The Russ and Daughters thread prompts me to ask (even though I am afraid of the answer):
Is there a decent Jewish deli where you live? The true deli is on the endangered species list for certain
In Baltimore, the answer is yes. Attman’s (about two miles from the Inner Harbor) is in the same place it’s been for a hundred years (anniversary is next year), in the middle of housing projects which grew up around where the Jewish ghetto used to be. Outstanding corned beef and pastrami. A dump of a place to eat.
They have opened a new location in Potomac MD, which is one of the wealthiest suburbs of DC; I have my doubts. Other than that, in Washington, there is nothing. There is the Parkway in suburban MD (Silver Spring), which is a pale imitation but is the best the area has to offer. There is a new place downtown (Dupont Circle) called DSG which poses as a “new-age” deli, which is to say “not a deli.”
In Philadelphia, I love 4th Street. Food is very good, but it feels like a Johnnie Rockets.
Manny’s is not very good. Their pastrami is passable. Full stop. I used to enjoy going to Perry’s, which is a sandwich place and not a deli, but that seems to have slipped since Perry decided to sell and run a kennel in Indiana.
I’m not sure where your offices are on Wacker, but I’d hazard a guess that they are talking about Perry’s.
Perry was a whack-job, but he served huge sandwiches and they were pretty good. The lines would be out the door and occasionally he would speak into an intercom to ask trivia questions where the winner would receive “a free stale Danish.” He would also play a loud siren if anyone disgraced his restaurant by talking on a cell phone.
The new guy, Boris, just isn’t the same. Not much personality and the sandwiches are smaller and a pricier. Also, it’s by no means a full service deli. It’s basically a sandwich place. I can count one one hand the number of times I’ve seen someone ordering soup. No fish either, I’m afraid.
Cecil’s Deli in Saint Paul is celebrating their 65th birthday this year - a wonderful little traditional deli with the best meats and baked goods - I have been going there for their “egg” bread since the early 1970s -
And Roberto - the roast beef sandwiches at Greenblatt’s are incredible…
Neal - you would absolutely love Greenblatts, the owners are long time wine lovers and have their wine department separate from their deli - their soups and sandwiches are heavenly -
Well Corey - The Twin Cities is well known for being the worst food towns in the Midwest - nothing even comes close - even Des Moines. But, if you put the word “Chicago” before anything, it’s considered better than local fare. Chicago Hot Dog, Chicago Pizza etc -
And I am not sure what you would call the “egg” bread, but it’s bright yellow and melts in your mouth. With Roast Beef and horseradish - it’s intergalactic good.
Agreed.
Nothing here but The Jewish Mother.They try…but they fail.
A true old world deli is indeed a vanishing jewel…and so we go to R&Ds as often as possible.
Greenblatt’s !!?? It’s decent but it has the Hollywood vibe to it.
Come on. The best deli in L.A. is Langer’s. To me 80% of a deli’s rating comes from the pastrami sandwiches and another 10% from the corned beef sandwiches. Add everything else to comprise the final 10%. Langer’s makes a legendary pastrami sandwich, and is respectable in the other items. End of challenge.
Brent’s is pretty decent for a wide-ranging deli, but Northridge is practically another state.
Factor’s, Pico deli, and even Canter’s make for a decent traditional deli fix with Canter’s getting a little extra credit for staying open for the wee hours of the night. A pastrami sandwich there, as with the chili cheeseburger at Tommy’s, makes for classic late night L.A. noshing.
In actuality, while the deli is an endangered species, L.A. has some decent surviviing options.
When I moved to this area 30 years ago, there was a pretty good place in Schenectady called Gershon’s. It’s still there. I like it, but don’t love it. There was a place in Albany called Joe’s which had the reputation, but was on its last legs. At one point, I made a lifelong friend out of a senior colleague, by bringing him a pastrami on rye from Carnegie Deli.
Then maybe 15 years ago, the local supermarket chain, Price Chopper (owned by a Jewish family), decided to open Ben & Bills in a new market they build in my town. They got all the recipes from Joe’s, then they got the same suppliers as Carnegie and other NYC deli’s use. Anyway, if you’re in the Albany area, I do recommend you go to the Slingerlands Price Chopper. Be sure to ask them to hand slice the pastrami.
Is Canter’s the last place in LA with pitchers of schmaltz? And, John, it doesn’t GET more Hollywood than Canters: hipsters, third tier agents, musicians, down on their luck comics…
