New York Hoagie
Published on 19 January 2026 by Andrew Owen (3 minutes)
The New York Deli in Cardiff was a staple of my childhood. It was established in 1990 in the High Street Arcade by Harriett Davies. A native of Washington D.C., she moved to Wales in 1985 with her Welsh husband and their son Bryce. Just 18 months later he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and a month after that he died. “I had no desire to go back at all because Bryce’s whole family were in Bedwas,” she told alt.Cardiff in 2011. Before starting the deli, Davies worked with Welsh Rugby Union through the Welsh Institute of Sport eventually becoming involved in injury prevention education. Her original business partner left after six years and she ran the business with the help of a close-knit staff for over 15 years. Eventyally she partnered with Michael Baker, who had started out on work experience when he was 14 years old. She sold out to him when she retired in 2015.
Over a decade later, and now in its third location, it remains at or near the top of any list of the best Cardiff sandwich shops. But in the early days it was a real delicatessen, featuring walls of imported American produce in a psychedelic rainbow of colors that could be found almost nowhere else. This is where I discovered A&W Root Beer, Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Chips Ahoy!, D.L. Jardines, French’s Mustard, Jolt Cola, Nerds, Life Savers, Oreos, Pop-Tarts, Snapple, Tootsie Rolls among others. And, after Bick’s cucumber relish left the UK market, it was where I got my supplies of sweet pickle relish, which I would sometimes open in-store to put on my hot dog. It also featured an array of sports memorabilia, particularly from the Cardiff Devils ice hockey team (whose success may have had something to do with the number of Canadian players on its roster).
Those days are gone. The grocery world has changed beyond recognition since then, and now most supermarkets carry a selection of American staples, and you can find the rest on Amazon. But I’ll never forget the experience. I recently stumbled across the Colbert Questionert, which begins by asking: “Best sandwich?” I didn’t have to think about my answer. It’s the New York Hoagie. But for mine, hold the tomato and make it Russian dressing.