“One trip to New York turned to three, then five, then more. Tourist trips would become taste tests”, explains Jessica Lemieux, owner of Enrico’s Deli in West Jordan. The restaurant is essentially a love letter to NYC, a giddy recounting of bodegas, folded slices, and buzzy deli lines. In Lemieux’s own words – a lifelong restaurant operator – “I just wanted to bring these flavors and feelings back home to Utah.”
If the name sounds familiar you’d be right. You might have spied Enrico’s during their initial run earlier in the year. Opening in Murray in the Spring, the business ultimately had to switch up digs, leading to their new West Jordan location. You can find them in the Jordan Landing complex, just opposite the movie theatre.
Despite the reboot, the restaurant already boasts ardent fans. A glance at online reviews reveals more than one former New Yorker weighing in positively. Lemieux wells up a retelling several tales of former East coasters bringing family and friends over and over – all in search of a taste from home. A little slice of New York right here in Utah.
As we sit and talk there’s a brisk flux of diners, Doodash drivers, and to-go boxes being carefully loaded. As a reminder, the restaurant is technically only in a soft-opening mode at present, the official grand opening won’t come until next week – November 6th. West Jordan is clearly already onto the secret of Enrico’s.
The expansive menu takes its inspiration directly from NYC. Indeed many of the ingredients are shipped from the city. Pastrami, roast beef, pickles, mustard, black and white cookies, all wend their way from a loading dock back East to West Jordan.
You’d be remiss not to begin exploring Enrico’s via that imported pastrami. Deployed across several dishes, let me immediately direct you to number fifteen on the menu boards – The Rico. The mammoth sandwich features a blushworthy bounty of pastrami – a full pound in fact. The cured meat pastrami arrives in Utah, ready for on-site preparation, spending a quarter of the day slowly braising. From there it’s hand-sliced, and the result is frankly impeccable.
Layer upon layer of thickly sliced meat is piled onto the Rico. Swiss and spicy mustard can also be found within the toasted rye sandwich, but it’s all about that pastrami, gossamer-esque, crumbling and tumbling with every bite. Salty, smokey, warm spices, magical stuff – and comparable to the best I’ve tasted in town. At $20.99 the Rico is an absolute steal. The phrase is idly doled out far too often but it’s ample for two to share – and you’d be wise to bring an accomplice to tackle it in one sitting.
Other NYC staples are also well represented. While I’ve learned from experience never to weigh in on the subject of pizza (there be dragons don’t you know), pizza by the slice takes center stage at Enrico’s Deli. A collection of eight different pies are all available by the slice, greeting guests at the ordering counter. Lemieux points to the white pie (garlic olive oil base with spices, mozzarella, and ricotta) as her particular favorite. Slices start from $3.99. The octet are available day long, the pizza oven humming along constantly.
Another item Lemieux is rightly proud of is the house-made garlic knots, infused with a garlic oil that simmers for several hours. Four of the comfortingly-dense delights are priced at six bucks, and finished with romano cheese. Again, it’s hard to overstate the wallet-friendly nature of Enrico’s Deli. In these ultra-inflated times, it’s increasingly impossible to grab a hearty dinner for ten bucks.
This is exactly what the Ziti alla Vodka ($9.99) offers – a rib-sticking portion of soothing pasta, topped with a from-scratch sauce crafted by Lemieux. The house-made marinara base is given heft with just the right amount of chili flakes. Grilled chicken and freshly grated parmesan complete the picture. Stromboli, sandwiches, a range of salads, dogs (Nathan’s of course), wings, breakfast all day – the story is the same throughout – home-cooked food at fair prices – plated with a big warm welcoming hug of flavor. As the clocks creep backward, and temperatures drop – that’s something we’re all craving – right?
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.
I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV. Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.
Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.
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