Tessa and Katlin became reacquainted with old salt and pepper shakers and their lives.

Tessa Vitt and I headed to one of Grand Rapids oldest red brick road, commonly known as Cherry Street. As we drove down this fairly smooth pathway we were astounded at the history that makes up East Hills. We passed through Heritage Hill and were amused by all the old mansions and houses.

We found ourselves standing outside admiring the Cherry Deli. It looked like an old two story yellow house with a green patio and a red door. When we walked inside we noticed the hardwood floors and the contemporary furniture and lights. Local artist sell their artwork which is displayed on the walls. To add to our friendly dining experience the Cherry Deli is a smoke-free restaurant, which is quite rare in Michigan.

You will not smell coffee when you walk into the Cherry Deli, but you will be embraced with a relaxing and friendly environment that coffee shops portray. The display menus were even more impressive than your average coffee shop because someone drew a beautiful mural of the Calder Plaza downtown. I wish I had that menu display to hang in my apartment; it was strikingly impressive. Tessa and I were greeted with a, “Hello, how are you ladies today?” which made us feel like we were never strangers to this side of Grand Rapids.

As I stood at the counter I noticed that the options were endless. Even as a vegetarian I could not make up my mind. It is unusual for a vegetarian to have the 15 different sandwich options that the Cherry Deli offers. Tessa had over 40 meat sandwich choices which consisted of: turkey, ham, fish, beef, pastrami and corned beef, and chicken. We also had to choose whether we wanted a whole sandwich or just half. Tessa choose#35 called Charles (Street) and I got the #19 called Atlas (Avenue). We grabbed our chips from a rack, and filled our cups with fountain pop which reminded us of Subway. We sat down at one of the light green square tables and in less than 5 minutes one of the employees lay before us our paper wrapped (like Jimmy Johns) sandwiches.

Although we were reminded of Subway and Jimmy Johns this authentic Grand Rapids Deli is quite the opposite. I noticed a door with numerous pictures of the employees, some were goofy and others had smiles across everyone’s face, giving me the impression that everyone here is one big family. The Cherry Deli seems very family oriented and even has high chairs for the little ones. We noticed that someone was always cleaning, which made us not afraid to pop a squat on the wood furniture, especially because of the typical winter cold that is infectious. One of the employees of the Cherry Deli looked at us and said “take care of each other” which seemed to fit Tessa and I quite well. I have known Tessa since fifth grade and after two years of not staying in touch, we finally were reconnected and catching up on life because Tessa transferred this semester to Cornerstone. So I smiled at Tessa and she smiled back like two friends who know each other’s past and will always know of each other’s future. So I want to encourage you to Get Out!, take an old friend and enjoy this welcoming deli shop where everyone is family.

Quick Facts

LOCATION:  834 Cherry St SE-Grand Rapids

HOURS: Monday-Friday: 10:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Saturday: 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

COST: Under $10.50 for a whole sandwich

WEB: www.cherrydeli.com

PHONE: (616) 459-6182

GET OUT! FACTOR (OUT OF 5): !!!!!

Oberlin’s Top 3

3. Grand Rapids authenticity

2. People Friend

1. Vegetarian friendly