Restaurant Review

Friday, May 25, 2001

Reflection of quality

Blue Swan Deli concentrates on doing a few things really well

At a glance 320-C Williams Street Phone: 887-7662 Entrees: $4.50 to $6 Credit cards: yes Checks: yes Wheelchair access: yes Hours: Mon-Fri: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Food: 2 ½ stars Service: 1 star Atmosphere: 1 star

Good news
   The good news is that Blue Swan Deli is back in business. Diners will recall Blue Swan as a welcome addition to the downtown fare when it opened in 1991. The owners, Stephan and Susan Eiermann, sold the deli in 1996, moved away and returned a year ago to discover the deli had gone under.
   So they reopened in the former Che Bello spot in Water Street Market, bringing their homemade and slightly different sandwich, soup and pastry recipes back to Corpus Christi.
   Bad news
   I never liked the interior at Che Bello's or the other coffee shops that followed, and Blue Swan suffers from the same cold and unfriendly interior of brick, marble and a cavernous ceiling. Delis belong in quaint, cozy little shops that make you feel like your sitting in your mom's kitchen.
   The brick walls are decorated with Mardi Gras posters and not much else. The high ceiling is covered, although green air-conditioning ducts with purple vents hang from the ceiling.
   Food for thought
   Blue Swan offers a limited menu of sandwiches, soups, pastries and homemade breads. You know that phrase? Jack of all trades, master of none? Blue Swan is proof that it's more important to do a few things exceptionally well.
   Delis are all about sandwiches, of course, and there's nothing more important to a sandwich than its bread. It's here that Blue Swan stands out from the competition with mouth-watering homemade breads made fresh each day.
   You can choose from several breads, meats and cheeses when constructing your sandwich. Blue Swan also offers a muffaletta, Rueben, poorboy and gyro.
   My companion chose a turkey and Swiss on wheat, while I opted for a muffaletta on white. Our sandwiches came with a pickle and choice of three side orders - potato salad, pasta salad or chips. My companion chose the potato salad, while I decided to try the pasta salad.
   Our sandwiches arrived warm and wrapped in thick paper. My companion spoke favorably of his turkey and Swiss and together we tried to decipher the white, creamy spread that gave his sandwich added flavor. Turned out to be a mustard and mayonnaise whipped to a buttery consistency.
   "Is that corned beef?" my companion asked when I unwrapped my muffaletta. Close. Turns out it's called capricola ham, the same cut as corned beef but prepared with pepper for a spicy flavor. Genoa salami, provolone cheese and the standard salty muffaletta dressing of green and black olives, garlic and marinated cauliflower, carrots, celery and onions accompanied the ham.
   The peppery capricola ham and the salty olive dressing complemented each other to perfection.
   The olive salad also gives the pasta salad its taste. My only complaint? Not enough pasta. I easily could have made a meal of the pasta salad.
   My companion found the potato salad a tad unnerving upon initial inspection, although we both agreed it tasted great. But orange potato salad? Just another Blue Swan trademark invented by accident several years ago when Stephan Eiermann and a friend added a now top-secret ingredient when they ran out of mayonnaise.
   We topped off our meal with several of Blue Swan's homemade desserts - an apple turnover, a brownie and kolaches with cream cheese and blueberry filling. The turnover's crust was golden brown and flaky, its crunch factor augmented by confectioners' sugar.
   The brownie - the size of a floor tile and sprinkled with powdered sugar - was chewy and subtly sweet. Our only disappointment? The kolaches. Give us more filling!
   Service
   How do you judge the service at a place where you order at the counter? Our pierced and bejeweled order taker treated us well enough, although I found out later we had more bread options to choose from than the white or wheat listed on the menu.
   We weren't terribly happy with how our food arrived, however, all wrapped up "to go" in plastic bags like the ones your newspaper comes in. Did they want us to leave? Or were they simply giving us the option? Maybe it's because a majority of their business is take out and free delivery.
   Susan Eiermann made up for this perceived lapse in etiquette with genuine warmth. We also noticed a nice selection of magazines for customers to peruse while they eat. Maybe they do want us to stay.
  
  

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Restaurant reviews are written by a team of freelance writers. The Caller-Times pays for the meals. From time-to-time the writers visit previously reviewed restaurants to update the information.

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