Dilly Deli: Blue Dome blue plate
BY SCOTT CHERRY World Restaurant Critic
Thursday, January 03, 2013
3/28/13 at 7:51 AM
During a corporate retreat in October, it was noted that Dilly Deli, part of the McNellie's Group family of restaurants, could use a boost during the dinner hours.
"We were looking for any holes in the company, and that was the biggest struggle for Dilly Deli," said manager Dru Titchener. "We came up with the idea to offer old-school, blue-plate specials every weeknight in addition to the regular menu."
During the initial run of blue-plate dinner specials, Dilly Deli is offering meatloaf on Mondays, chicken-fried chicken on Tuesdays, pasta on Wednesdays, breakfast for dinner on Thursdays and fried catfish on Fridays.
I was leaning toward going for the meatloaf or catfish, but I wound up there on a Thursday night, looking at breakfast for dinner.
I ordered the Meg ($7.95), a sandwich that included a fried egg, tomato slice, lettuce, bacon and cheddar cheese on toasted sourdough.
The sandwich was delicious, but I forgot about the possible pitfalls of ordering an over-medium egg on a sandwich. On my first bite, some of the yolk rocketed out of the sandwich, right down the front of my sweater. What a dork.
I later learned the sandwich was named after owner Elliot Nelson's wife.
With the sandwich, I also had a side of breakfast sausage ($2.50). The two thin patties, made at Dilly Deli sister restaurant Fassler Hall, were beautifully seasoned and flavorful.
I washed it all down with a Left Hand Sawtooth ale ($5). Not much can compare to breakfast and beer at 7 p.m.
My wife ordered off the regular menu, going for the hummus ($5.95), tabouli ($1.50) and a build-your-own cold sandwich ($8.95), which offers a wide variety of breads and fillings. Hers included grilled chicken, Muenster cheese, mayo, Roma tomatoes, lettuce, spinach and a double order of avocado.
The sandwich was predictably messy but good, and the medium-textured hummus had a solid garbanzo bean flavor. I'm not typically fond of tabouli with a lot of ingredients, but this one, which included parsley, tomatoes, green pepper, green onion, cucumber and a lot of cracked wheat, had a fresh, pleasing flavor. It also seemed a little dry, but a little extra olive oil perked it right up.
The restaurant has a full bar, including cocktails with infused vodkas, 26 beers and two wines - a Middle Sister red and a Lulu B. pinot grigio. Middle Sister is OK, but I'm not a fan of Lulu B. products.
Our server, Brian, was friendly and attentive.
The night I was there the crowd included families, including one with a beautiful tiny baby, and several couples.
Dilly Deli is a spacious, two-level restaurant with an eclectic ambience featuring high-backed wooden chairs painted a variety of colors, one long wooden table and bookshelves that hold books, games and toys.
It has a great patio with bocce ball and shuffleboard that is popular during the warm-weather months. Free Wi-Fi is available.
Dilly Deli also provides food for its sister business and next-door neighbor the Dust Bowl.
DILLY DELI
402 E. Second St.
918-938-6382
Food: 
Atmosphere:
Service: 
(on a scale of 0 to 4 stars)
7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday,
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Sunday (breakfast 7-11
a.m., lunch 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., dinner
4 p.m. to close); accepts all
major credit cards.
Scott Cherry 918-581-8463
scott.cherry@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Chicken-fried chicken with mashed potatoes, carrots and a biscuit was a recent blue-plate special at Dilly Deli. JOHN CLANTON / Tulsa World
The Dilly Deli dining room. JOHN CLANTON / Tulsa World
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