Clintonville is a neighborhood I’ve caught myself spending more and more time in.
I’ve enjoyed comedy shows in the quirky, intimate space that is the FUZZ nail studio (3309 N. High St.). A few doors down, I’ve spent entire afternoons lazily pushing hangers around racks in Rag-O-Rama (3301 N. High St.), eventually walking out with entirely too many articles of clothing.
And just across the street from both of these businesses is the Cornerstone Deli and Cafe (3296 N. High St.), where a few months ago I walked in for the first time expecting to only find a sandwich menu. While I did indeed find a long list of hot and cold deli sandwiches, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the menu also offered sushi and rice bowl options.
We have Cornerstone owner, Hadi Tjiang, to thank for this. Tjiang hails from Indonesia, where he learned to cook at a young age in his family’s restaurant. After buying Cornerstone in 2007, just two years after the deli opened, he made a bold decision with the menu. He added sushi, rice bowls and seafood dishes alongside the salad bar and sandwich options.
As if the diversity of this menu wasn’t enticing enough, adding to the allure is the affordable price range. Sushi rolls, which are cut into eight pieces, range from $6.99 at the cheapest to $13.99 at the most expensive. Most rice bowls are under $10, and even the ones that cost more don’t go over by much. I’m looking at you, delicious BBQ Eel Rice Bowl for just $11.99.
In fact, every single thing on Cornerstone’s menu, aside from the seafood rice bowls and a few of the sushi options, is under $10. It is cheap eats heaven.
The sushi menu is simple and straightforward with familiar favorites such as the salmon roll with avocado and the spicy shrimp tempura roll. You can also skip the fish and try an all-veggie option such as the vegetable roll which comes with avocado, carrot, cucumber and spinach.
The chicken rice bowls can be subbed for fried tofu and come in flavors such as sweet and sour, orange and General Tso’s. We placed two orders: first, the sesame chicken, tossed in a brown sesame sauce which was equal parts sweet and savory.
Next was the teriyaki chicken, served in a bowl brimming with grilled veggies such as carrot, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower and white onion. The sauce in both of these dishes beautifully soaked through to the hot rice underneath so each bite was satisfying to the very end.
As I’ve said, if you’re looking for more classic deli fare, Cornerstone has plenty to choose from. More than half the menu consists of hot and cold sandwiches which you can get on your choice of bread (white, wheat, rye, hoagie) or bagel. Choose from a wide selection which includes poppy onion, garlic, honey wheat and sundried tomato. Add just .15 cents for the three cheese and asiago cheese bagels.
Both the cold sandwiches and breakfast sandwiches (served all day, by the way) can also be made into wraps using plain, sun dried tomato or spinach tortillas.
We ordered the Mediterranean Veggie on soft hoagie bread for a light-as-a-feather sandwich experience that included a spring lettuce mix, sunflower seeds, sprouts, hummus and juicy bites of tomato.
Something else classic about Cornerstone is its spirited energy typical of a diner. Orders are yelled out by employees before being brought to your table — make sure to pay attention and raise your hand when you hear yours called — and a revolving door of people is not uncommon during the Saturday afternoon lunch rush.
If you’re looking for a more quiet place to sit, there’s an additional room off the main seating area to the right of the register. As evidenced by one gentleman I spotted, the room will serve you well if you want to bring a laptop and get some work done while you eat.
This plant lover’s seat of choice, however, is in one of the corners by the windows where sturdy snake plants make for stoic dining companions.
Now that we’ve covered food, you may be wondering what to wash all that goodness down with. In addition to fountain drinks and coffee, Cornerstone also has bubble tea, a delightful tea-based drink that originated in Taiwan. You can get it with or without milk in a variety of flavors (Cornerstone has jasmine green tea, mango, strawberry and more) with chewy tapioca balls known as “boba” that settle near the bottom.
Suffice to say, Cornerstone is not a one-and-done kind of place. You’ll find yourself returning again and again to indulge that nagging voice in the back of your head reminding you of everything else on the menu you still need to try.
I’ll be right there with you. Find me by the snake plants.
Cornerstone is open daily from 10 a.m. – 8:45 p.m. For more details, visit CornerstoneDeliCafe.com.
All photos by Taylor M. Meredith