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.

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.

Where to eat Pastrami sandwich in Richmond

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More places near Perly's Restaurant and Delicatessen and Sally Bell's Kitchen

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Make it at home

Serves 210 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 300g good pastrami, hot
  • 4 slices fresh rye bread
  • Strong yellow mustard
  • Half-sour pickles to serve

Method

  1. Warm the pastrami briefly in a low oven or steamer; it should be hot all the way through.
  2. Spread mustard on one side of each slice of rye.
  3. Pile pastrami high on two slices, top with the other two. Press lightly.
  4. Slice in half. Serve with half-sour pickles and a glass of cream soda.

Editor tip. Buy pastrami from a real deli, sliced thick by hand. Pre-sliced supermarket pastrami is a different food.