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I love transparency in advertising. How rare it is to actually know what to expect of a place, and in turn, actually be pleasantly surprised? I'm not sure that this was the intent when the Nearly Famous Deli and Pasta House opened over 30 years ago, but I'm down with it either way. It is what it says it is, a deli that offers pasta, and it delivers how you'd expect it to — with loyal customers, simple food made well and great word-of-mouth buzz.
Even though this house was built by and large on sandwiches, Nearly Famous stays away from anything super trendy. There is nary a panini, nor a fancy mayo nor a ciabbata-bound anything on the menu. The fanciest these sandwiches get is comprising dijon mustard and a croissant. But this formula works well because not only are they supplying the masses with familiar, simple food, they're making it good by going just a little further with their ingredients. A plain old turkey sandwich is dolled up with the addition of hard-boiled egg, a roast beef sandwich gets a makeover with melted cheese and salad dressing, and the lasagna (or lasagne in this case) has become a fan favorite because of its homemade tomato sauce and copious amounts of cheese. Each of the simple ingredients is of very good quality, so add them all up and they become more than the sum of their parts.
For every deli sandwich Nearly Famous offers, they also have some sort of decadent-looking pasta dish (limited dishes available during lunch). They have a daily rotating roster of quiche, soup, salad, sandwich and lunch pasta specials as well as a few dinner pasta specials. Beer, wine, cocktails and all manner of coffee drinks are also offered, in addition to very tempting dessert options. And like every good deli worth its sauerkraut, they have cheesecake. Several kinds. Yessir.
Dinner selections can hover close to $15 while a good soup-and-sammy lunch combo will set you back closer to $10.
Prepare to wait if you're heading in for lunch — it is extemely popular and fills up quickly. It's a deceptively large place, apparently significantly bigger than its first location, which after 30 years on South Kentwood, was lost in a fire in 2006. Nancy Miller, the current owner, relocated and opened bigger digs, but even with all that extra space her loyal following fills it up right quick. With that said, the turnover is pretty good so you shouldn't have to wait too long.
Miller has her share of regulars, many of whom she is on a first-name basis with. She's friendly and helpful (as are the other staff members we encountered) and if you chat her up, perhaps she'll remember you the next time you're in — making you feel (wait for it) nearly famous.
Sorry, I had to.
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