SIGHTS
An expansive glass case filled with cured meats (pastrami, pepperoni, salami, garlic roast beef, smoked chicken and turkey, ham, chorizo, pepperoni sticks), sandwich fixings (lettuce, several types of cheese, pickles, onions, tomatoes, hot peppers, olives) and condiments (grainy and hot mustards, chipotle mayo or garlic mayo, hot sauce, oil and vinegar), a fridge and cooler behind the counter, a stainless steel scale, deli slicers, trays of baguettes and fresh sandwich bread, plastic trays lined with wax paper, a case for sides (coleslaw, salads, mashed potatoes, cooked peppers, baked beans), multiple soup tureens, single servings of desserts (cookies, brownies, slices of cake) wrapped in cellophane, murky jars of pickled eggs and sausages, a jar of pickles, thick sandwiches being packed into takeout containers, a glass-doored cooler holding drinks (sodas, water, juices, iced teas), a rack filled with bags of potato chips, a line of customers, a cash register, money exchanging hands, trash bins, a few small tables and chairs with extra condiments and napkin holders, an eating counter along the front window with stools
SOUNDS
The chime of the door opening, people placing orders and chatting with friends, an employee calling back for items that are running low, glass doors sliding open, the ding of a microwave, an alarm on the oven going off when bread is finished toasting, hot oven sheets sliding onto a counter to cool, a knife softly slicing through a bread loaf, crackly wax paper, a frying pan hissing on the stove, a spatula scraping a pan as warm sandwich ingredients are made, the burp and squirt of a condiment bottle, music playing on the radio, the whirring blade of the meat slicer, shaved meat thumping onto a scale, the ding of the cash register, coins dropping into a tip jar, the fizzy sound of water mist spraying meats in the display case to keep them fresh, orders being called out, people talking with their mouths full, cellophane being unwrapped, a chip bag being torn open, biting into a crunchy pickle
SMELLS
Cured meats, spicy mustard and cayenne, vinegar, pepper, yeast from freshly baked bread
TASTES
Smoky meat, peppercorns and other spices, soft yet crusty bread, tangy mustard, hot peppers, mayonnaise, vinegary pickles, steaming soups, sweet desserts, sour pickles
TEXTURES AND SENSATIONS
The edge of the counter pressing one’s chest as one leans in to place an order, a plastic tray holding a heavy sandwich, a blob of mustard sticking to the corner of one’s mouth, biting into a crisp pickle, the heat of spices on the tongue, crumpling up a napkin, crusty bread that’s soft on the inside, a full takeout bag in one’s arms, arranging one’s items on a tiny table, chip salt dusting one’s fingers, warm soup on the tongue, chewy bread, flavors bursting in one’s mouth as meats, fresh fixings and condiment layers meld together
POSSIBLE SOURCES OF CONFLICT
An argument with the deli owner over an order
Running into someone one does not want to see (an ex-partner, a one-night stand, an old boss one despises)
Long lines during a short lunch break
A customer who takes a long time to order
A health or safety violation
Meat that smells or tastes bad
A holdup
Criminals trying to extort protection money from a business owner who is barely able to get by
Dealing with an unethical health inspector
The landlord raising one’s rent with little notice
Being threatened when a popular chain store moves into the neighborhood
Hiring relatives who are lazy or incompetent and not being able to get rid of them
PEOPLE COMMONLY FOUND HERE
A manager, customers, delivery personnel, employees, health and safety inspectors, suppliers, the owner
RELATED SETTINGS THAT MAY TIE IN WITH THIS ONE
Bakery, diner, fast food restaurant
SETTING NOTES AND TIPS
Delis are popular whether they’re in a spacious mall or crammed into a small rental spot along a city street. Unlike most eateries, the long counters create a lack of space, meaning the focus is more on getting a sandwich to go rather than eating one’s food there. Some delis make fresh sandwiches and also sell meat by weight for customers to take home, while others sell only fresh food or sliced meats. If you choose a deli for your setting, think about how you might use the tight space to your advantage. For instance, a character might be able to hide in the bustle of a crowd, or he could choose this as a meeting point because it would be easy to hand something off without being noticed.
SETTING DESCRIPTION EXAMPLE
I pulled on the glass door to Ed’s Deli, a small strip of a store on the main drag. Bells jangled, and the scents of fresh rye bread, smoked meat, and spicy mustard sent my stomach into a joyful flurry. People stood shoulder-to-shoulder in a long line that snaked along the counter and there was nowhere to sit, but I didn’t care. I was tired of everyone bringing Ed’s sandwiches into their cubicles at lunch and hearing the groans of delight as they tucked in. Time for me to have one of these heavenly creations for myself.
Techniques and Devices Used: Multisensory descriptions
Resulting Effects: Establishing mood, reinforcing emotion