Celebrity Deli, Falls Church, Virginia

My Washington area pastrami survey is nearing its end. I headed across the river to check out two Northern Virginia favorite delis, Chutzpah and Celebrity. I went by Chutzpah first, and had what I took to be an outlier experience, so I’ll set them aside for this round. Then I started back toward home and stopped at Celebrity Delly.

As you can see, it sits in a shopping center at 7263A Arlington Boulevard. I’ll confess there are a couple of extreme minor annoyances. First was the spelling of “delly.” Second was a sign in the entry, “Sorry, We’re open.” The sound of my eyes rolling caused some outside diners to turn and look at me. My attitude did a 180 when I entered.

You may be puzzled at my change in attitude. See that overhead chalkboard? It’s a Barred Conversation List that includes subjects like politics (a given), Dan Snyder, Philadelphia, the Alexandria Library Fire, Vin Diesel, the Loser Dallas Cowboys, sundry celebrities, and so on. The Alexandria Library Fire is a tragedy that’s started more bar fights than I care to catalogue, and don’t get me started on J Lo. The back of that second suspended sign had a clever take on the Law and Order franchise openings: The Deli Special Victims Unit. Here’s a view of Celebrity from the rear perspective.

Enough of atmosphere. On to the food. I ordered a hot pastrami on rye, then asked if they sold half sandwiches. They do, so I ordered one, and then faced a choice. A half sandwich comes with a side, so what side? I chose potato salad without much thought. I paid and stepped back, and after a few minutes mentioned that I’d be dining in. Would you like something to drink? Just water. He seated me and brought me a bottle of water. The server appeared presently with my order.

That’s an excellent potato salad. It was not at all overdressed and it had a fine potato flavor. And the sandwich arrived piping hot on bread that had that rye flavor and a chewy crust. And isn’t the pastrami pretty?

I applied some deli mustard and found the pastrami quite satisfactory indeed. It was hot and fresh-tasting, with traditional seasoning and a good flavor. I finished my lunch and went up and tried to pay for the bottle of water. No need.

I enjoyed the food and the surroundings. Celebrity manages to be a homey place amid modern and impersonal surroundings. The friendly, service oriented staff made me feel welcome, and the food made me glad I’d come. If you’re in the mood for a deli when you’re near Falls Church, Celebrity is the place to go. Give it a try.

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