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FOOD reviewsMelvin’s Deli Comfort501 E. 53rd, 705-3906Mon.-Fri., 11am-2pm, or laterwww.melvinsdelicomfort.comThere is no Melvin. The name is like thefamous blended words referenced byHumpty Dumpty when talking to Alice: “Yousee, it’s like a portmanteau – there are twomeanings packed into one word.” The nameoriginated when chums of Melinda andKevin Ennis decided that they should henceforthbe known collectively as Melvin – thinkspork, Desilu, or brunch. It works; togetherthey morph into the singular Melvin, aslightly off-kilter couple that excels at makingsome of Austin’s best sandwiches.Melinda is an insurance adjuster whoaccumulated enough money to start thebusiness that they had talked about openingfor years. Kevin earned his chops as alongtime manager/chef at a seafood restaurantin Alaska, where self-sufficiency isparamount; he had entertained friends andfamily with his culinary skills for years. Ahistory major, Kevin was devoted to producingauthentic sandwich meats, carefullyresearching, experimenting, and testingeach product. “Sandwiches was the onegenre that we couldn’t eat out at a restaurant.Hardly anyone here makes their ownmeats; they buy them from a supplier,” saysMelinda. “We wanted to change that.”Their pride and joy, Melvin’s Deli Comfort,is situated in a gleaming red trailer on thesoutheast corner of 53rd and Duval. A coupleof picnic tables sit under a huge pecantree, and groovy tunes play on the soundsystem. Open for a little over a month, businessis slowly building, and all reports havebeen glowing.While I sat and waited for Chronicle photographerJohn Anderson to show up, I wastortured by the smell of housemade applewood-smokedbacon wafting from inside(think Homer drool). We ordered strategicallyso that we could try all of the meats,which Kevin and sidekick cook Eddie producein-house; they make all of their productsexcept the sauerkraut and the bread.Our first sandwich was a Hot ItalianBeef ($8): a big stack of thin slices of tenderroast beef (Choice, Black Angus) warmed injus, with sautéed green peppers, gooey provolone,and spicy pepper giardiniera, on acrunchy sub roll; riding shotgun is a tub ofrich, garlicky jus for dipping. Every aspectof the sub was spot-on; this could competewith the elite in Chicago. Next came thepastrami Reuben ($9), a massive mound offlavorful pastrami on grilled rye, withRussian dressing, kraut, and melty Swiss.Sorry, Spec’s Deli; your wonderful Reubenjust got blown completely out of the waterby Melvin.The Daily Special, a Turkey BLT ($8),arrived next. Excellent white bread encaseda mountain of sliced turkey, with ripe heirloomtomato, Swiss, lettuce, aioli, and amazinglygood smoked bacon. “We rub, age, andthen smoke the bellies over applewood,”says Kevin. “It’s great bacon.” Last was theCroque Monsieur ($9), the world’s bestgrilled cheese, filled with sweet, homemader.O.’s Outpostp h o t o s b y j o h n a n d e r s o nham, gruyère, and house mustard, all coveredwith a molten blanket of gruyère andbéchamel sauce. It’s messy, but delicious.Mel also brought me a taste of their wonderfulcorned beef, which melts in your mouth.The only thing they didn’t have that daywas the pork belly confit. “I take trimmedbellies and poach them in pig fat for 10hours,” says Kevin. “Then we slice and grillit and pair it with mustard greens and brie.”It’s Homer time again; I will return for thatluscious sparkling jewel.All of their sandwiches come with excellent,crispy, garlicky home-cured picklesand crispy housemade potato chips, madefrom new potatoes. “We have the pickles andchips dialed in now,” says Melinda. “Peoplelove them.” I know we loved them, andeverything else we ate at Melvin’s. Ingredientsare of the highest quality, quantities arelarge, service is friendly, prices are very reasonable,and the flavors are outstanding.This is how a sandwich should be made.– Mick VannRecently RevieweDChina Dynasty offers all of your family’s favorites ataffordable prices, without MSG. Flavors are based on richstocks, and sauces contain a minimum of oil. The deepfrieditems are crispy, and what lies under the thin batterare fresh ingredients. 2110 W. Slaughter Ln. #101.Elaine’s Pork & Pie This tiny snuggery seems like itjumped out of a postage stamp. There is pulled pork,and there are pies. But there’s also a terrific lentil soup.The bourbon buttermilk pie and ancho-chocolate browniepie are standouts. 2113 Manor Rd.Pinthouse Pizza This new and highly anticipated friendsand-familyjoint on Burnet Road makes it easy to settleinto a friendly din and dig in to some cheesy comfortfood. Five proprietary brews, as well as an impressiveroster of other microbrews, await you. 4729 Burnet Rd.R.O.’s Outpost Located about 400 yards west of itsold location in a 24-foot chrome yellow trailer, withmagnificent sunsets from the hills above the PedernalesValley, sits R.O.’s. Pork ribs are St. Louis cuts, and thepork loin is meltingly tender. Smoked turkey breastand smoky sausage round out the options.22518 Hwy 71 W., Spicewood.38 T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E JANUARY 18, 2013 a u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o m