Modern, authentic house-made sandwiches, salads, soups and breakfast fare
My son and his friends recently decided they’d like to try surfing. There happened to be a decent wave at Doheny, so I dropped them for a half day. Afterwards, several starving teenagers climbed back into the minivan and rather than drive through the nearest fast food establishment, I opted to treat them to something better – Sessions West Coast Deli (SWCD).
The deli, which has been serving perfect neighborhood fare since opening its original site on the Balboa Peninsula nearly a decade ago, now boasts locations across Orange County – South Coast Plaza, The Shops at Mission Viejo, downtown Huntington Beach, Irvine and Fashion Island.
A step way above the hole in the wall counter at your neighborhood bodega, Sessions was the brainchild of OC born and raised Matt Meddock, Beckham Thomas and Chef Max Schlutz. Their fare is modern, authentic and house-made. Early morning eats include breakfast sandwiches, toasts (i.e. signature Avo) and breakfast burritos. Sides, salads, and soups are prepped on-site, and made to order alongside locally grown produce and artisan bread delivered on the daily.
The kids’ faves this day? The Goodmother and the Hybrid of Awesome – a pair of the “best sandwiches ever to hit the lip.” The first is piled high with genoa salami, country ham, provo-nello, cherry pepper, red onion, parmesan, basil aioli, mixed greens, herb vinaigrette on ciabatta while the latter combines roast beef, harvati, swiss, pickled onion, fresh mint, pickled red fresno, harissa on rustic Italian. The Shaka Spuds – housemade potato chips seasoned with sage, rosemary and parmesan – are the ideal complement.
Salads range from the Wedge Legend (think smoked bacon, chicken, goat cheese), Thai Chop and Cran-Apple to the fresh and flavorful Kale Yeah! (urban baby kale and swiss chard, Peruvian peppers, red onion, fresh Parmesan, candied walnut, dried cranberry and toasted granola).
Cutting a balance between the high-brow New York gourmet and coastal Californian laid-back ethos, what you taste is both cutting edge and home-cooked.
