By Reid Coleman

After glowing recommendations from multiple people, my friends Scotty Ruth (‘22), Syd Jamison (‘22) and I decided to venture to Perly’s, a Jewish delicatessen restaurant in downtown Richmond on a cool, breezy October Sunday morning. 

Before eating there, I decided to research the place, and I discovered that the restaurant was, in fact, rated the best lunch place in Richmond by Tripadvisor. I was also a little bit unsure about what a traditionally Jewish restaurant was like, and I discovered that Jewish deli food can include pastrami, corned beef, bagels, and more. 

It took us a while to find a parking space, but after finally finding a spot, we began walking towards the restaurant on East Grace Street. When it came into sight, I was immediately hit with a vibrant energy. Twenty or thirty people were gathered outside conversing and laughing together, while Red Hot Chili Peppers music burst through the doors. Smiles broke our faces, as we all agreed that we were very excited to try the highly anticipated Perly’s deli. 

An inside view of Perly’s Delicatessen Restaurant. Photo credit: Flickr use Ronnie Pittman.

As we walked in, the restaurant was very loud, and I immediately glanced at the elaborate criss-crossing patterns lining the walls. We were told by the host that it would be about a 45-minute wait. 

The restaurant is very close to VCU, so instead of waiting outside of the restaurant, we decided to walk around the campus. It was a peaceful Sunday morning, and my friends and I had a joyful time conversing and looking at the beautiful VCU campus. 

After about thirty minutes of walking, we returned to the restaurant and sat down on the outside benches, ready to eat some food. Soon after, the hostess called our name, and we made our way to the table. The table was a small, cramped wooden booth, located right next to the counter. Waiters brushed against our sides as they walked by, and we could barely hear each other speak because it was so loud. 

The delicious Sausage Bagel Sammy. Photo credit: Reid Coleman.

After we ordered, we tried to talk to each other to the best of our ability, but eventually, we found it so hard that we just began to watch the television above the counter. In fact, a Frankenstein movie was playing on the screen, and we all found it quite entertaining. 

After a decently long wait, the food arrived. I had ordered the Sausage Bagel Sammy, a bagel with scrambled eggs, onions, your choice of meat, and your choice of cheese. I chose a plain bagel with bacon and cheddar cheese. The crispy, toasted bagel was very pleasing. The taste of the fluffy scrambled eggs meshed perfectly with the juicy onion and the crispy bacon and hot, toasted bagel. Meanwhile, the sharp cheddar cheese had melted flawlessly onto the bagel topping off the dish. I loved every bit of this bagel, and I devoured it in under ten minutes. Even though the bagel did not have a side, it was the perfect amount of food. I rated the bagel a 9.2/10.

The Cinnamon Babka French Toast. Photo credit: Reid Coleman.

Ruth ordered the Cinnamon Babka French Toast with maple syrup, stewed apples, golden raisins and pecans. He “really enjoyed the French toast” and thought the powdered sugar was a “great touch.” Ruth also said that the “soft, tender” stewed apples were “ambrosial” to his taste buds. The only negative, he said, was that there “was already a predetermined amount of syrup put on the French toast,” so the toast was a “little bit too soupy.” He wanted to be able to “put the syrup on to get the perfect amount.” Still though, he “savored” the dish and rated the “juicy, sugary” French toast an “8.1/10.”

Jamison ordered the Sausage and Tzimmes Hash, topped with fried eggs and cherry mostarda with a salad on the side. Jamison “had never heard of the dish before.” He simply “wanted to try something new.” Sausage and Tzimmes Hash is a traditionally Jewish meal consisting of sausage, potatoes, dried fruit, carrots, and sometimes more. Jamison said that the experience of trying something new “really paid off.” He thought that the “cherry mostarda sauce blended perfectly with the sausage and hash.” Jamison also enjoyed the texture of the dish when “the egg yolk broke.” The only downside was “the bread, which was basically pointless and unneeded.” Overall, though, he relished the “sweet” dish and gave it an “8.75/10.”

The Sausage and Tzimmes Hash. Photo credit: Reid Coleman.

I loved the atmosphere and energy surrounding the restaurant. The waiters were upbeat with pleasant smiles, and every staff member was very kind. I enjoyed the music to an extent, but I began to dislike it when I was not able to clearly talk to the people right across from me. Along with that, the restaurant was quite cramped, and we were squished into a little booth. However, all three of us agreed that the food was extremely delectable. Each one of us swallowed our dishes very quickly after receiving them. The food, as I had hoped, made every little inconvenience worth it. 

Even with the tight conditions, overly loud music, and extensive wait, because of the food, all three of us would highly recommend Perly’s to anyone. Jamison loved “the brunch and cannot wait to go back to try the lunch there as well.”

Featured image: Ronnie Pittman via flickr.