Dining out: Grove Market Deli

The deli at Grove Market is delightful.

I mean that literally. In so many ways, visiting this teensy Salt Lake market is an experience full of delight, from the throwback nature of this mom-and-pop-style grocery to the enormous, tasty sandwiches and the courtly service.

I got Grove Market takeout on a recent weekday. Considering the time of year we're entering, that's the way most customers will be having theirs for the next few months, notwithstanding the half-dozen picnic tables out front.

But remember those tables, because this neighborhood has a nice atmosphere for an outdoor lunch on a sunny day.

Also, prepare to be tempted by the merchandise at Grove Market if you're a fan of pickled things or hot sauce, as there is an entire aisle of each crammed into this tiny space.

My husband looked at me in disbelief when I hauled the cardboard flat of food out of our car. I admit I may have bought too much, but there were a lot of tempting items on the menu.

Let's start with the sides and desserts and circle in toward the sammies. We had a portion of good, mustardy potato salad and an order of dark, rich chili with beans. My little boy picked himself out a bag of Funyuns from the display in front of the deli counter, and I couldn't resist a couple of creamy, comforting desserts: tapioca pudding and rice pudding. I tried them cool and warmed up, and they were good both ways.

Now, in all honesty, a few bites of potato salad, some chili and dessert — washed down with a Mexican Coke pulled out of the beverage cases — would normally have done me just fine for lunch. But there were still those sandwiches to reckon with.

"Enormous" doesn't begin to cover it. Fantastical. Mammoth. Awesome. Overwhelming. Vast. Colossal.

They're made with French bread — as in, a foot-long, six-inch-wide loaf of French bread per sandwich. The bread is soft inside, crusty outside and, despite its heft, is still dwarfed by the massive pile of fillings.

We got half sizes, of course, and I strongly suggest you do the same.

For my little boy, I ordered a simple ham and cheese, nicely dressed with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, a sprinkle of pepper and various spreads. He ate quite a bit, for him, but there was lots left to provide a nice after-school snack for all three of my daughters.

For my husband, I considered the Big John, which contains ham, turkey, pastrami, roast beef, bologna, Swiss or American cheese and loads of fixings. But I chickened out, too nervous about ordering something called "big" by people whose regular sandwiches approach the dimensions of a casserole dish.

Instead, I got him the Deluxe, a super-fresh cold-cut sandwich of ham, turkey, cheese (I got provolone), lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, avocado and mayo. I liked it. He liked it.