Loyalty keeps Pickle Jar Deli sandwich shop going strong

Tim Leininger, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·5 min read

Sep. 22—EAST WINDSOR — For more than 13 years, Pickle Jar Deli has been making a variety of cleverly named sandwiches and homemade dishes for a dedicated customer base, some of whom come in every day.

PICKLE JAR DELI

ADDRESS: 33 South Main St., East Windsor.

HOURS: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

MENU: Sandwiches of all kinds, soups, salads, and more.

MISCELLANEOUS: Does catering.

CONTACT: 860-292-6833; facebook.com/people/Pickle-Jar-Deli/100063911381059

"My customers are awesome," said owner Annkera Carlander. "I have customers that come in here every single day five days a week. I have a great relationship with a lot of people."

Carlander said she opened Pickle Jar Deli with her friend Natalie Moschetti in January 2010.

"I worked with her at Pasco's; we were going to get a hot dog cart and get a spot in Hartford," Carlander said, referring to the now-defunct restaurant Pasco's that is now Roberto's, which is in the same plaza as Pickle Jar Deli.

"This place became vacant and we knew the landlord from working at Pasco's," she said. "This place was closed for six months, so we talked to him and he said, 'Yes,' so we gave it a shot."

It hasn't always been an easy go for Carlander — the business opened during a recession, her oldest son was diagnosed and later died from cancer, her business partner had to step down, and the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on restaurants across the country.

"It's been a crazy 13 years here," she said.

Pickle Jar Deli, at 33 South Main St., never shut down during the pandemic, Carlander said, pivoting to serve curbside pickup only instead of inside dining until she was able to open her doors last November.

The town allowed her to open outdoor seating and do a collaborative seating project with Roberto's.

"The first summer of COVID, Roberto's and I shared a tent outside," Carlander said. "We sat like 80 people under that tent. We did a couple of pasta dinners during COVID for families in need. We made homemade meatballs, salad, and bread."

Though "pickle" is in the name, pickles aren't necessarily the focal point of the deli.

"We thought it was cute," Carlander said regarding the name. "Pickles are served with every sandwich as a complementary thing."

Pickles became a problem during the pandemic, she said.

"I used to get the really big pickles, but they were coming in rotten," she said. "They weren't turning fast enough in the warehouses. I went to the smaller ones and they seem to be working out better for us."

The location has long been a deli, previously Reno's Deli, then Barb's Deli, she said.

"It was always this style," she said. "When we first opened it, we had all the furniture they had. We did a lot of changes and modernized it."

The concept is to make classic deli sandwiches, using as many homemade ingredients as they can, while offering catering for events as well.

"We have a garden out back," Carlander said. "We grow our own vegetables and herbs and try to utilize it as best we can."

With limited kitchen space, Carlander does her best to have her menu listed with as many homemade items as possible.

"We make homemade soups every day," she said. "Our sides are homemade every day. They know they're coming in here for homemade potato salad. They know the difference.

"We do cook the corned beef here," she said. "We don't cook the pastrami here, because that's a little more difficult."

Sandwiches are the primary focus of the deli, many with their own clever names.

The Skipper, a tuna salad sandwich with bacon, pickles, lettuce, and tomato is named after one of her sons.

The Nat-Attack, which is Carlander's personal favorite, is named after her former business partner Natalie Moschetti, and is made with roast beef, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and horseradish mayo.

"The O'Ryan is our most famous sandwich," Carlander said. "It's homemade chicken salad, with bacon, cheddar, lettuce, and tomato. People love it. They know on Fridays I'm going to run everything out and I'm closed on the weekend.

"Our Thanksgiving Sandwich is popular as well. I make homemade sausage cornbread stuffing and people love it. It's with turkey and cranberry sauce. It has mayonnaise in it."

A popular dessert, she said, is their homemade chocolate chip cookies baked with potato chips in the cookies.

She also makes homemade balsamic dressing, a recipe that has been handed down to her by her great-aunt.

Carlander said one of the reasons Pickle Jar Deli has been successful is due to her great staff.

"They know 75-80% of the people who walk in the door by name," she said. "We get customers that sit in here and chitchat with each other."

Looking to the future, Carlander said she wants to buy the property the deli sits on.

"I think it's better for me to own the unit and the business together when I go to sell," she said. "I hope to be here another eight years. My son talks about taking it over. He worked here when he was younger."

For coverage of local restaurants, cultural events, music, and an extensive range of Connecticut theater reviews, follow Tim Leininger on Twitter: @Tim_E_Leininger, Facebook: Tim Leininger's Journal Inquirer News page, and Instagram: @One_Mans_Opinion77.