Dining Review -- Kathy Mader

In the spirit of my almost seven months of pregnancy, we chose the

aptly named Big Belly Deli on West Coast Highway -- with an alarmingly

accurate silhouette of myself on the front of their menu -- to review

this week. “Building better bellies” is their motto, and while I

currently do not need their assistance with that, I certainly require the

sustenance necessary to sustain me and the kid.

The Big Belly Deli is on the corner of West Coast Highway and Cedar

Avenue, about a block or two after Cappy’s, with about a block or two to

go before you hit the bridge to Huntington Beach. Just look for the

psychic. Yes, it is right there, in the very local “surf” zone.

As it happens, I have just described the clientele as well. Sandals

and tank tops are the dress code, sandy feet welcome. But don’t get me

wrong, this is no dumpy deli. It has a bar-like atmosphere, with a nice

teak-like counter from one end to the other, in addition to the round

high tables with round high stools.

Ceiling fans cool the place down, but it was pretty hot this weekend

with the nice weather and the football playoffs on all three available

televisions. Three words to best describe the Big Belly Deli are noisy,

popular and local. All kinds of people come here too, from the surf and

beach crowd to original Seattle-style grunge to those who believe wearing

a dog collar-style necklace that says “return to Tiffany’s” qualifies.

As with any new place, the just-opened pitfalls are there. I am of the

instant gratification generation. I saw the sign, I wanted the food.

Unfortunately the behind-the-counter synchronization was absent, as was

quick service. However, no one staying seemed to mind a bit. Only the

to-go crowd seemed anxious.

We started with the namesake, the Big Belly Buster ($5.81), a classic

Italian-style sandwich, thick with salami, Canadian bacon, ham and

pepperoncini. While it was big, and almost didbust my belly, this wasn’t

my favorite sandwich.

My favorites were a tossup between the pastrami Reuben ($5.81) and the

grilled veggie sandwich. The Reuben is filled with hot pastrami served on

toasted rye bread and topped with Swiss cheese, Thousand Island dressing

and coleslaw. It was great.

The grilled veggie sandwich, and I may pass out dead for saying this,

was really good as well. I would have never ordered this if it weren’t

for my vegetarian friend Julie, who swears by this sandwich. I broke down

my resolve to never order anything with “veggie” in the title and ended

up enjoying the grilled red and green peppers, mushrooms, red onions,

olives, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes, smothered in melted

provolone cheese and pesto sauce, all on grilled focaccia bread. Sounds

pretty good, doesn’t it?

Each sandwich comes with a side salad. Of the coleslaw, pasta salad,

baked beans and potato salad, I liked the macaroni salad best.

Big Belly’s specialty pizzas include a barbecue chicken pizza with

chicken, red onions and cilantro; the “meat pie,” with chicken, sausage,

pepperoni, salami and more; and the “rajun Cajun” hot and spicy pizza

with red and green peppers, spicy sausage and cilantro. These are

thin-crust pizzas -- my personal favorite. There are two I look forward

to trying once my big belly settles down -- the “pesto pie” with pesto

sauce, tomatoes, basil and artichoke hearts; and the “Marcy’s White Out”

with chicken, mozzarella, tomato and cilantro with white sauce.

You can, of course, create your own belly buster pizza or sandwich. I

quote, “If we got it and you want it, we’ll build it.” Make it work for

you, I say. And they do have quite a selection of meats and cheeses. Any

deli that offers pepper jack cheese or smoked Gouda is good by me. They

have a pretty good array of domestic and imported beers as well, in

addition to several wines, to accompany your choices.

In all, the Big Belly Deli has what it takes to make your belly big.

FYI

* Where: 6310 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach

* When: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Friday and Saturday

* How much: Inexpensive

* Phone: (949) 645-2888