Jackson Deli's combo — saucy, cheesy, steadfast

When I was younger, it never crossed my mind that my immediate world would change: That the same stores and restaurants wouldn't be in the same places forever, that I wouldn't enjoy the same hobbies until I died, that the faces of my parents, siblings and grandparents wouldn't always look the same, that people I loved wouldn't be with me forever. But this life changes, and while I've come to embrace the changes, I also deeply appreciate those things that remain constant in my life.

Enter Jackson Deli at 437 W. Main St. in Jackson. The building that houses Jackson Deli started life as a Pizza Hut, with that unmistakable "Hut" roof that echoed the logo on the pizza boxes. After that, (and mind you, this is a loose history as I know it, so don't carve this in stone) it housed Estes Deli, the place that we visited at least three times a week, usually after I got off of work and sometimes for breakfast after dropping our daughter off at school. Then Sassy's opened there for a brief stint, and now Jackson Deli lives there.

So why would I talk about how I am appreciating the things in my life that haven't changed, when this building has changed so many hands over the years?

Jackson Deli, upon its opening several years ago, has returned to the food and atmosphere that I remember and loved. Walking into it today, I saw familiar faces and menu items, harkening back to the food and people I found so comforting back when the deli held a different name. There is a menu item named after the previous owner, showing that the people who run the place now still have loyalty and love in their hearts for those who came before. I find all of this continuity very heartening.

So what did I order after all of this time? Well, I arrived during breakfast hours, and some days, I just don't want breakfast food in the morning. Some days, the thought of eggs and bacon/sausage/ham, thick gravy, biscuits or pancakes first thing in the morning just makes my stomach tense up. Don't get me wrong, some days I'm all about a plump juicy omelet, but not today. So I asked if I could get lunch for breakfast, and the woman at the register told me, "Of course, as long as it's not burgers or fries." Ahh. Perfect. I ordered a combo sandwich.

I spent more than half of my childhood in a northern state. Barbecue was not a big deal in that part of the country. I'd never even heard of pimento cheese before I moved down here, or a pulled pork plate, or sauce versus dry-rubbed. I didn't know what a smoke ring on meat looked or tasted like. Missouri has taught me that barbecue is delicious, maybe even heavenly, and I apologize in advance for writing about it here so much lately. But it is summer, and summer is made for barbecue, not the other way around, and I am all Missourian now.

And I always used to order a combo sandwich for lunch here. Thin-sliced pork, with a smoke ring you can see if you care to look between the toasted bread. Thick, sweet, dark sauce, generously applied, dripping out with nearly every bite. Pimento cheese, bright orange with specs of red pimento, mixing with the sauce for a thick, rich, sweet, tangy sauce that plays like a symphony with the meaty smokiness of the pork. Ah, I love barbecue!

This is the memory I had in my mind when I ordered a combo sandwich this morning, and when I tasted it, my memory and my present reality aligned. It could've been 12 years ago, and I could've been sitting in the same seat across from my husband, at the same table, and I would've been tasting the same barbecue. In all of this explosive, changeable, sometimes scary world, nothing had changed from the past to this one moment in time this morning. Everything felt secure and right and safe.

We never know how much the little things we do may touch people, but I hope the folks at Jackson Deli now know how much their reliability means to me. Thanks for all the sandwiches. I look forward to many more.