Coastal Delaware's dining opportunities are second to none! We sat down with Patty Jacobs, owner of popular Patty's Deli in Lewes, to learn more about her experiences owning a business in our region! Keep to reading to learn more—and enjoy Patty's complimentary recipe for making some world-class raw tomato sauce!
How has Summer 2021 been so far?
Our 2021 summer season has been very busy. With the hot temperatures, no one wants to cook! Also, a lot of people are beginning to entertain again, which has increased our catering business. We also have seen an increase in the amount of people who stop in because they have a few friends stopping by and want to make a cheese and charcuterie board to go with their cocktails. Between our catering menu, retail items, and cheese and meat selections, we have 2021 entertaining covered.
Tell us about the history and mission of Patty's Deli.
We are beginning our 11th year in business! We began in Georgetown. I wanted to be in an area that was not seasonal and had a lot of offices. We were looking to only be open during the day, so I thought Georgetown would be a good fit. Over the years, we began to get more and more people from Lewes stopping in, and eventually so many suggested we have a place in Lewes that I began to search out a spot. We opened our second location on Market Street in 2017. While I loved that location, it really was not a good fit for us. We closed up shop and just kept the Georgetown store. In 2020, we decided to move on from that location. While we wanted to stay in Georgetown, we couldn't find the right location. I reached out to our Facebook community to help us find something and, lo and behold, this store was available. I knew it would be a good fit because it had plenty of parking, was just off the bike path, and offered plenty of room for us to have a flattop, char grill, walk-in, and ovens. We opened the week the governor shut everything down. Needless to say, it was a very stressful time, but our Lewes peeps saw us through and supported us from the start. Our mission has always been to serve fresh, seasonal, delicious food (local when possible) and employ a dynamic group of individuals who enjoy working together with a common goal of pleasing the people, having fun, and making money!
What selections do you offer?
While we have always been known for our subs and sandwiches, our deli case is truly the heart of our operation. It takes three of us to keep that case full! We are also developing our grab-and-go case. This has quite a following due to our guacamole, cheese spreads, tapenades, pickles, olives, pepper shooters, dolmas, etc. Finally, at the retail wall, everything you need for dining or entertaining is at your fingertips. You can view our full menu at http://www.pattysdeli.net, and if you'd like to receive our specials, you can request to be on our email list by calling the store or stopping by. We send updates out daily and also post them on Instagram and Facebook. Patrons are welcome to eat on-site at one of our beautiful shaded picnic tables with overhead fans!
Any secret recipes you'd be willing to share?
Since we are in the height of tomato season, I think people would enjoy a way of using up their tomatoes with this delicious raw tomato sauce. Or, if they aren't into cooking or growing their own, have some of ours from the deli case. We run it quite often in the month of August. The process: slice your tomatoes horizontally, squeeze out the seeds and discard, and cut remaining flesh into large chunks. You can use all types of tomatoes, though I always make sure I include some Black Krim and black cherry tomatoes for sweetness. Squeeze the tomatoes to release any juices. Add balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil to your bruised tomatoes. Tear basil leaves and add them to your tomatoes along with some kosher salt (or Henlopen Sea Salt) and fresh cracked pepper. Let this sit for at least one hour at room temperature. Then, cook fusilli in salted water for 12 minutes—drain but don't rinse! While the pasta is still warm, toss it in with your tomato mixture. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Let sit 15 minutes before serving. Also, you may want to grate Parmigiano Reggiano into your bowl as well. This is delicious at room temperature or cold.
During your visit to downtown Lewes, stop in at Patty's Deli and try some of her delicious offerings! Learn more by visiting https://www.pattysdeli.net/ or calling 302-313-5824!