Four years ago, Micheal Joersz was parked in front of Boone’s Wine and Spirits on Market Street in Eagle. He was cooking up cheesesteaks, Chicago-style hot dogs, crispy chicken sliders and honed-in classics from his food truck.
Joersz had refined his kitchen chops with lengthy stints in the Vail Valley: Golden Eagle for over a decade, Balata at the Sonnenalp Golf Club in Edwards, Two Guys Catering, Customfoodworks and the Wolcott Yacht Club. However, during the height of COVID, a brick-and-mortar opportunity presented itself during one of the most challenging times for an eatery, especially one that hoped to serve shared plates in a bistro-style seating area with shared tables.
Nonetheless, with zero marketing and COVID restrictions, which meant only one or two groups of people could eat inside at a time, the European-style deli thrived. “I had to really focus on what people needed and could easily accommodate during the pandemic,” explains Joersz. “I knew success was going to depend on having seasoned and dedicated support — reaching out to long-time friends and co-workers including David Strazan, whose operations expertise has been essential to the shop.”
Chef started with a staple menu of two soups — oven-roasted tomato purée and a daily special — a half-dozen salads, nearly a dozen hot and cold sandwiches, including the best-selling Don Vito, Joersz’s version of the classic Italian stallion of sandwiches, the Chi-Town, a take on Italian Beef, the Mountain Christo and more.
As the world began to emerge and Joersz’s deli began to build banter and business, he expanded to include evening items such as tacos and sliders. The packaged goods section also added more items to include cookbooks, rare sauces, pickled vegetables, oils, cookware and other eccentricities from around the world. There is even a dedicated shelf to Joersz’s girlfriend’s pottery for sale.
The coolers in front of the open kitchen are stocked with Italian pastas and sauces, selected cheeses from around the globe, numerous canned fish varieties, rare deli meats such as Bresaola, Speck and Mortadella, and dozens more items. An entire deli case is dedicated to vintage American sodas and rare international beverages.
From the get-go, chef Joersz intended patrons to be able to come and get the humble sandwich and side or take a meal to-go or to a friend. This meant stocking two double freezers with frozen soups such as asparagus truffle, butternut squash coconut puree, black bean tequila and more, changing weekly depending on seasonal produce and the whims of the chef. For to-go, family-style meals, Joersz offers spicy Polidori sausage and spinach lasagna, a rotisserie chicken pot pie and beef bourguignon, an example of prime winter selection.
Nearly three years into business, Joersz is still evolving with his own signature dressings, slow-braised proteins, small batch sauces and house-made stocks.
Open:
11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Monday – Friday
11 a.m.- 5 p.m.
Saturday
pickledkitchenpantry.com
+Brunch Recommendation:
Honey Smoked Salmon + Avo Club with Quick-Pickled English Cucumber Side
Baby Spinach + Warm Goat Cheese Salad
Dram Apothecary Cardamum and Black Tea Sparkling Water
+ Lunch Recommendation:
The Mayflower with Moroccan-style Tabbouleh
The Greek Salad
Old Fashioned Soda
+ Post-Ski Nosh Recommendation:
Soup of the Day
Korean-style Short Rib Tacos
Mini BLTs
Chef’s Original Homemade Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
+ Vegetarian Recommendation:
Oven-Roasted Tomato Purée
Garden Veg Sandwich with Scallion + Yukon Gold Potato Salad
Roasted Beets + Buttermilk Bleu Salad