Artistic Deli uses diverse palette to cater to discriminating palates

As someone raised in the New Jersey New York corridor, I experience a Pavlovian response to the word deli. My salivary glands sit up and commence work as visions of corned beef on rye, kippered salmon on an onion bagel or sopressata and salami on flatbread dance through my food-focused fantasies.

So what, I wondered, is an Artistic Deli? It required an immediate trip to the fledgling enterprise on Colonial Boulevard (just west of the Winkler Avenue Extension) to find out.

One meal later, I can say that this is not the definition of deli with which I grew up, but it's one I can learn to love.

While the daytime menu remains more within the generally understood definition of a delicatessen (serving soups, salads, sandwiches and such), the evening offerings veer well off that path — and, in fact, defy precise categorization of any kind. What most of the dishes have in common is that they are made from scratch using high-quality ingredients.

The restaurant is the creation of Brian McCarley, the owner of Good Soup, a little jewel of a lunch spot that features soups and sandwiches and has flourished below the radar for several years on Beacon Boulevard.

KAREN FELDMAN / FLORIDA WEEKLY Four good-sized diver scallops are seared then paired with a tomato fennel compote. McCarley's new place has an artsy look, the industrial-style ceiling painted a lovely cranberry hue that works well with the cheerfully striped banquette as well as dark curtains, all of which contrast pleasantly with the polenta-colored walls. An eclectic collection of framed artwork — abstracts, portraits and still lives — adds still more to the mix of colors and the artistic theme. The immaculate open kitchen affords a bit of a show and jazz plays softly in the background.

Eclectic also applies to the wine list, which is smallish and consists mainly of obscure varieties, such as RN13, a French organic label, as well as 337 and Vintage Ink. While I don't mind a list featuring lesser-known selections, I think it's a good customer service to offer brief descriptions of each. Several misspellings only serve to compound the difficulty and may, in fact, discourage less experienced wine drinkers from even trying.

KAREN FELDMAN / FLORIDA WEEKLY Five onion gratin soup is a specialty of the house and a satisfying start on a cool fall evening. Nonetheless, we were reasonably satisfied with glasses of Menage a Trois and Vintage Ink. Both are blends, the former mixing zinfandel, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, the latter melding cabernet, merlot and syrah.

Considering that soup is among the chef's specialties, I felt compelled to try the five onion gratin soup to start, while the poached pear salad spoke to my companion.

Neither choice disappointed.

The soup had a mellow beef base filled with sweet, soft onions, just enough cheese to add flavor without a mess, and a round of bread served in a lovely little white tureen. The salad was a fresh mix of salad greens, pecans, blue cheese, dried cranberries, a lovely poached (sliced) pear and a nicely balanced walnut vinaigrette.

Entrees were equally attractive. A scallop dish consisted of four large scallops seared, then halved, plated with a delicious tomato fennel compote and sautéed spinach, finished with a delicate saffron cream sauce. It was a testament to the principle that less is more when the ingredients are fresh.

KAREN FELDMAN / FLORIDA WEEKLY An apple-pecan tart with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce is among the homemade desserts offered at Artistic Deli. The braised short rib was a massive piece of fork-tender meat. It was flavorful, if a bit fatty, but then that's the nature of short ribs. The sauce was a simple reduction of the braising liquid, which intensified the flavor of the meat. Only the polenta that accompanied it was a bit disappointing in that it needed more seasoning — a little cheese would have worked well.

And for dessert: a comforting warm bread pudding and an apple-pecan tart, both topped with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream. The pudding was chewy and not too sweet, but the tart was even better, with a buttery pastry crust, sweet apples, chewy pecans and a brown sugar-laden crumb topping.

Our server was charming and attentive throughout the meal. The only improvement I'd recommend would be to leave the plates of a particular course on the table until both parties are done. Also, my companion felt a bit rushed when the dessert menu arrived before he'd finished his main course. On the other hand, we'd both prefer that to being abandoned for an extended period between those two courses, as has happened all too often at other establishments.

Mr. McCarley appears to be a culinary artist who possesses a winning touch. With its varied menu, charming ambience and welcoming staff, Artistic Deli seems destined to attract a faithful following.