As a rule, I don’t eat at the airport. It’s not that I don’t want to. I’ve just given up on finding an airport restaurant that seems appetizing. Terminal food always appears clumsily made with ingredients that look anything but fresh, resulting in concoctions that are too heavy and too greasy. Presented with those depressing options, I prefer to stick with just a cold ginger ale from the bookstore, thanks.
But the next time I find myself at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, I think I might finally, thankfully, break my rule. That’s because chef Duff Goldman opened his first restaurant there, a Jewish deli called Duff’s Deli + Market, last month.
Yes, you read that correctly. The 51-year-old Jewish pastry chef and owner of Baltimore’s Charm City Cakes, perhaps best known for his Food Network reality show “Ace of Cakes,” has opened a deli. But from Goldman’s perspective, this foray into savory is a completely natural one. “Before I was a pastry chef, before TV, before any of that, I was a kid who grew up eating at Jewish delis. Those places shaped my understanding of food as comfort, as culture, and as community,” Goldman recently told me via email. “Opening a deli felt like coming full circle and paying tribute to the food I grew up loving.”
And what a tribute it is. In Goldman’s estimation, what makes a great Jewish deli is its soul, and Duff’s Deli + Market certainly has a lot of that. The vibe of the space is whimsical — the restaurant’s decor is mostly peachy salmon (think lox). The menu is decorated with smiling cartoon food. The multi-tier, colorful cakes Duff is known for are on display throughout the restaurant. The menu includes classic deli fare, such as a hot pastrami sandwich (Goldman’s favorite item on the menu), the lox platter, matzah ball soup, a bagel and schmear and black and white cookies. But there are some twists, too; like the sliced brisket on rye with tiger sauce, the craft dessert-themed cocktails at the bar and the cake jars from Charm City Cakes. For travelers with a connection to catch and no time for the full sit-down experience, the gourmet market component offers plenty of pre-prepared salads, sandwiches, drinks and more — a welcome reprieve from the sameness of terminal take-away.
While the idea of opening a Jewish deli in an airport might seem a bit unconventional, Goldman sees it as an opportunity. In his view, Hartsfield-Jackson airport, one of the busiest in the world, is the perfect location for his deli to offer “a moment of comfort” in the midst of the chaos of traveling. Additionally, it allows him to introduce really good, authentic Jewish deli food to people who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to try it. So far, the reception has been as hot as the pastrami. “Hearing travelers say it reminds them of the deli they grew up with is the best compliment I could ask for,” he gushed. “That’s exactly what I hoped to create.”
As for what’s next, Goldman’s top priority will still be ensuring that anyone who comes to Duff’s Deli + Market knows they’ll get carefully made, good food. He added, “I want it to bring a sense of warmth and nostalgia to unexpected places, and if we grow, I want to make sure we never lose that heart and authenticity.”
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a trip to Atlanta to book.
