RESTAURANT REVIEW:

My relationship with Abdo Zeidan began two months ago with an act of kindness on the part of Zeidan.

I was pedaling my bicycle and decided to go from my house in Sunset Beach to the Huntington Beach Pier.

The ride is about six miles each way and nothing serious, but I hadn’t had breakfast and by the time I got to the pier I was starving. I rode around looking for something I could get with only five bucks in my pocket.

Wahoo’s wasn’t open yet, so I went farther down Main Street and saw Coach’s Deli off Olive Avenue.

The gourmet deli’s sandwiches are $7.99, a half sandwich is $4.99, so maybe if I talked him into not charging me the tax he would do it. He saw my hunger and made me a full sandwich, charging me only the $5 and even throwing in a soda.

Zeidan came to the United States from Jordan in 1977 and had several people help him out when he first arrived to this country. He worked and saved money, eventually buying liquor stores with other members of his family.

“Inside the liquor stores we always had a deli,” Zeidan said.

Zeidan owns the deli with Murat Koc, who is from Turkey and is the owner of Coach’s Mediterranean Grill.

The two recognized there was no deli in the area and put together a place.

“I’ve lived in the area since 1977,” Zeidan said. “This was a good location for a deli.”

Zeidan didn’t want a place that slapped together sandwiches. He and Koc wanted a gourmet deli and have achieved it.

The inside is decorated in Turkish Travertine floors, granite counter tops and mosaic walls. The menu is not on a chalkboard, but in large, vivid type with pictures on two flat screen televisions.

“We wanted an upscale deli from the beginning,” Zeidan said. “We wanted the best of everything.”

The meats and cheeses are all Boar’s Head products, and Coach’s has more selection than most delis I’ve ever been to.

There are two different types of ham: black forest and honey; two types of turkey: smoked and honey glazed; and several different types of salami, including sopressata Calabrese. This salami is so thin and flavorful, with a little bit of a bite, it has become a must for any sandwich I order.

I didn’t see it among the 16 sandwich selections on the menu and asked Zeidan if I could substitute. He said I could do better than that: I could make my own sandwich.

The menu is just a guide, he said, he’ll make any kind of sandwich I wanted. I felt like a painter with a blank canvas. I ordered black forest ham, prosciutto and sopressata Calabrese with provolone cheese. The deli has 12 types of cheeses and makes the sandwiches on 10 kinds of bread, including ciabatta, white and wheat rolls, pumpernickel and squaw.

Boar’s Head salads are delivered to the deli four times a week and come with any sandwich order. There is macaroni, pasta, potato and a red dill potato salad that I highly recommend.

Zeidan even throws in a dill pickle slice. I was disappointed he didn’t have a soda fountain, but Zeidan explained it attracts flies. The only flies Zeidan wants are the barflies who spill out of the local watering holes. He keeps the deli open until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday to accommodate them.

After my second meal there, I ordered a pound of the sopressata Calabrese to take home. All of the meats and cheeses can be ordered by the pound.

Though it has only been open a few months, Coach’s has proven to be a popular place. Zeidan won me over with his warmth and kindness. Of course the exquisite sandwich didn’t hurt either.

ADDRESS: 221 Main St., Huntington Beach

PHONE: (714) 969-2929

CUISINE: delicatessen

SPECIALTY DISH: sandwiches

ALCOHOL SERVED: none, but this may change

DRESS: casual

FAMILY FRIENDLY: yes

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: Discover, American Express, Visa and MasterCard

RATING: *** out of 4

JOHN REGER reviews restaurants for the Independent.