Zeidan came to the United States from Jordan in 1977 and had several people help him out when he first arrived to this country. He worked and saved money, eventually buying liquor stores with other members of his family.
“Inside the liquor stores we always had a deli,” Zeidan said.
Zeidan owns the deli with Murat Koc, who is from Turkey and is the owner of Coach’s Mediterranean Grill.
The two recognized there was no deli in the area and put together a place.
“I’ve lived in the area since 1977,” Zeidan said. “This was a good location for a deli.”
Zeidan didn’t want a place that slapped together sandwiches. He and Koc wanted a gourmet deli and have achieved it.
The inside is decorated in Turkish Travertine floors, granite counter tops and mosaic walls. The menu is not on a chalkboard, but in large, vivid type with pictures on two flat screen televisions.
“We wanted an upscale deli from the beginning,” Zeidan said. “We wanted the best of everything.”
The meats and cheeses are all Boar’s Head products, and Coach’s has more selection than most delis I’ve ever been to.
There are two different types of ham: black forest and honey; two types of turkey: smoked and honey glazed; and several different types of salami, including sopressata Calabrese. This salami is so thin and flavorful, with a little bit of a bite, it has become a must for any sandwich I order.
I didn’t see it among the 16 sandwich selections on the menu and asked Zeidan if I could substitute. He said I could do better than that: I could make my own sandwich.
