Best Deli: Community virtue and pickled beets

Touch of Europe

Touch of Europe is not a formal delicatessen, at least as East Coasters would define it. No bounty of smoked fishes, pickles, bagels, and other Ashkenazi treats. Instead of pastrami on rye, Touch of Europe's tiny lunch counter sells espresso, California-style sandwiches, and crepes oozing with Nutella. But if you look at the historical function of the deli, not its form, and at the New York City delicatessen's important role in sustaining the culture of an immigrant community -- well, then, Touch of Europe is as true a deli as they come. Concord's growing Bulgarian community shops here for their pickled beets, their roast peppers, their cured meats. If you've never heard Bulgarian spoken, stop in for a cappuccino, and you'll be awash in the language. And if you come early enough on a weekend, chances are good you'll be able to pick up a Bulgarian pastry, still warm from the oven of the local woman who dropped it off.