The Junket – An Ex-Pat's Delicatessen

Walking past the Oktoberfest flags, and attempting to ignore the delectable European cookies lining the shelves, I glance at menu.

The usual suspects are here: turkey, pastrami, salami. Read on and my eyes widen. Head cheese? Blood tongue? Hmm... Krakauer... Jagdwurst... Bauernschinken? Buendnerfleisch? (Am I ever glad that I am writing the names of these delicacies instead of butchering them while attempting to say them out loud).

The offerings may be mouthfuls linguistically, but these imported meats are what make The Junket a destination for fans of German and British fare and the European ex-pat community to which owners Cindy and Bruno Frisch belong. 

I choose roast beef with Jarlsberg cheese on dark rye bread to go. A carefully wrapped and perfectly crunchy pickle spear accompanied my lunch. 

While there are great sit-down German restaurants in the East Bay (I'm looking at you, ), none combines such a variety of quality foods, beer and wine with a casual grab 'n' go atmosphere like The Junket does.

If you head to The Junket, be sure to bring your appetite and your shopping bags so you can stock up on all the goodies you've been missing and try something new.

The Junket is located at 235 El Cerrito Plaza (off San Pablo Avenue) in El Cerrito. They are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Visit The Junket at their website for a partial list of product they carry, and join them on Facebook to show them some love. 

If you're curious about what happens here on Oktoberfest, check out El Cerrito Patch's  from last year's celebration.