Cleveland Heath co-founder Eric Ed Heath has returned to downtown Edwardsville, with plans to open a new fast-casual concept: Ed’s Delicatessen (222 N. Main). “I’ve always had a deli on my mind,” says Heath, who is joined by an all-star team with big plans for the deli. “Our goal is to make food that makes you smile.” The deli is slated for a soft opening next Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by the official opening on Thursday, September 19. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Menu
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Naturally, the deli’s menu will center around sandwiches, both traditional and more creative, with an emphasis on quality ingredients. “This is going to be whole good food, not stuff in a bag,” Heath says. The focaccia will be house-made, for instance, and most of the bread supplied by Companion Bakery. The deli might also get some items from Patisserie 29, which Matt and Amy Herren of 1929 Pizza & Wine plan to open nearby.
Among the sandwiches, expect a Reuben, roast beef, and cold cuts. A chicken sandwich will include roasted chicken thigh, bacon, cheddar cheese, and Ranch dressing. Mortadella will be topped with shaved fennel, mixed greens, and mayonnaise on focaccia. “It’s pretty simple, but it’s love in one bite,” Heath says. The ham sandwich will be French-style, with Jambon Blanc, butter, and cornichons on a baguette. A Banh Mi will feature braised pork belly, chicken liver pate, cilantro, jalapeño, and pickled radish on a French roll. The fried bologna, a nod to Southern Illinois, will be served with pimento cheese and mayo on white bread.
Heath is eager for customers to try the crab roll, made with red crab salad, chili crisp, and butter lettuce on a New England roll. “It’s red crab from Hawaii that’s picked fresh and flash-frozen. It tastes like the sea,” he says. “We had it delivered at this fly-fishing lodge I worked at in Idaho, and it’s just the best.”
Vegetarian sandwiches will include a Beet Reuben and a Marinated Veggie Sandwich (with roasted bell pepper, mozzarella, marinated mushrooms, arugula, and pesto on focaccia). Customers can also substitute eggplant and red pepper-sour cream spread. “When it’s done right, it is so good,” says Heath.
He is also enthusiastic about serving up a Japanese Hot Dog, with barbecue, kewpie mayo, crispy onions, green onions, and bonita flakes. He’s also planning to offer a Falafel Burger, kimchi, tzatziki, and feta cheese—a dish inspired by his time working at Punch Bowl Social in Utah. “It’s so good,” he says.
Sandwiches are offered with kettle-cooked chips or a salad for an upcharge. The salads include a classic wedge (with iceberg lettuce, bleu cheese, bacon, tomato, and red onion or a seasonal item), a Mediterranean Chickpea Salad (with cucumber, tomato, red onion, mint, dill, and feta), the Martine Salad (with mixed greens, sweet potato, orzo, crumbled cheddar, dried cranberries, and poppyseed dressing), and an option with arugula, seasonal fruit, almonds, feta, and sherry vinaigrette.
Among the sides, there will be shaved Brussels sprouts (with cashews, Parmesan, and lemon), a Greek pasta salad, and a marinated olive salad. A grab-and-go section near the door will also offer stocks, sauces, oils, vinegar, pickles, olives, and more. Desserts will include an ice cream sandwich, cookie and lemon bar, and a cannoli, with different fillings daily.
Wine and spirits expert Tim Foley, who previously owned Erato Wine Bar & Restaurant in Edwardsville and is a partner in the new endeavor, is managing the wine list. “We’re going to have wine by the glass, major varietals that we’ll rotate all the time,” he says. “We’ll have chardonnay and a cabernet on tap. We’ll have local craft beers. Our cocktail list will be classics.”
The Atmosphere
The deli will be located in a historic 19th-century building at 222 Main Street in downtown Edwardsville, where 222 Artisan Bakery was at one time located. The building is located near the Wildey Theatre, shops, the Madison County Administration Building, and a transit center. “People can be in and out in five minutes,” says Heath, noting that the workers at the courthouse across the street typically only have a half hour for lunch.
Inside, the dining room and bar area can seat up to 40 customers. The interior is bright and open, with white oak table tops and a bar. “We wanted something welcoming. We wanted it to be light and playful,” says Heath. “We wanted guests to feel like they can sit at the bar, have a sandwich and beer, and it’s not like a tearoom.”
The Background
Heath is already a well-known name on the St. Louis dining scene, after an acclaimed run as a founding partner and executive chef at Cleveland Health from 2011 to 2016. With his partner, Jenny Cleveland, Heath created a restaurant known for its innovative comfort food and was twice nominated for James Beard Awards. (While Cleveland remains in Salt Lake City, she is a consultant for the new culinary venture.) “Over those six years, I learned more about hospitality than I had in my previous experiences,” recalls Heath. “We learned how to love and appreciate our guests and the experiences we were able to provide for each other. We are proud of what we created.”
After spending some time in his native Utah, Heath returned to Edwardsville. “I like being part of small-town America,” Foley adds. “This is classic, like Mayberry. People are super-supportive of small businesses, and they want to eat out. They care about people, and they know food. They are not strangers to quality.”
Heath teamed up to launch Ed’s Delicatessen with two former colleagues from Cleveland Heath—Samm McCulloch and her husband, chef Rick Kazmer—as well as Foley. Together, they’re partners in launching Yellow Dog Hospitality, with plans for more establishments. “We have a lot of ambition,” Heath says.
Kazmer attended culinary school with Heath and Cleveland at the California campus of the Culinary Institute of America. They then worked in Napa Valley before opening Cleveland Heath. Kazmer later became the executive chef at Three Sixty. “We call Rick ‘Rickopedia’ because he knows everything about classic dishes and ingredients,” Heath says. “And Samm knows everyone. They were a huge part of Cleveland Heath. Tim’s experience also adds a lot.” He considers his new partners to be a “dream team.”
Foley concurs: “We have a James Beard-nominated chef making sandwiches—what’s not to love?”
