Perly's house-cured pastrami on rye, with mustard, the Richmond version of the New York deli sandwich. The Grace Street counter has run since 2011 with house-baked rye.
Where to eat it: 2 restaurants across 1 city.
Richmond's Jewish community traces back to Beth Ahabah Synagogue in 1789. Modern Jewish-deli culture arrived later: Perly's opened on East Grace Street in 2011 with house-cured pastrami sliced on a Berkel and folded into rye baked in-house. Boychik's Deli in Glen Allen (Henrico) carries a second-generation interpretation. The pastrami sandwich now anchors Richmond's downtown daytime lunch counter.
Tip from the editors. Buy pastrami from a real deli, sliced thick by hand. Pre-sliced supermarket pastrami is a different food.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Perly's daytime menu carries brunch energy daily until 3 pm. Pastrami Benedicts, latkes and matzo ball soup; the Sunday queue snakes around the corner.
Order: Pastrami benedict with latkes.
Tip: Weekend brunch books quickly; weekday morning is the easier seat.
Sally Bell's Kitchen has sold box lunches since 1924, founded by Sarah Cabell Jones and Elizabeth Lee Milton. Broad Street counter is easy to miss.
Order: Box lunch.
Why locals love it: Sally Bell's has sold the same box lunch since 1924, and most visitors miss the unmarked side counter near West Broad. A century of Richmond box-lunch history.
Tip: Call ahead; the deviled-egg-and-cheese-wafer box is the local-Saturday standard.
More cities are in research. Want pastrami sandwich covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.