Nissue #43: Adam Mesnick, Owner of Deli Board.
There is this great scene in Spanglish where one evening after a late night at his restaurant, Adam Sandler’s character comes home and makes a sandwich. Not just any sandwich, but the best sandwich ever created. I remember finding out that Thomas Keller of French Laundry fame consulted on the film and even showed us all how to make the sandwich (if you bothered to watch the DVD extras as I did).
My point is that sandwiches are an art form and if you ask me, TK needs to take a lesson from another Adam, the one who started a little sandwich shop called Deli Board almost 10 years ago, that more than deserves its cult-like following.
I was lucky enough to be a fan from the early days, and now years later, it is a wonderful comfort to see Adam Mesnick still mingling with customers, trading stories, making sure everything is just right. You can tell how much he cares about his meats and ingredients but in the end, he loves his guests just as much.
Nish: What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Adam: There is no such thing as perfect — what I do try to do is take it day by day to find as much happiness in each day as possible.
Nish: What was your worst job ever?
Adam: As the mortgage market was collapsing around 2009-2010, I was working for large banks like Chase and Wells Fargo. There wasn’t a lot of loan originating happening, as you can imagine. I owned a condo on Valencia and 14th — I sold the home short in 2010 as I wasn't nearly able to make the payments — drained pretty much everything I had in the place. Wild and gloomy times!
Nish: What was your first job ever?
Adam: Bussing tables, I love every job in a restaurant!
Nish: What was your best job ever?
Adam: My current job is as good as it gets.
Nish: What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Adam: Easily addicted to anything that I like.
Nish: What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Adam: Can’t deal with dishonesty.
Nish: What’s some advice you’d give to yourself at 23?
Adam: Get outta your head young Adam, go explore!
Nish: What is your greatest extravagance?
Adam: Food, I splurge on food, I’ll pay for delicious food. The whole world is dying to try San Ho Wan, I can’t wait to eat there 5 times (I am a huge fan of Corey Lee’s Benu and Monsieur Benjamin).
Nish: You have exclusive dinner reservations for 4 excluding family and close friends, who are the 3 people (alive, dead or imaginary) you’d invite?
Adam: Anthony Bourdain, Tony Clifton, Jerry Garcia.
Nish: What is the theme song of your professional life?
Adam: My theme is "I smell like beef." It is all over YouTube, it's a young baby! It's a riot. For Deli Board, anything by Vicente Fernadez!
Nish: What is your motto?
Adam: No shortcuts.
Nish: What is something you’re really excited about right now?
Adam: I’m excited about just passing 10 years at the Deli Board space down at 1058 Folsom in San Francisco. Come on over!
End Interview.
Deli Board should be a requirement if you are visiting San Francisco. Need more nosh? Gayle Pirie, whom I interviewed way back in Nissue #3, has another SF institution with Foreign Cinema. And with all respect to Thomas Keller, Kyle Connaughton’s (Nissue #12) Single Thread has become a contender for the best restaurant in California’s wine country.
On a separate note, Pitchfork just put out their Top 100 Songs of 2021 list and it was extremely cool to see Cassandra Jenkins (Nissue #18) in the number two spot!
Happy holidays — I will be on vacation for the rest of the year but will be back on January 4th with Nissue #44!
these are great, thanks