I parked on the street a couple of blocks from Hyde Park Square on a rainy Saturday and saw people huddled under a small striped awning at a tiny storefront. I tried to calculate whether I’d be able to fit under the awning with everyone else, then I remembered my umbrella in the trunk. So I took my place in the line waiting to enter Carl’s Deli.
This was my first-ever visit to Carl’s, though I pretended to be one of the regulars who clearly make this place a habit. I didn’t pick up and study the laminated sandwich menu, instead feigning indifference as I waited to order “the usual.” Finally stepping inside, I immediately thought, Where has this place been my whole life?
The answer, of course, is it’s been on Observatory Avenue my whole life and has been doing just fine without me. I was visiting Carl’s Deli and several other places for this month’s “Sandwich City.” My assignment at Carl’s was to try the hot and cold roast beef sandwiches.
I loved everything about Carl’s: the shop’s crowded, lived-in feel; piles of bread loaves and carryout containers; the hand-written chalkboard menu of 40-plus sandwiches; and the young people who smiled from behind the counter at regulars and first-timers alike. I’d known the deli was famous and family-owned, but I just don’t get to Hyde Park very often, there are sandwich places closer to my house, yadda, yadda.
I know I’m fortunate to work at a media entity that takes me out of my comfort zone to try amazing restaurants, bars, delis, shops, festivals, and neighborhoods I’d otherwise not find on my own. I’m kind of a homebody, to be honest. I really hope Cincinnati Magazine content like “Sandwich City” broadens your horizons as well. That’s the mission that gets our staff excited about visiting, describing, and photographing our favorite sandwich spots or other highlights around town—to help you live your best life in Cincinnati.
One more thing I loved about Carl’s: the hot roast beef on a toasted baguette. I’ve been back for it twice, so call me a regular.
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