Northville's Red Pepper Deli Offers Unique Menu for Healthy Living

If you’ve never been to the in downtown Northville, you might be surprised at the menu when you walk in. You won’t find any pastrami or roast beef. Instead, you’ll see the Deli’s owner, Carolyn Simon and her staff, preparing dishes like veggie rolls and raw tacos. That’s because the Red Pepper Deli is a raw food restaurant that caters to the vegan lifestyle.

“We’re a completely vegan deli, mostly raw, which means nothing cooked over 115 degrees in order to keep the enzymes and nutrition in the food,” Simon said.

Vegan meals are prepared without any animal ingredients. Raw and natural food consumption is believed to benefit your mind and body naturally.

“I started incorporating a little bit of raw foods into my diet and it just came to the point where I eat mostly this now and I feel incredible,” Simon claims. “I’m going to be 51 this month and I feel better then I’ve felt my entire life.”

Simon opened the Red Pepper Deli three years ago, after she started eating raw foods. The deli originally started off vegetarian, but eventually moved to completely vegan.

After owning catering businesses, Simon said she chose Northville to set up her new restaurant and eventually call home, moving here from Westland.

“It seemed like as soon as I stepped foot on the soil, I just liked it here,” Simon said. “Food is my main thing. Its what I like, its what I do. I like talking to people and I like the fast pace of the restaurant business.”

Simon said Northville residents have been very receptive to the deli, but people come from all over to eat there.

Anita Laupitz, a Farmington Hills resident, enjoys coming to downtown Northville for the many dishes she enjoys at the Red Pepper Deli.

“This is one of the healthiest places around that I know of. I try to get here at least once a week,” Laupitz said.

After her chiropractor suggested she try raw foods for a medical condition, she tried the deli and has been amazed at how she feels.

“In the process, I’ve lost a lot of weight. It wasn’t my intent, but all of a sudden, the weight just suddenly came off," Laupitz said. “I’ll take that too.”

For those who eat raw foods, the restaurant has been an exciting addition to the area. Danielle Mikhale, who lives in Northville, quit another job just to work at Red Pepper Deli.

“I was so excited because I didn’t know there were any places like this,” Mikhale said. “It’s awesome. I love talking with the customers and love it when people get excited about it because I see them react like I did when I first came in here.”

Simon also works next door at Healthy Jones, a natural health shop, where she continues to practice and learn about healthy living and help others.

“I like being in the health field. I’m interested in more than just food. I still love food, but in general, I just want to help people get healthy, including myself,” Simon said.

Simon is completely happy with her decision to open in downtown Northville. Looking to the future, she doesn’t expect anything to change.

“I really like it here. I don’t really see ever leaving Northville,” Simon said. “Even if I didn’t do this, I’d probably do something else in town just because I like it so much.”