The following is an extended version of the article that appears in our June 2026 issue.
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Paul and Nikki Polk (Photo courtesy Charlotte’s Southern Deli)
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Chicken salad on ciabatta (Photo courtesy Charlotte’s Southern Deli)
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Paul’s freshly baked ciabatta (Photo courtesy Charlotte’s Southern Deli)
Responses from Nikki Polk except where indicated
Midday Getaway
“We opened in April 2018; the goal was to be a decompression space from the office. That’s why we filled it with plants — it’s super green here. That’s why we picked all the windows. We wanted to sell affordable, quality lunch.”
Dynamic Duo
“It’s just the two of us. We make the bread; right now, we have ciabatta, focaccia and shio pan buns. And we cure meat and make all the sides.”
Paul and Nikki Polk (Illustration by Abigail Giuseppe)
Kitchen Essentials
“Bubbles — there’s always seltzer in our fridge. We always have soy sauce, random vinegars from pickled foods; I like to keep the liquid. Country sausage, peanuts — usually honey roasted. Yerba maté, cran-grape juice, Martinelli’s apple juice and a bottle of rum.”
In Bloom
“An ingredient we’re excited about during summer are magnolia flowers; we love raiding the city for them. And when mimosa flower season happens, we try to get as many of those as possible. Paul makes two liquors once a year using the flowers.”
Overhead Sound
“We kind of actively DJ while working. You get a lot of house music, a lot of city pop, a lot of funk, and some R&B. When we’re feeling very stressed, we will play old-school reggae. It’s perfect, because it slows everyone down.”
Underrated Ingredient
“Fish sauce. We use it in our pork, in our she-crab soup, in our Caesar. We use it for basically any meat project. So good.”
RVA Faves
“We always begin at The Jasper or The Emerald Lounge. Depending on where we are, [that] determines where we’re going, and from there, it’s an adventure. We’ll go to Stanley’s and get a sandwich to go. We love what they’re doing at Lillian and The Roosevelt.”
Paul’s Passion
Paul Polk: “I had to bartend out of necessity during the pandemic. I just really attended YouTube and Instagram university and bought books, a lot of books, to really understand what was going on. I’m an active learner all the time, so I always watch everyone everywhere I go to see how they’re working.”
Order This
“My favorite is the pastrami; Paul’s favorite is the roasted pork — I always suggest both of those. Any of the signatures, anything special is the way to go. The pastrami used to be a sleeper, too.”
Brotherly Love
“We need to go back to Philly to go to Kalaya. They just opened a Filipino steakhouse. We want to go back to Honeysuckle and try dinner. [Also] Handshake, a bar in Mexico City.”
Mayo Mania
“I was talking about how Charlotte’s is fueled on mayonnaise today. Oh my god. Like, this restaurant would not run without mayonnaise.”
Welcome to the Jungle
Paul Polk: “Our go-to drink is a Jungle Bird. If someone’s selling that, we’re ordering it.”
