Naturaltown

Wheatsville Deli

Daily, 9am-9pm

www.wheatsville.com

Fresh as the produce on aisle one, Wheatsville's deli offers sandwiches, spreads, smoothies, salads, and soups perfect for those on the go. The pre-made deli case selections change daily so that they never taste tired. Some dishes are seasonal, others have ascended to legendary status and are usually available at any time. The ginger tempeh pasta salad ($6.99/lb.) is one of those legends, with spirally, tender noodles, bright carrot rounds, and bite-sized, flavor-packed tempeh (a soy-based protein) with just the right salty, nutty crunch. There is also usually a pesto pasta salad of some kind, made fresh with toasty pine nuts and fresh basil. Since a good sandwich can't start with lousy bread, the deli has Johnny Cisco's, Whole Foods, Great Harvest, and Texas French Bread's freshest and finest on the bread racks; choose from an oniony focaccia, a soft whole wheat kaiser, the hippie bun, and dark pumpernickel. The vegetable sandwich ($2.75) comes heaped with shaved carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, pickles, and jalapeños on request.

Pick up some chips and a natural soda, juice, or a beer and relax outside with your goodies, blissfully numb to the techno-like pulses from Expresso Lube across the street and the rattle and hum of bikes and cars on Guadalupe. Before you recycle it, don't forget to read the daily note at the top of your receipt, courtesy of the checkout crew.