Mark's Deli
El Salvador 4701
mon/sat 830am-930pm
sun 1030am9pm
I was slightly reluctant to write about this place. But why? It's always packed, so they definitely don't need any extra publicity. Then, they didn't let me take pictures. I really wonder why? I hate it when places impose this kind of stupid restrictions on paying customers. And it's expensive.
So why am I still writing? Well, despite the fact that it's always packed, they don't let you take pictures and the waiters are cranky, the place is a classic in the Palermo Soho area. They were one of the pioneers in the neighborhood, when they opened back in 2002.
From ice coffee to orange/chocolate pound cake to the sandwiches and salads there's a big selection to choose from. Everything is freshly made everyday.
Mark's isn't really a deli, as it's know in the states, although you can take stuff to go. It's more of a NYC style coffee house (I mention NYC since I lived there for years, I guess if I had lived in Chicago, or say Spokane, I would have said that it reminded me of either one of those cities).
I personally like Palermo, but there's a lack of good places to go for breakfast/lunch/afternoon coffee. The ones around Plaza Serrano are rather tacky and expensive. So places like Mark's Deli (and there are just a few in the area) are always a must go for those of us coffee nerds.
I always told myself that I wasn't going to write about Mark's Deli, but I just did. Maybe I wrote about it because I was there today and had a good time, even if it was crowded, expensive and they didn't let me take any pictures, except for the ones I managed to secretly take, of course..
