Deli owner’s mantra: Keep it simple

A self-described people person who loves to cook simple dishes from scratch, Molly Pesich chose restaurant ownership over a career in real estate.

Pesich owns the Brown Bag Delicatessen in German Village, a laid-back neighborhood joint that has been in the area since the 1970s.

She counts herself as an early — and a frequent — customer of the deli that she purchased 14 years ago.

“It was just that opportunity,” she said. “It fit for what I wanted for my future.”

Tired of waiting for warmer weather to arrive, she recently decided to add corn salad ($3.75) to the menu for the season.

The salad — which combines fresh, offthe-cob corn, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella — is dressed in a sweet-lime vinaigrette.

“That’s kind of my style of cooking,” she said. “It’s simple.”

Among her many ways of preparing kale, she recommends a salad ($3.75) featuring shredded kale and red cabbage, chickpeas, toasted walnuts, red onion, feta and a Grandma Merkle’s brisket sandwich and potato salad at Brown Bag Delicatessen What: Brown Bag Delicatessen Address: 898 Mohawk St. Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays Contact: 614-443-4214, www.thebrownbaggv.com

lemon-garlic dressing.

“It’s real fresh,” she said.

Pesich aims to balance the menu with light and hearty dishes and a frequently rotating bill of fare.

Grandma Merkle’s brisket sandwich ($9.50), a special every Wednesday, uses beef

that’s braised for six to eight hours.

Pickling spices, the not-so-secret force behind the flavor, add complexity and zest to the meat, Pesich said.

“I think that’s really the signature flavor because it’s got this real (interesting) combination of spices,” she said.

Other sandwiches are also available, all using high-quality deli meats, she said.

Pesich said she’s a fanatic about soups (small, $3.75; medium, $4.75; and large, $5.75).

The creamy mushroom soup is earthy, rich, garlicky and slightly tart from the addition of white wine.

The richness of the tomato soup — with a flavor deepened by sweet pepper, brown sugar and basil — is also cut by wine.

“It’s not too sweet – just a background hint of sweetness,” Pesich said.

Chicken tortilla soup is on the lighter side — no cream or cheese — with plenty of chicken, plus corn, lime juice, a little jalapeno for kick and a topping of crispy tortilla strips.

Side dishes are an important part of the menu at Brown Bag, as the deli offers 20 different choices a day.

Roasted Brussels sprouts ($3.75) are halved and cooked at high heat for a crispy texture. The dish also features garlic, toasted walnuts and Gorgonzola.

For dessert, the Coca-Cola cake ($4.50) uses cola, cinnamon and cocoa powder, with a topping of walnuts and a sweet glaze.

Like many other options, the cake reflects Pesich’s personality.

“I’ve always been a cook and always been infatuated with food,” she said. “I didn’t want anything fussy — just homemade, great, flavorful, real food.”