The Jawn Deli opens in Plattsburgh

PLATTSBURGH | For decades, in the kitchen was where Reuel Petersen spent most of his days, working in a number of different restaurants where he picked up different techniques and recipes along the way. "He's always wanted to own his own restaurant," said Co-Owner Kelly Petersen, who married Reuel in August 2024. Just a few months later, the newlyweds were closing a deal on the former McSweeney's Red Hots on Route 9 North, which is now known today as The Jawn Deli. "It was his dream, but when I got together with him, it became my dream, too." Thankfully, the building itself didn't need much work; all the Petersens had to do was purchase some new equipment and rearrange the kitchen to their liking. The Petersens technically opened The Jawn Deli sometime last month, but its official opening took place Monday, Feb. 16, followed by a special ribbon-cutting ceremony with family, friends, staff, members of the North Country Chamber of Commerce, and owners of McSweeney's Red Hots on Feb. 20. Walking in, the layout of the table and chairs is almost identical to how it was when it was McSweeney's Red Hots. But the decor is completely different; the walls are covered with Philly-related items, from sports memorabilia that Reuel collected throughout his younger days to family photos from his childhood. The menu is a reflection of Philadelphia, too. Not only is the food similar to what one would find there today, but the menu items are named after various Philly-related athletes, attractions, and even slang terms. All the meats are grinded in house, and all the dressings and sauces are homemade. He even uses his own special spice blend, created not only from his years of restaurant experience but also from his Ethiopian background. Open all days except Sundays, The Jawn Deli serves breakfast from 5 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. There's plenty of specialty meals to choose from, such as Chocolate Thunder — a fried breaded sirloin topped with sausage gravy and served with a side of two eggs, "homies" (aka, "home fries"), and toast — and The Leclair — a burrito with barbacoa beef, scrambled eggs, provolone, avocado, pico, and homies. The Jawn Deli also offers a variety of "bennie" (aka "eggs benedict") options, such as Cole Hamels, which comes with avocado, spinach, and tomatoes, with a side of homies, and the Bobby Jones, which comes with corned beef hash and is served on top of a homemade biscuit instead of an English muffin. And then there's the Barbacoa Beef Bennie. "All I can say is that it is a barbecue of a benedict," said General Manager Alex Bradstreet. "It is just absolutely delicious." Like barbacoa beef, The Jawn Deli strives to offer a variety of menu options not normally served in the area, such as pork roll and scrapple. And, of course, what would a Philly-inspired restaurant be without thinly sliced ribeye steak? More specifically, one Philadelphia staple — the Philly cheesesteak. A vital cultural icon and symbol of Philadelphia, this sandwich, created in the 1930s by Pat Olivieri, consists of thinly sliced, grilled ribeye beef with melted cheese on a hoagie roll. Traditionally, Cheez Whiz, Provolone, or American is used on a Philly cheesesteak. At The Jawn Deli, Reuel worked hard to make each cheese pairing the best possible, so there are no substitutions allowed, at least when it comes to that. "Philly is his love, so he knows a cheesesteak inside and out," Kelly said with confidence. "Cheese in Philly is totally different, and we make sure to use true Philly cheese for our cheesesteaks." There are plenty of cheesesteak options to choose from, such as The Jawn Classic Cheesesteak and the vegan option, which comes with portabella mushrooms, onion, spinach, peppers, and provolone. There's also Reuel's favorite way to eat one, called Ru's Way — a cheesesteak that comes with fried onions, hot peppers, and mayo. For those not interested in cheesesteaks, there are plenty of other options to choose from between 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., including a variety of "Sammitch" (aka "sandwich") choices, salads, wraps, hoagies, and "Boigas" (aka "burgers"). "When you taste our boigas, they're not going to taste the same as any other burger here," said Kelly. There are several to choose from, including the Rick Tocchet Boiga with mushrooms, blue cheese, and garlic mayo, to The Jawn Deli's rendition of a McDonald's Big Mac — the Liberty Bell Boiga. "I think if people give us a chance, they'll like our food." For more information, call 518-566-4393, email goingtoeat@thejawndeli.com, or check them out on Facebook: "The Jawn Deli LLC."

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The Jawn Deli opens in Plattsburgh

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