And Little Stony Point is now a sandwich
It’s called Nobody’s Deli, but after its first weekend in business, the sign might easily have been changed to Everybody’s Deli.
Cold Spring’s newest eatery, at 72 Main St., opened three weeks ago, at the height of the fall tourist season, just in time to experience what may have been the two busiest weekends of the year.
“That first Saturday and Sunday we did 680 sandwiches,” said owner John Flagler. “I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but it seemed like a lot!”
Flagler said his fledgling deli survived the inaugural chaos thanks to help from family and friends. “They all pitched in,” he said. “People came in just to say hi; the next thing you know, they put on an apron and were making sandwiches.”
The name comes from Flagler having spent his early years in California, Utah and Idaho, times that were not easy on him and his family. “We had nothing; I was a nobody person,” he recalled. “It was food stamps and the church helping us for food.”
In that environment, he said, there’s often nobody to help you improve yourself. “So, you stay in it,” he said. “But I wanted to be somebody.”
Spending eight years in the Army helped. “The Army changed me,” he said. “When you get out and see the world a bit, it changes your view; I could be whatever I wanted to be.”
Flagler met his wife, Tara, at South Dock at West Point while training cadets. Together, they now operate Main Course and Sweet Harvest in Cold Spring, The Salt Room in Nelsonville, Beacon D’lites in Beacon and a seasonal concession at SplashDown Beach in Fishkill.
Nobody’s Deli has a distinctive Cold Spring feel. The Blue Devil, The Dockside, Cold Spring Fire and Little Stony Point are among its 22 sandwiches. The top sellers include the caprese, turkey, pulled pork, fried chicken “and, of course, the Italian combo,” Flagler said.
Beyond sandwiches, Nobody’s menu includes eight salads, wraps, soup-of-the-day, sides such as wings, chicken and tuna salad, home fries, french fries and a children’s menu.
Breakfast sandwiches are served all day, along with “good coffee,” although the deli won’t delve into the specialty coffees offered in other village shops.
Flagler wants his deli to connect with students and student-athletes from Haldane to give them a place where they feel comfortable. “I started thinking about the town, what I’d have liked to have when I was young,” Flagler said. “I’ve always been into sports and so I want to help Haldane.”
Shelves already feature Haldane sports memorabilia, such as photos of recent basketball stars Peter Hoffmann and Matteo Cervone.
Flagler envisions coaches bringing players there for team meetings, at no cost. “They can stream their games on the deli’s TVs” Flagler said. “And I have PlayStation and Xbox, so they can play Madden NFL, NBA, soccer or whatever.
“I want to give them something,” he said, adding if players want snacks or food they can order ahead of time. Outdoor seating is available in the spring, summer and fall. The shop will also sell inexpensive, student-friendly lunch specials.
Opening the deli has not produced any huge surprises, Flagler said, although renovating the building, the former home of Kismet, meant dealing with a lot of small things that came up, all at a cost.
“We did it slowly, tried to do it the right way, and I feel like we did,” Flagler said.
Now, just a few weeks in, he said it’s about fine-tuning the operation, including everyone learning the art of “building a sandwich correctly.”
Nobody’s Deli, at 72 Main St., is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
