S&L Deli opened in 2005 with the goal of bringing true New York flavors to Wilmington as the expansive growth of Southeastern North Carolina was just beginning.
Tami Natoli, who runs the business with her husband, Louie Natoli, and brother, Steve Ercole, used their extensive culinary background to build a restaurant around products and recipes that were difficult to find locally at the time – like Kaiser rolls, bagels and Taylor ham.
In 21 years, though, the restaurant at 2317 S. 17th St. has grown into a fixture for regulars. It’s more of a diner than a deli, with a wide selection of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, deli salads and pastries.
But the New York vibes are strong – you can see it in the collection of New York license plates on the wall,
the Statue of Liberty in the logo and even in their remembrance of 9/11.
“That’s one thing we never forget,” Tami Natoli said.
There’s an easel at the front with names of those who lost their lives and other mementos of the tragic event that took place 25 years ago. That includes a growing selection of paintings, photos and other New York City art.
“Everybody's always bringing us something,” she said, holding a new one that she is looking for the right place to hang.
A regular thing
S&L is a true family business, with many members coming in to help. And that familiarity extends to the relationships with longtime customers.
"We get a lot of the same people every day," Tami Natoli said. "You get to know who's sick. ... We know that so-and-so gets a half-and-half tea."
Many of those regulars find their way to the permanent menu. That tradition started with Dr. Hook, a surgeon at the nearby Novant Health hospital. It’s also a sandwich with bacon, egg, American cheese and house-made jalapeno cream cheese on a toasted Everything bagel. There’s also The Glenn, The Gary, the Dr. Beecher, and just as many dishes named after landmarks like Yankee Stadium, the Tribeca Cheese and Penn Station.
But the draw to get on the menu is so strong that there’s now a process. A regular’s sandwich idea must first be on a specials menu before, with enough popularity, getting a permanent spot.
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Southern tastes
But the family doesn’t forget that it’s a restaurant in the South.
“It was a rough beginning though, being a New York style deli,” Tami Natoli said. “People came in and said ... ‘OK, no sweet tea, no grits ... no banana pudding. ... We got on the bandwagon pretty quickly."
Just don’t look for biscuits. S&L does stock house-made tuna salad alongside the house-made pimento cheese. You can find lemon bars, alongside transplant favorites like rice pudding, sfogliatelle, and cannoli filled to order.
Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: This Wilmington deli blends New York roots with Southern tastes
