Trades Delicatessen Fulfills Francophile Sandwich Fantasies

The owners of Oddfellows in Oak Cliff's' Bishop Arts District have expanded their gastronomical reach. Jason Roberts and Amy Wallace Cowan invested in real estate directly behind their popular restaurant and transformed the space into one part brewery, called Jaquval, and one part European-style delicatessen, called Trades. Together, they're the Jaquval Trades, both the restaurants and the owners.

Trades opened in early February and instantly attracted long lines. For good reason. The space feels rustic and romantic. Simple and coifed. Fresh flowers dot marble-topped bistro tables that are surrounded by wooden chairs. Classic French tunes play overhead. Big windows frame couples enjoying al fresco dining while sipping coffee and enjoying fresh bagels or sandwiches.
Trades is a morning-through-lunchtime affair. There's a full, open kitchen toward the back, and a coffee bar and bagel wall upfront.

We went for lunch and started with an Italian sandwich ($14), which we can't stop thinking about a week later. A crunchy and airy French baguette is full-term with mortadella, soppressata, pepperoni, provolone, finely shredded lettuce, thin slivers of onions, tomato, pepperoni, olive oil, red wine vinegar and mayo. A crisp crust leads easily to a soft inner bread and then a mouthful of meat and cheese. It's romance in sandwich form.

The service is relaxed and efficient, with no fancy schemes or scenarios: a server brings out the paper-wrapped sandwich and finds the owner. No beepers or pagers. Very simple and French.
We also tried the turkey melt, which was equally memorable. The seemingly humble little sandwich was oozing with Swiss cheese and stacked with warm turkey. Grilled onions add a warm layer of umami to the mix along with bright tomatoes and honey mustard.

Deli sides are plentiful: potato salad, pasta salad, broccoli salad, tuna, chicken, egg and caprese.
While Trades is adorable at lunch, it's likely more so in the early hours of the day. It opens for breakfast daily at 7 a.m. Stop by for freshly brewed espresso or coffee, house-made bagels: plain, everything, blueberry, onion and poppy each for $2.50. Schmears are $3 more. Or go for traditional bagels and lox (smoked, traditional or pastrami lox). There are also several breakfast sandwiches.

Last week people lined up for sandwiches at lunch like they've been coming to this spot for 15 years. Some places just fit a neighborhood like a worn-in pair of jeans.

Trades Delicatessen, 312 W. Seventh St. Daily, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.