NeWorlDeli does things the old-fashioned way and gets it right.

In the age of fast food convenience, Greg Bontempo and NeWorlDeli are intent on bringing back the old fashioned ideals of the delicatessen and the home-cooked meal.

Bontempo was recovering from the recent loss of his father and inspired by Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World’s “traveling fast from our dreams of the past to a brave new world,” when he decided to open NeWorlDeli in 1997 as a tribute to his father and his way of life.

“My dad was the quintessential deli man,” remembers Bontempo. “So I, as a tip of the hat to him, opened [NeWorlDeli], not thinking it would be more than a sidebar because my background was in full service fine dining.”

Rather than a sidebar, NeWorlDeli has become an institution unto itself, garnering numerous accolades including their Reuben being named one of the Best Sandwiches in Austin. Where most of the high-end restaurants in the area that opened at the same time as NeWorlDeli have disappeared, Bontempo’s homage to his father keeps thriving. He attributes his success to maintaining his dad’s traditional approach.

“We make everything from scratch here. We make our own soups, dressings, meatloaf, our eggplant Parmesan, our meatballs. We cook many of our own desserts; we cook our own roast beef. Our salads are from scratch.”

Asked why Bontempo chooses to do it the hard way, he explains, “that’s the way I grew up with it around my dad; that’s the way it was done. When I grew up there weren’t Blimpies or Subways, they were all delicatessens, and ‘delicatessen’ is German for ‘store of delicacies,’ so it was a place where you got good home-cooked meals.

“You have places these days that are buying the cheapest stuff they can and putting as little of it on the sandwich as possible.”

Bontempo goes to the opposite extreme, packing all his sandwiches to the brim and seeking out premium ingredients for his soups and sandwiches. For instance, although NeWorlDeli’s breads - procured from Great Harvest or New World Bakery - are pricey to use, Bontempo has hooked his clientele with their deliciousness.

“Our customers demand it at this point. I couldn’t change it if I wanted to.”

Likewise Bontempo’s soups (Cream of Spinach, Chicken Poblano, Broccoli and Cheese, Tomato Basil, Gazpacho and Clam Chowder) are all homemade, nothing out of a can.

So how does NeWorlDeli keep prices sensible on their soups and sandwiches while using only the finest ingredients available? Bontempo explains that it’s actually more expensive to do it the wrong way.

“I keep my cost down by not buying pre-made stuff. It’s a slight increase in labor but I control that by doing a lot of the labor myself. You can buy this Cream of Spinach soup through any of the major purveyors and it costs ten dollars a gallon. I can make it for three dollars a gallon, and it’s better quality.”

Plans for the near future include later hours of operation, new dinner entrees and the addition of beer and wine to the menu. Asked if he has ever considered expanding NeWorlDeli’s locations beyond Hyde Park, Bontempo shows caution.

“I’d like to have more of them, but I don’t know if I could control the quality. That’s what’s held me back.”

Clearly, if Bontempo had to sacrifice an ounce of flavor in his soups and sandwiches or an ounce of the goodwill of his customers, then it would not be a worthwhile business decision.

His father would be proud.