• Alex Springer
• Enrico’s NY Street hot dog

While I have a lovely, romanticized version of New York deli culture whipped up in my head, I can safely say that I am no travelogue-worthy expert in that field. Any authenticity that I may have mustered has come to me by way of Feldman's and Caputo's—though you could do much worse as far as culinary teachers go—so I can't really nitpick about the ways Enrico's Deli & Pizzeria meets the traditional standards. What I can tell you is that most everything about this West Jordan deli is prepared to comfort-food perfection.

Enrico's current location in West Jordan comes on the heels of a speedy relocation from its original spot in Murray. It's taken over the space that previously belonged to Mr. Fries Man, which also happens to be a primo spot in front of the West Jordan Cinemark. I'm beaming about the concept of grabbing some New York-style pizza by the slice or a thick slab of a deli sandwich before a night at the movies. Enrico's has made excellent use of the space; the dining room is spacious and the walls are packed with Big Apple memorabilia.

As both a deli and pizzeria that has clad itself in the culinary garb of New York City, Enrico's has set a pretty high bar for itself. One of the most unique aspects of its sandwich menu is that all of Enrico's pastrami is imported from New York. Pastrami fans who want to get the most out of this ingredient will want to check out Enrico's take on the classic Reuben ($14.99). Based on appearance alone, this is a textbook Reuben—the toasted rye bread, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, Russian dressing and pastrami are all piled in thick layers. The pastrami has a rich, sienna-colored cure to it, and it's sliced just thick enough to stay tender with each bite.

I know enough about the deli ecosystem to know that a place touting New York sensibilities serving up a Reuben sandwich is a pretty huge gauntlet to throw down. As I thoughtfully scarfed my way through the Reuben at Enrico's, I could tell that I was experiencing something special. The Reuben is such a classic in the world of sandwich craft that I've had plenty of inferior iterations, but a good Reuben knows how to rein in a trio of big-talkin' ingredients like pastrami, sauerkraut and Russian dressing. That's exactly what is happening here.

True pastrami enthusiasts will want to sample The Rico ($20.99), which comes with one whole pound of Enrico's imported pastrami. It gets a little dressed up with spicy mustard and Swiss cheese, but just in case you're simply skimming this piece, it comes with an entire pound of pastrami. That's one. Pound. Of pastrami. I only rarely get ravenous when it comes to pastrami, but when that particular full moon rises above the horizon, I will be making a beeline to Enrico's.

Sauntering over to the pizza side of the menu was exciting. Enrico's has all its pies delectably arranged near the cashwrap counter, and they all look tempting in their own ways. I went with the white pizza ($4.99 per slice, $19.99 per pie), which was a good call considering I had just put away a giant Reuben. In true New York pizza fashion, the pies at Enrico's are painted on the canvas of a thin, foldable crust. Instead of marinara sauce, the white pizza has a base of garlic and olive oil. You've got the classic mozzarella to start with, but it's also got some tiny dollops of ricotta cheese and sprinkles of pecorino romano. Though Enrico's has more bodacious pies—like the Peary NY ($4.99 per slice, $21.99 per pie) that mixes alfredo sauce with prosciutto, grilled lemons, pears and balsamic vinegar—the white pizza is an excellent introduction.

Though I wasn't anywhere close to hungry when I finished these first two items, I was compelled to get a hot dog. The NY Street ($3.99) is the basic dog, made with a Nathan's Famous Hot Dog sliced lengthwise and topped with chopped tomato, onion, mayo, mustard and ketchup. I told myself I wasn't going to eat the whole thing—really, I did—but the doggo was gone before I knew it. Obviously, the hot dog component was excellent, and I loved the wide range of sauces and veggies onboard, but the bun was what really caught my attention. It's extremely soft and topped with a bit of cornmeal. I'm guessing this is a New York hot dog secret that I am just now discovering, but I loved it.

At the rate that good New York deli food is showing up in Utah, I feel like I'm getting a decent primer to the traditional spots that pioneered deli food back East. I will always honor the masters of New York deli, but from an objective standpoint, I can say with confidence that Enrico's is making really damn good food and deli fans of any background will want to check it out.