Well, it’s Christmas in New York and everyone has covid. Of course, that means I’m going to talk about my favorite deli side: the full sour pickle.
Before we get into it, I’d like to clarify that it is called a full sour pickle. To be fair, the free pickle that comes with your deli sandwich is usually a kosher dill pickle, and there is a difference (I’ve learned) between dill pickles and full sour pickles. But calling deli pickles “kosher dill” has never been my culture. My culture has always been “half sour or full sour” (which are really just wet cucumbers), so any non-half sour pickles are full sour to me and my family.
Now: let’s talk about the delight of getting a free pickle with your sandwich. It is absolute heaven! What other lunch place gives you a full meal PLUS an extra treat free of charge? I know some people would argue that salad places give you bread, but no they don’t. They give you a tiny piece of sourdough that is either flaccid and mushy or stale and painful. The only restaurant that gave you good bread was Cosi and we didn’t appreciate it when we had it. Salad places know their bread isn’t a treat, it’s just a new texture option.
A free pickle with your deli sandwich is a treat. It’s something completely different, both texture and flavor-wise, and still it complements the sandwich. Neither one overshadows the other, in fact, both are enhanced by the other’s presence. Plus, the free pickle does the best thing that a side dish can offer: it refreshes you. Not literally because it’s actually pretty salty and dehydrating, but abstractly; the pickle washes away the thickness of the deli sandwich and neatly concludes your lunch.
…unless you’re someone who eats your pickle in the middle of eating your deli sandwich. I don’t fault you for doing that, sometimes you need variety in your bites. But whether the pickle concludes your lunch or not, you must admit, it changes the pace, it creates a new dynamic in your mouth, one that you maybe didn’t know you needed, but that you’re glad is here.
Who thought of this concept? Whoever did is going straight to heaven because they’re a genius. Delis don’t even ask if you want a pickle because they know the sandwich needs it; they know YOU need it. And they’re right! I ordered a sandwich from a deli today and I had a momentary pang of disappointment when I thought there might not be a pickle included. But I was foolish to doubt the deli. The deli knows us better than we know ourselves!!! The pickle was wrapped in its own little piece of paper and as I unfurled it open, I was happier than I had been in days (see first sentence). The pickle revived me, and that’s the miracle of Hanukkah.
One final note: I will not try to understand people who don’t like pickles. Your logic doesn’t make sense to me, but I’m not complaining because I’ll just eat your pickle instead.
Thanks for reading. I hope everyone is staying safe and finding comfort however you can right now! I’ve been rewatching Pen15 and crying over female friendship, what else is new!!!
Here’s a pic from last weekend when my parents and I went to the Dior exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum, they posed outside the “yo” and I told them to make an “oy” face. As you can see, they (as the kids say) understood the assignment:
Happy Hondadays!!! <3
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