From the Archives: Delish Express

Another of my often requested articles. This one is about, legend, Virgil Sadorra's Delish Express that opened back in 2007. The place has only gotten better since I wrote this.

Let's hope the menu items from the original Delish are coming back in some format soon.

Enjoy.


The Return of the King
Delish Express

I just looked up the word “Icon”. Certainly, I know how it’s used in conversation, but I wanted to double-check before using it in writing.

Icon: A person or thing that is the best example of a certain profession or some doing.

Charleston restaurateur and local legend, Virgil Sadorra is solidifying his empire with the new Delish Express. Icon seems a suitable way to describe Mr. Virgil Sadorra and he is back with his twist on a simple and sandwich, soup and salad place. Of course, since it’s from the mind of Mr. Sadorra, it’s so much more than just a simple sandwich place.

Delish Express takes its name from Virgil’s first restaurant, the beloved “Delish”. His first effort was located on McFarland Street. The central location quickly made Delish it the “it” lunch spot and the place to be seen in downtown Charleston.

But then it happened. Like the cruel third act of a Greek Tragedy, Delish was taken away by a fire. Charleston lost one of its most unique and popular restaurants. Years later, people still lament the loss of that tiny but very special restaurant.

Virgil didn’t let a fire keep him down and he did return to McFarland Street with Cilantro’s. It’s his vision on west coast style tex-mex. It’s popular and always packed at lunch, but that’s only one of the bullets in Virgil’s restaurant gun.

From a dining perspective, the East-end is a seriously under served part of Charleston. The workers at the Capitol previously had to rely on their own infamous cafeteria or they could venture out and eat at Wendy’s, Rally’s or Subway. Sure, those are sometimes suitable for a quick lunch, but rotating through those choices over a period of time is enough to drive anyone crazy.

Virgil swept in and purchased a building close enough to the Capitol for the lunch crowd. A side benefit is bringing a vital business to a long empty building (and Neighborhood). Delish Express, along with other new businesses, like Bluegrass Kitchen, finally gives people in this neighborhood a place they can go for a fantastic meal.

You’ll find ample parking next to the building. It is odd, however, that the parking lot is equipped with parking meters, but for those of us accustomed to downtown life, it’s not too much of a burden. Besides, those meters will keep people from abusing the parking, thereby robbing Delish Express of spaces for its customers.
The building is bright and fresh and everything you see simply must be brand new. Your seating options include multiple tables, a long bench and some stools on the upper level which are mostly occupied by people awaiting their “To Go” orders. The inside will seat approximately 20-25 people and the outdoor patio almost doubles the capacity.

The process is that you get your own menu and check off the selections you want to be included on your sandwich or in your salad. The little menu is almost overwhelming at first, but it’s not a complex process. You select your bread, meat and cheese and then go wild on the wide array of vegetables.

The bread options alone mean that you can have a traditional Panini on thin grilled bread or a heartier sandwich on a Ciabatta Roll or Focaccia bread. Additionally, the breads can be topped with infused butters (garlic, lime, ginger, etc.) for an added punch to your sandwich that almost none of us do at home.

The meats and cheeses provide so many combinations that you could easily never have the same sandwich twice.

For the less adventurous, Delish Express does have chalkboard menus that offer some signature sandwiches and just reading through the ingredients one wonders how those sandwiches aren’t ordered every single time. How about a Grilled Chicken on Focaccia infused with ginger butter or a Portabella Mushroom sandwich on a Ciabatta roll with Roma Tomatoes.

My suggestion is to grab a menu to go and take it back to your office. Scan it in or just make a copy and you will be able to leisurely choose your options before heading to the actual restaurant.

The line can often reach to the front door, but don’t let your heart be troubled. Even in the first two weeks after opening, Virgil’s crew worked with decent speed and that daunting line moved rather quickly.

Once you do reach the register, you simply turn in your menu, choose your drink and pay the unbelievably reasonable price for your food. The sandwiches range from about $5.00 and can get up to around $9.00 if you add some extra options such as extra meat.

The treat at the register is getting to see the true “sandwich artists” working on the food right before your eyes. On my first visit, I was able to spot Virgil himself in the rear of the restaurant running a sharp knife through some vegetables while members of his staff looked on. I am not sure if was an impromptu training session or if he just wanted to show off for the assembled masses.

On the next visit, the chalkboard beckoned and I couldn’t resist ordering a cup of soup. I paired it with a Virginia Ham Sandwich on a Ciabatta Roll with infused butter and a heaping selection of the freshest and most lovingly prepared vegetables.

On that day, the other soup choices were Chicken with Rice and Potato and Cheese. I left my selection to one of Virgil’s talented employees and got the Fire Roasted Tomato Soup.

Of course, the sandwich was a treat, but this soup was clearly the star of this meal. It was presented in a nicely sized (to go) cup and even when I got back to my office it was still showing a nice garnish of herbs and a huge slice of actual roasted tomato in the soup. This was a thick and hearty soup that had such a deep and complex roasted tomato flavor that it was almost overwhelming. I say almost because this was some of the best soup I have ever consumed.

The one thing I haven’t yet tried is the salads. With the quality of hand cut, fresh, vegetables on the sandwiches how could it be possible that the salads aren’t amazing? With selections such as Spring Mix with Goat Cheese and Spinach and Mandarin Orange, you can go wildly exotic or just get something traditional. Delish Express will construct anything your heart desires.

With the soothing orange and pale yellow paint, the nice local Charleston art pictures on the wall and the knowledge that the food will be amazing, it’s almost as if your stress level drops the moment you enter the restaurant.

Delish Express is a complete treat. It will bring you to a neighborhood where you probably haven’t considered eating, it will give you sandwiches and food that you can’t get anywhere else and your patronage is supports a Charleston visionary. You can’t go wrong with a trip to Delish Express.