Deli News Roundup
Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010Some days, the Google Alerts just go off the chart here at Save the Deli.
Here’s what we got.
First off, I’ve got a little thing in Saveur this month, talking about delis in their LA food package. “Deli Capital of the World” talks about some of the best family owned Jewish delis in that great city.
Los Angeles and its adjacent municipalities contain more continuously family-owned Jewish delis than any other city in the country. In the hands of third- and fourth-generation proprietors, family recipes for matzo ball soup, knishes, and latkes have evolved into high art. CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST AT SAVEUR.COM
Ruth Tobias at Stuff Magazine Boston is forecasting food trends to watch in 2010, and she thinks a Jewish deli revival is one of them:
Try it: burger on challah at Lord Hobo; corned beef brisket at Franklin Café; house-smoked pastrami-salmon at Henrietta’s Table
Mark my words: between the “scene” that hip New York upstart, Delicatessen, has become, according to Chris Langley, with its “plays on old faves,” and the success of David Sax’s bestselling cultural history Save the Deli, the renaissance of the Jewish deli is nigh. If, a year hence, you aren’t seeing funky twists on kishka, kreplach, and matzoh brei, I’ll eat my hat. (Make that my dear old zayde’s yarmulke.)
And finally, how safe is a hot dog? When I was in the 2nd Ave Deli yesterday, one of the managers there mentioned a campaign to change the shape of those famous sausages, because children were choking on them. A report by the American Academy of Pediatrics has called for warning labels on hot dog packaging, and a thought to redesign hot dogs themselves. See, of all the foods that children choke on, hot dogs top the list.
Without editorializing too much here, and while acknowledging that we need to protect children, shouldn’t this be a bit of a caveat emptor issue? If you feed any large piece of food to a child it can obstruct their breathing. Cut up your food. Chew it like a bird and spit it out if you can’t manage that. Unless manufacturers are going to make baby hot dogs the size of tic tacs, I don’t see how we can reengineer hot dogs in a way that’ll be “safer” and still tasty.
Maybe we should just ban this instead:
Olympic Weekend Roundup: The Saul’s Talk, Commentary, More Haiti Help
Friday, February 12th, 2010Oh Canada, our home and native land…
Sorry folks, all caught up in pre-olympic fever, but don’t worry, I’m not going to draw some convoluted line to the Vancouver Olympics and deli. Though if you ARE in VanCity for the next two weeks, consider checking out the local delis; Kaplan’s Star Deli (pictured above) and Omnitsky’s Kosher Deli for your fix.
Now, let’s get down to business.
Tuesday night saw the much anticipated Berkeley sustainable deli panel conversation take place, without any major fireworks, or mustardworks. Thought provoking. Check it out below. (more…)
Two Great Deli Events Tonight in NY and Berkeley
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010
Just a reminder folks that tonight, whatever coast you’re on, there’s a deli event for you.
At 6:30 PM at the Mid-Manhattan Library (5th ave, at 40th st) across from the big central branch.
I’ll be talking deli, giving the full spiel I’ve been giving around the country, but which I’ve yet to deliver in New York City!
So consider it a delayed debut for NYC.
And for those of you out West, the big brisket battle of the Bay Area happens tonight, as Saul’s hosts a referrendum on the sustainability of the deli menu.
The panel includes famous food author Michael Pollan (The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food), Gil Friend (CEO of Natural Logic, Author: The Truth About Green Business), Willow Rosenthal (City Slicker Farms), and Karen Adelman and Peter Levitt (Saul’s). It’ll be hosted by Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW’s Good Food.
They’ll be tackling the following questions:
Can the Jewish Deli be sustainable?
What does sustainability mean for the future of Deli cuisine and culture?
Many expectations of “real” Deli conflict with sustainability and today’s economic realities.
Even “authentic” cuisine can obstruct progress toward more just, sustainable food. How does a business committed to being part of the solution persuade traditionalist customers of the importance of change?
For example, towering pastrami sandwiches once signified success, security and abundance, an immigrant’s celebration of the American Dream. But given the realities of meat production in America today – 99% is factory farmed – how can we continue to stand by this as an icon?
Even the factory farmed pastrami sandwich has become an unsustainable business model, because of its tiny profit margins.
What culinary memories and flavors of The Deli have been provided by an industrial food system? How can we look at our nostalgia and expectations critically?
How might we evolve a shared cuisine together? How can Saul’s bring more people into the conversation?
Now, the event has already been moved to the JCC of the East Bay because of space concerns, but even that venue sold out completely! So if you want to hear the debate, head over to Saul’s at 6pm tonight, where they’ll be simulcasting the event live on big screens. (no word on whether those big screens are sustainable)
I wish I could be there for this one. It’s probably the most important conversation about the future of the Jewish delicatessen that we’re going to hear for some time.
More information here Read what the New York Times said about the event.
Random Stuff: Deli maps, Roaster’s out of Dallas, Nate n’ Al helps Haiti, and my talk in Seattle
Monday, February 8th, 2010Ok, all sorts of random things to get through, and none of them even remotely related.
First off, a fan of the site, Mr. Jim Peters, has taken it upon himself to drop some delis into google maps and make deli specific maps of Los Angeles, New York, Montreal, Toronto, and San Francisco/Bay area, based on the information found in my book. The site is called greatdelis.com, and it’s the start of something great, I hope. Help Jim out if you can and add in more cities. You can contact him via the site. Here’s an example from LA:
View LA Pastrami in a larger map
Next, we have some sad news via Robert Wilonsky at the Dallas Observer:
Roasters’ N Toasters, Toasted
By Robert Wilonsky in Dish
Maybe I’ll get around to writing this for City of Ate: Why can’t Dallas do a proper Hebrew deli? Sure — it’s a dying art and an endangered species. So says David Sax in his book Save the Deli; as NPR put it a few months back, he’s on a mission to save the Jewish deli, close to a permanent shalom in the foresaken flyover. Which I mention this morning only because Roasters’ N Toasters, the Preston Road outpost of the Miami mainstay, has served its last pastrami sandwich and bowl of matzo ball soup.
Too bad. I had friends in Dallas who really liked Roaster’s and Toasters. Not to worry though, because the Florida stores are in fine form.
In somewhat better news, the legendary Beverly Hills delicatessen Nate N’ Al, is helping out in Haiti, by donating 20 percent of dining proceeds from Feb 8-10th to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund.
We already knew that Mark and David Mendelson were mentches, but this puts them over the top. If you haven’t visited their new Thousand Oaks store, here’s your reason!
Finally, a nice treat for all of you who weren’t able to attend my talk at the I Love New York Deli in Seattle last wednesday. Journalist Sanjay Bhatt was there to film it for a possible movie he’s making about food, and he’s been kind enough to share parts of the lecture on YouTube. I’ll post one clip below. The others you can find here.
Saul’s debates deli’s future, an ode to my deli porn, and the bacon files
Friday, February 5th, 2010
Lots to talk about today in a week’s end roundup of press and other happenings.
First, if you’re in the Bay Area next tuesday, check out the killer debate Saul’s is putting on in Berkeley. Titled “Can a retro cuisine be part of the avant-garde?”, the debate on the deli menu will tackle issues like sustainability, portion size, and tradition in an event that’s so very very Berkeley, even Michael Pollan is part of the panel.
There’s a great New York Times story about it (I’m briefly quoted), and it’s worth checking out to have your say. Says the Times:
(more…)
Hello Seattle
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010Rainy? Check.
Starbucks? Check.
Lots of weird Boeing planes flying around? Check.
Must be Seattle, which is the last stop on this mini-tour, and should be a fun one.
Last night in Portland was epic. We had about 75 people in Kenny and Zuke’s, and I was there, passing out pastrami and bagels and knishes to everyone. It was the youngest audience I’ve ever had, and the one with the smallest percentage of Jews (about 25%), but it was a real party, and I think everyone had a good time.
Tonight I talk at the I Love New York Deli, here in the University District. It’s free, sponsored by JConnect, and takes place at 6.45pm. Come on out.
I Love New York Deli
5200 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, WA. 98105
Telephone: 206-523-0606
Welcome Back Portland
Monday, February 1st, 2010
Rainy? Check.
Bearded dudes? Check.
Amazing food carts? Check.
Home smoked pastrami and freshly baked bagels? Oh you know it.
Yes folks, I’m back in Portland, Oregon, home of Kenny and Zuke’s, and the finest eating town in the land. Tomorrow night I’ll be hosting a very special event at Kenny and Zuke’s, and I’d love for all of you who are nearby to come on out. $15 buys you entry, which includes pastrami, knishes, chopped liver, bagels, and the rest of the works that Kenny and Zuke are laying out for you. I’ll give a talk, sign some books, and happily shmooze.
Want to know more? Check out the advance press:
Says Portland Eater:
Nick A. Zukin–the Zuke in Kenny & Zuke’s–writes in to tell the transom about tomorrow’s pastrami-riffic event. David Sax, Canadian, writer, blogger, and author of Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of Jewish Delicatessen, will be spending an hour or two at the downtown deli, right next door to the Ace Hotel, tomorrow evening, starting at six. As Zukin reminds, “David spotlighted Kenny & Zuke’s in Gourmet Magazine as one of two shops that represent the future of delicatessen. He also named Kenny & Zuke’s as one of the top 10 delicatessens in North America.” (That was, just FYI, in Maxim, under the headline Stupid Fun.) Resident New Yorkers have been curious about Kenny & Zuke’s seemingly endless appeal in the face of the slightly fussy deli case and all-around not-yelling-at-you-ness of the staff, but word is that the bagels–from a recipe developed by part-owner and Oregonian writer Michael C. Zusman–are good, and the pastrami verging on Katz’s-worthy.
What: David Sax Pastrami-Ganza
Where: Kenny & Zuke’s, 1038 SW Stark St
When: February 2nd, 6pm
Cost: $15
RSVP: info@kennyandzukes.com, or 503.222.3354
Back in San Fran
Thursday, January 28th, 2010Always great to be in San Francisco. Every time I’ve come here in the past few years for deli business, I find the sun shining and the city as awesome as ever. I’m here to speak at the city’s Jewish Community Center tonight. Come on out! Details Here.
Opened up my morning Chronicle today and found an article about me in it. Not bad.
David Sax: ‘Save the Deli’ a call to arms
Louis Peitzman
Thursday, January 28, 2010
You don’t have to be Jewish to appreciate the Jewish delicatessen, but it helps. Being raised on deli food, however, creates a different relationship with the cuisine.
Just ask journalist David Sax.
“I grew up loving delis and eating at them with my family,” Sax says. “It wasn’t something that was overt; it was just something we always did.”
In his book “Save the Deli,” Sax examines the decline of deli culture, looking at the causes, effects and possible solutions. Despite being a lifelong lover of kugel and knishes, he wasn’t aware that delis were in danger until he and a friend began working on a paper in college.
“When I was researching that paper and speaking to a couple deli owners that I knew, they were telling me that the business was going out and people were having trouble surviving,” he says. “I never realized it was imperiled until I was looking into it.”
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE
Mile End Opening Night: Beginning of “The End”
Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
Though it once boasted hundreds of Jewish delicatessens, it’s been a long time since Brooklyn has celebrated a new deli opening in the borough. Most now exist in the southern reaches of the BRK, down in Mill Basin, Flatbush, or Coney Island. But last night, Jewish deli returned to downtown brownstone Brooklyn, when Mile End finally opened its doors.
It’s been a long time coming, ever since Brooklyn Law School student, and Montreal Jew, Noah Bernamoff began curing smoked meat in his Park Slope apartment, smoking on his roof, and serving it to friends last year. There were months of experiments, lease negotiations, construction headaches, and inspection delays. But finally, yesterday, Mile End was in business. (more…)
LA Times: Dual Duty Waiters at Langer’s and Canter’s
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
Salvador Lopez, photographed during his lunchtime shift at Langer’s. (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times / January 7, 2010)
This has to be one of the coolest deli stories I’ve seen in a long time:
Double-dipping waiters sandwiched between two delis
Langer’s and Canter’s share workers, who contend with different clientele and menus. Which pastrami is better? Don’t ask.
By Robert Faturechi Los Angeles Times
Salvador Lopez, a waiter at Langer’s, has the routine down pat. After a hectic lunch shift serving sandwiches on rye at the pastrami mecca next to MacArthur Park, he negotiates a series of surface streets — up Normandie, across Beverly — to make his way into the Fairfax district.
He beelines into the locker room of another renowned Jewish deli, shedding the signature Langer’s bow tie for a tight-fitting black T-shirt that reads: I ♥ Canter’s.
Lopez is not a delicatessen double agent, funneling trade secrets on Russian dressing and blintzes. The 29-year-old is one of several waiters who openly works at two of the delis that compete for the title of Los Angeles’ best.
The delis’ unique shared employee pool speaks to the changing demographics of their neighborhoods. Langer’s, surrounded by drug dealers and vendors selling fake IDs, is open for lunch only. Canter’s, in a once-sleepy neighborhood now home to cafes and clubs, draws a younger crowd well into the wee hours.
Sharing workers makes sense, the deli owners say, because top talent is rare. A good waiter who understands the makings of a mean Reuben is hard to find.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE STORY OVER AT LATIMES.COM
