By Sadef Ali Kully
When Raymond Rhi put out a Craiglist advertisement for a chef for Bayside Natural Market deli, he did not know what to expect, but it definitely was not Frank Lynch’s chicken noodle soup.
Rhi, who bought the Bayside Salumeria deli on the corner of Corporal Kennedy and 41st Avenue last fall, decided to bring some healthier and tastier changes to the deli but was not sure which direction to take the menu.
It took 32-year-old Lynch, a former sous chef at Stowe Mountain in Vermont for seven years, to bring that extra oomph into the deli menu.
Lynch does not just make soups, he loves to make soups.
“I don’t have any recipes. I just do whatever I feel. Making soups is one of a few passions,” he said. Lynch makes hearty soups, which are full meals in of themselves.
Rhi has also added healthy wraps, burgers, traditional and modern deli sandwiches, onto the menu and is hoping to bring in salads and smoothies as permanent menu items.
“We have also started catering now and we are planning to start a real push for healthier foods,” Rhi said. All the healthy changes are welcomed, with a four out of five star rating on Facebook, but that has not affected the taste of a regular New York deli sandwich, like a regular grilled cheese or maybe even a special sandwich grilled with Gruyere cheese.
One of the many popular sandwiches, the God Father, layered with prosciutto, capicola, salami, mortadella, soppressata, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato, (hot or sweet) peppers, drizzled in olive oil and vinegar still maintains the New York deli panache.
But on those hard winter days this past year, a classic minestrone loaded with vegetables, a butternut squash soup, white chicken chili with the right blend of spices, turkey Thanksgiving soup and chili seasonal soups with just the right amount of ground beef were featured at Bayside Natural Market. Although soups may seem traditionally something to have during the winter, Lynch’s soups taste just as good during the warmer days such as his creamy potato leek soup, which disappears within a few hours.
“We tasted his chicken noodle soup and basically hired him the next day,” Rhi said. “They are pretty amazing soups and one of our best selling items on the menu.”
Lynch, who has two daughters and was raised in Long Island, came back to New York to restart his culinary career.
Recently, Bayside Natural Market launched its own website where www.baysi
Bayside Natural Market is located at 40-02 Corporal Kennedy St.in Bayside, and the phone number is (718) 423-8221.
Reach Reporter Sadef Ali Kully by e-mail at skull
