, which is piled high with turkey, ham and cheese. (The staff always warn patrons about the toothpicks holding that sandwich together.)
At the same time, the folks assembling these delectables allow substitutions. Just give your preferences to the guy at the back with the blond buzz cut. He's the one who usually calls out, "What can I get for ya today?" He'll hook you up. Then tell the nice, tall young man ringing up your order whether you want pretzels or potato chips. Munch always tries to tell him in advance so he doesn't have to ask for the hundredth time, "Plain, barbecue or pretzels?"
These guys work fast, by the way. You'll be out of there lickety-split -- and soon licking your lips. The prices are also impressive -- sandwiches range somewhere between $4 and $5.50, and if you get a drink, it ends up around $6.
The Market St. Deli also offers soups. They change daily but often include wedding soup and chicken soup. Salads are also available.
But Munch is concerned about one aspect of the place: that they pack their to-go sandwiches in huge plastic containers. Munch sees this as a waste and an environmental hazard, and wishes they'd just wrap those great sandwiches in paper or something. It's kinda like when CDs used to be packaged in all that plastic and then someone got the idea to just wrap 'em in that crinkly stuff. Wish more lunch places would do that.
After you've ordered from Market St. Deli, you can sit in the food court and watch other people stuffing themselves with pizza and Chinese food. You can take pleasure in the fact that your meal is probably healthier and was put together by a couple of smilin' guys who have been heard to address some of their patrons by name.
The Market St. Deli is located in the back of the PPG Plaza food court. No phone number was available.
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