Father Mark Schultz, the charismatic former priest at the Holy Ghost Parish in Albuquerque used to joke that the reason Catholics are required to abstain from eating meat on Fridays is not because there’s a shortage of cows. That’s certainly true. There is more beef on the hoof grazing on the Land of Enchantment’s green (and mostly brown) grass than there are tax-paying citizens. That’s why it’s always puzzled me that sandwich restaurants in New Mexico are so chintzy with their meat portions. You’d think there really was a beef shortage (and a surfeit of bread and lettuce) considering many an Albuquerque restaurant sandwich is comprised of thin shards of meat buried under half a head of lettuce and enough bread to choke a mule.
Americans are obsessed with size, er…sandwich size. We’ve come to believe that small sandwiches are un-American! That it’s practically a mortal sin to construct, serve or eat a small sandwich. Perhaps that train of thinking might be attributable to a comic strip called Blondie which has entertaining Americans since 1930. Blondie’s husband Dagwood was renowned for raiding the leftovers in the refrigerator to construct titanic, multilayered, cartoonishly exaggerated sandwiches. Those sandwiches were replete with sausage, cold cuts, leftover roast, lettuce, tomato, sometimes a fish, an egg…everything but a partridge in a pair tree. Ingredients were stacked stories high on sandwich bread…so high that no one (save for Guy Fieri) could reasonably ever take a full bite. Today, such sandwiches are commonly referred to as a Dagwood.
We learned first-hand that Dagwood sandwiches are mostly an American phenomena. Most of the sandwiches we enjoyed in pubs throughout England were constructed on buttered floury baps or bread slices which were buttered and contained one cheese, one meat and one condiment. We celebrated the fact that most of the sandwiches we had came from bakeries who refused to ameliorate their breads with high-fructose-corn syrup (HFCS) which is banned in Europe. Most of the butter was farm fresh and local. We didn’t feel ripped off that our sandwiches weren’t skyscraper tall.
Don’t get me wrong. Given my druthers, my sandwiches would be as as tall as my head and as long as The Dude, our debonair dachshund. But, for health reasons and because my Kim has been such a civilizing influence on this once carnivorous Neanderthal, a small sandwich is fine…but it’d better be good. When my Corrales connection, the extraordinary photographer Bruce Terzes apprised me that the great folks at Lily & Liam would be opening a small deli in Corrales, we knew their sandwiches would be great. We also suspected they’d be on the small side (Dagwood would probably stack together about ten of them).
Another certainty about restaurants in the Lily & Liam family (including Upscale Burgers) is that everything baked by the multi-talented Caitlin would be fabulous. Caitlin is one of the metropolitan area’s very best bakers, creating everything from breads (including the buns for Upscale’s burgers) to desserts. Some of her desserts are transformative (I’m talking about you Chantilly cake). Our vantage point from where we sat at Belle’s Urban Deli was of the kitchen where we espied co-owner Megan Garrigan sliding several loaves of milk bread from the oven. We had to have one!
Because Corrales prohibits garish eyesores on the side of its streets, you won’t see loud signage beckoning you toward Belle’s Urban Diner. Fortunately most of the village’s drivers tend to drive ten to fifteen miles below the posted speed limit so you should be able to find it. The deli is located in a converted home where it shares space with several niche businesses and professional offices. Through the front entrance you’ll walk past those. Belle has its own entrance directly into its cozy dining room and spacious patio.
Belle’s is a made-from-scratch deli which offers pickling, curing and fermenting. You won’t find display cases brimming with meats and cheeses, but you will find an old-fashioned trastero with jars of such pickled goods as preserved lemons, red onions and more. The menu is available for pick-up or dine-in. All salad dressings (including “Green Goddess” for my friend BOTVOLR) are house-made as is that wonderful bread. The dining room is intimate and charming with limited seating. Our servers were friendly and by virtue of proximity, always available to us.
The menu lists “Belle’s Sandwiches” and “Deli Sandwiches,” the latter constructed with cold cuts and cheeses. Deli sandwiches include baby greens, heirloom tomatoes, house mayo and spicy mustard served on a housemade hoagie. With any sandwich order, you have your choice of side: garden salad, fresh fruit, red potato salad, jicama salad or potato chips. Another section of the menu is titled “Urban Garden.” It’s not only salads that are listed on that menu, but such treats as mini Dutch babies and a brioche and blueberry chevre (see my review of Lily &Liam for more on this wonderful offering). “Rich and Savory” is the apt name of the remaining section of the menu. Here you can find charcuterie, quiche and more. A brunch menu is available on Sundays from 8AM to 2PM. The commonality among all the menu sections is how challenging it is to decide just what to order; everything is tempting to the nth degree.
My Kim and I split a blueberry garden salad (greens, goat cheese, seeds, blueberries, pickled red onion, cucumbers, red peppers, berry vinaigrette). It’s a beautifully composed salad worthy of a picture or ten. The berry vinaigrette is a wonderful foil for the complementary and contrasting flavors on the plate. It’s a tangy dressing with lots of personality that works especially well with the acerbic red peppers. The creamy goat cheese plays well with everything on the plate while the seeds provide a textural delight and savory profile.
Dagwood would probably have stacked ten short-rib hoagies (beef short-rib, goat cheese, pickled red onion, spicy mustard) on top of one another. This is the antithesis of the Dagwood sandwich. It’s not skyscraper tall nor does it have a deli case’s worth of ingredients piled on top of one another. Ingredients are sparse and the hoagie couldn’t have been more than eight-inches (maybe). Despite these limitations, where this sandwich excels is in creating flavors. It’s an absolutely delicious sandwich (though instead of beef short-rib, it was constructed with London broil) with flavors that work exceedingly well. You’ll be tempted to order another one in order to continue delighting your taste buds.
Lily & Liam was not the first restaurant in New Mexico to introduce enchanted diners to Dutch babies, but more than any it’s made Dutch babies an event worth dragging yourself out of bed for. Despite the name, Dutch babies probably are not “Dutch.” They’re thought to be a take on German pancakes (pfannkuchen) and are commonly attributed to a long defunct Seattle restaurant. The “Dutch” in Dutch baby is likely derived from the word Deutsch, meaning “German.” Whatever their origin, there’s no disputing how delicious–and how versatile Dutch babies can be (more in my review of Lily & Liam). My Kim’s inaugural experience with Dutch babies was from Belle’s brunch menu in the form of mini Dutch babies (lemon honey, fresh fruit, whipped cream). If it wasn’t impolite to lick the plate, she might have done that. The mini Dutch babies are absolutely superb: texturally delightful with flavors that delight your taste bite. Even the whipped cream (slathered with lemon honey) was a joy.
Honey is a popular ingredient on Belle’s menu…and why not. Honey is so much more than a sweet and viscous substance produced by bees. It’s sweet with a floral, fruity, maybe even earthy undertone. It’s replete with nutritional benefits such as antioxidants and enzymes. Moreover, it’s utterly delicious and versatile. President George Washington topped his hoecakes with honey. Belle’s uses it on its desserts–such as the honey and berry cheesecake. Its hexagon shape is unlike any other cheesecake of memory. More unique is its brilliant melding of flavors (especially the slightly sour cheesecake with the floral honey). It’s a validation of Caitlin’s talents.
Honey is an integral component (naturally) in Belle’s honey cake, a bundt cake shaped, donut-sized cake in a plate decorated with flower seeds, fruit and honey drizzled whipped cream. The cake is moist, tender and every synonym for “delicious” you can think of. Seriously, this is one of those rare “last meal” cakes. The flower seeds provide a savory contrast that works surprisingly well. So does the whipped cream and its honey influence.
Leaving Belle’s Urban Deli with a loaf of milk bread in hand, we pondered whether a deli can succeed with sandwiches Dagwood would consider “finger food.” We agreed that Belle’s will not only succeed, it will thrive courtesy of an outstanding baker and a menu replete with delicious surprises. We’ll be back again and again and…
Belle’s Urban Deli
3650 Corrales Road, Suite G
Corrales, New Mexico
(505) 548-2009
Website | Facebook Page
LATEST VISIT: 5 May 2024
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$
BEST BET: Honey Cake, Honey & Berry Cheesecake, Mini Dutch Babies, Short Rib Hoagie, Blueberry Garden Salad, Milk Bread
REVIEW #1396