Oral Hamilton loves meats. Penny Hume, his fiancée, loves cheeses. And although they can list reasons why they love Amish meats and cheeses, they both think you have to taste them to really understand the delight of their food.
Hamilton and Hume tried Amish meats and cheeses from Bushels in Newport — now reopened in Diamond Lake — and haven't been able to shop at regular grocery store delis since.
"We would stop into Bushels once a week," says Hamilton.
"At least once a week," added Hume. "Every time we went on a camping trip or any kind of outing we would always have to make a trip to Bushels first, so we wanted to open a location that could offer organic, healthy Amish foods to people in Spokane."
They opened Slice and Grind Deli and Espresso in northeast Spokane last summer, with all of the food they sell sourced from the Amish in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Fresno, Ohio.
The sandwich menu is simple. Pick a bread, spread, toppings and a meat and cheese — or a few, because they currently feature 10 meats and 17 cheeses. Slice and Grind also caters meat and cheese trays ($25 to $65).
"We add to the menu depending on what customers are interested in," says Hume. "If a customer special requests something, we'll bring it in. If it's popular, we'll keep it on the menu. And if not, we can still order it just for them," adds Hamilton.
Espresso is one of the few products Slice and Grind sells that isn't Amish, but it is roasted locally by Uccello's. The drive-thru around back allows customers to quickly grab a sandwich or one of the 80 espresso flavors.
Hume says the neighborhood has been good to them, and they want to continue adding to the food menu and create a store area with Amish spices, flours, sugars and a wider selection of candies and more Amish butter than they already sell. The couple plans to start selling meats and cheeses at farmers markets in the next few weeks, and also wants to paint the building and add patio seating this summer.
"The Amish work together and help each other. That's how they've always lived," says Hume. "All of this is really about bringing it back to Mother Nature." ♦
Slice and Grind Deli and Espresso • 2103 E. Diamond • Open Mon-Sat, 6 am-6 pm; Sun, 9 am-3 pm • sliceandgrindinc.com • 315-5373
