For the past couple years, Champs Deli and I have been
nodding acquaintances. I’ll look in the windows as I meander (stagger?) through
downtown at 2 a.m. and Champ’s will ignore my advances — as the flirt is never
open past 2:30 in the afternoon. I’ve recently been spending more time downtown
during the day. (Courthouse? Broken car? Riding around on a Segway? I’ll never
tell.) Stuck downtown and hungry, I got to know Champ’s Deli a little better.
Tucked right next to a parking garage, there’s often an
older gentleman or two, sitting quietly out front of Champ’s. You could assume
they’re homeless, but they aren’t bugging anyone for spare change, so let’s
just call them “gentlemen of leisure.” Inside, Champ’s is a tiny little place.
One guy behind the counter is originally from Hawaii and has taped to the wall
a photo montage of big fish he’s caught. There’s a TV, but it’s turned more
toward the staff than the customers.
Each weekday, Champ’s has a $4.75 lunch special.
That’s a can of soda, a bag of chips and the sandwich of the day. On Mondays,
it’s ham and cheese. Tuesday, cheesesteak. Wednesday, a
turkey, cheese and bacon club. Thursday, roast beef and cheese.
Friday, it’s barbecue pork.
I hit Champ’s on a Tuesday, so cheesesteak it is.
Champ’s slices and cooks its own ribeye, which earns points in my eyes right
there. On the downside, it’s reheated in the microwave, which steams and changes
the texture of the grilled bits. Topped with onions and white American cheese,
it’s a solid deal. I was a little thrown when they asked me if I wanted mayo.
Never heard of that on a cheesesteak before.
Outside of any deal, a Rueben sandwich by itself is
$4.95. Again, I watched as corned beef was freshly sliced … and then nuked.
Using standard sandwich-size rye bread, Champ’s puts its own little spin on the
basic recipe by throwing in some brown mustard with the Russian dressing and
kraut.
The ham and cheese croissant ($3.95) was made with
shredded lettuce and two slices of tomato that actually tasted like something.
(Are they in season now?) I ordered Swiss cheese, and got another processed
slice of white cheese. This is one sandwich that could have been improved with
by using real Swiss.
I tried two soups at Champ’s – beef vegetable ($2 a
cup) and the “famous” chili ($2.49 a cup). The beef vegetable included
bits of cabbage, carrots, celery, peas and potatoes. For me, it was a little
bland but very homemade. Sorry to say that the chili was a big disappointment.
Thin, overly sweet and under-spiced, I don’t think I would recognize it as
“chili” if the menu didn’t tell me so.
I also stopped in one morning for a breakfast burrito
($1.99) of ham, egg and cheese. The ham was fresh-sliced, the egg was a
pre-cooked disc, and the cheese was processed, which is OK in this instance.
Dish: Champ’s has a lot of loyal customers. On both
visits, I was one of the few people that wasn’t called by name when I walked through
the door. It’s an eclectic group of lunchers — both lawyers and
construction workers.
Damage: With a sandwich, chips and soda, the daily specials
are the best deal.
Decision: If Champ’s were open late at
night, I’d stop in more often. That said, the place seems to be doing just fine
by taking care of the downtown breakfast and lunch crowd and leaving the
drunkards to troll Orange Avenue, looking for a slice of pizza.
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