Lexington, KY - With the prime real estate of the ever-burgeoning Cheapside Park area right out its front door, the Courtyard Deli has been experiencing a surge in popularity that parallels the popularity of the events hosted in the park. While the eatery serves up food on evenings and weekends during events, more and more mouths are getting exposed to the deli's delectable sandwiches, salads, soups and wraps - normally only served during the afternoon through the week.
But to the horde of loyal lunchtime diners (some coming as often as four times a week), the Courtyard Deli has been an unfaltering purveyor of a delicious array of vegetables, meats and spreads between two slices of bread since 1992.
Founded by Krissy after the Philadelphia native's interest and involvement in the horse business was cut short, the Courtyard Deli was inspired by hundreds of cookbooks and Krissy's "family of foodies."
By learning the name of every customer that comes in the door (they ask for your name at the counter when you order instead of assigning you an indifferent number), keeping the menu varied with daily specials, including sandwiches, sides, soups and quiches, and maintaining a healthy balance between work and home, Krissy can safely say that she loves her now 17-year-old livelihood. And she's done it all while honoring her life motto: "Do one thing and do it very well."
In Krissy's case, that one, well-done thing is the food. For the first Courtyard Deli menu, Krissy was inspired by a trip to Boston in which a certain delicatessen triggered her imagination and left her mouth watering to serve replicas or remixes of the sandwiches and hors d'ouevres she'd seen.
In addition to an avid love for cookbooks, her collection numbering in the hundreds (many lining some shelves in the restaurant) and her favorite being "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" by Julia Child, Krissy was fortunate enough to grow up in a family passionate about cooking. Laughing, she said, "At breakfast we're planning dinner; at dinner we're planning breakfast." She still uses many of her family's recipes today.
Krissy ran the deli by herself until 2000, when the business became so bustling she had to bring her husband, David, on board.
"We do amazingly well [working together]," Krissy said. "We actually do a really good job of not bringing work home. We're the kind of people who want to kill each other for the moment, and almost do, and then we're fine 10 minutes later. We're not grudge carriers."
As well as being good co-workers, the couple's roles in the restaurant complement each other like - taking cues from their menu - roast beef and horseradish cream cheese. "He's the front of the house, the talker; he can crack jokes, whereas I like to hide in the kitchen and cook."
As with any business, the day-to-day can begin to leave one feeling stale after 17 years of success. However, Krissy remains fresh concocting ideas to keep Courtyard Deli, and the rest of the Cheapside block, alive and vibrant. Plans are in the works for Courtyard Deli to begin dinner service this coming spring, with service through the summer and fall - a welcome (and affordable) addition to the scant number of dinner options in downtown Lexington.
For the wintertime, Krissy is experimenting with recipes for a to-go menu of frozen entrees.
With their menu now in its 10th incarnation, and serving up new specials daily, Krissy and David are excited both for new things ahead as well as the continuation of the tried-and-true routine. But there are also a few pieces of the past they'd like to hang on to, if they could only get their hands on them. "If anyone out there has an old menu at the bottom of a desk drawer," Krissy said, "I'd love to see it."
In addition to their lunch service, the Courtyard Deli also offers group trays of pre-made or assemble-your-own sandwiches with sides, as well as full service catering. For more information on either, call (859) 252-3354 or e-mail courtyarddeli@qx.net. For an updated list of the day's specials, visit www.courtyarddelilex. blogspot.com.
Stop by 113 Cheapside for a delicious lunch made with farmers' market vegetables, breads from nearby Sunrise Bakery and David's own homegrown herbs - served by people who want to get to know you.