Heavenly treats await at Cloud Nine deli

I am drawn to Cloud Nine deli in Old Saybrook for a few reasons: clever name, amazing location just off I-95, and reliably delicious eats. What started as my special-treat breakfast sandwich stop has turned into a favorite destination for a quick bite when I’m toodling around town.

While Cloud Nine offers a popular catering service, we’ve reviewed the offerings at the deli, which closed for a short spell in recent years while the owners renovated the charming interior. More dining space and funky decor make for a more comfortable dine-in experience, should you prefer not to wait until you get home to dig into your meal.

Or, in my case, a table inside might’ve been a better venue than my car during a recent sampling mission. The aroma of the Moroccan ham and lentil soup I ordered proved too divine to resist, so there I sat, with the radio on, entirely pleased with my choice after the first spoonful. The soup’s smoky base flavor is punctuated with a slight kick of heat (more of a spice heat, than, say, a hot pepper) and served as a great accompaniment to the croutons-as-soup-crackers that came with the soup. Ample cubes of ham and loads of lentils and carrots ensure a full, satisfied belly even after a mere cup (bowls available, too). Of course, the curried chicken salad half sandwich I paired with the soup (one of the day’s specials; $6.50) was just begging to be sampled, so lunchtime lasted a few minutes more as I polished off this savory sandwich. A blend of chicken, peppers, and a few other veggies provided a perfect toothiness to the overall sandwich (which I ordered on fresh, yummy wheat bread). Thankfully, the chicken and veggies weren’t swimming in a sea of mayo, and the curry flavor struck just the right balance of zest and sweetness without overpowering the whole experience. I would order both soup and sandwich again in a hot minute.

Another soup sampling yielded another home run. This time I went with the Spicy Beef and Black Bean soup ($3.50 for a cup), one of the three or so soups of the day. Where I expected a black bean soup with a few hunks of beef here and there, instead the soup arrived loaded with sliced beef swimming in what tasted like a cumin-accented, tomato-based broth. It was delicious, the beef lean, and celery and some other greens filled out brew nicely. As a big black bean fan, I could’ve used more of them in the soup. Eventually I unearthed some from the bottom of the cup, but they were fairly disproportionate to the beef.

As for those special-treat breakfast sandwiches, they remain wellcrafted, hearty creations that hit the spot. A basic egg-n-cheese and a roll will run you $3.25. I asked for a slice of tomato to dress it up a bit and my server complied genially and provided one that was somehow tasty, despite the season. The roll upon which the layers of egg, American cheese ($0.50 extra) and tomato rested was fresh and fragrant.

The coffee I grabbed for the road ($1.85 for a large that isn’t terribly so) was unremarkable but an improvement on what Cloud Nine offered pre-renovation.

But the high point of my tasting came with the “Poyo” sandwich ($8.75) and Goatee salad ($6.95) I ordered for a recent lovely lunch. You’d think a heaping portion of fresh mozzarella and grilled chicken breast would overpower a basic hard roll, but you would be wrong. Every part of the construction delivers on flavor, helped along by some tomato, greens and a modest amount of basil mayo. While it was tempting to try and eat the whole thing, a half made for a very satisfying lunch.

As for the cleverly named Goatee salad, what’s not to love about a pile of cucumbers, orange wedges, figs, goat cheese and greens? Note: the salad also should sport almonds, but the deli was all out on a recent visit. No biggie for me, but I’ll bet this salad blend is even better with the soft crunch of almond slices. Still, my salad was loaded with soft goat cheese, which meshed well with the brightness of the figs and citrus. The accompanying lemon vinaigrette dressing ought to be bottled and make its creator millions. It’s quite lemon-y, garlic-y and vinegar-y all at once — a favorite combo of mine — and amplifies the salad blend all the more.

With lunchtime choices like that, it’s a good thing Cloud Nine is closer than you might think.