Guide to Kosher Imaginary Animals
Thursday, May 15th, 2008
Yes, but is she kosher?
For the kosher deli eater, figuring out what to eat and where to eat is a feat in itself. For the kosher deli owner it’s a daily battle that eats up a significant chunk of their operating income. Considering delis mainly serve beef, chicken, and fish, what’s one to do with an Amikiri or Chupacabra? Can you make lox out of Mermaid? (more…)
The Blue Bloods Finally Get Salt Beef!
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich 1718-1792
To whom we owe everything.
Ahh back to London again. When I was there last fall, one of the refrains I heard most commonly in the salt beef bars was how deli remained very much an enterprise sold by Jews to Jews. Unlike in New York, where it crossed over to the Irish, Italians, and other immigrants, or Montreal, where le smoked meat is a Quebecois dietary staple, the UK’s salt beef often remains scorned by the upper crusts.
But now, the proud deli men of London can raise their heads even higher, safe in the knowledge that the blue blooded establishment may be coming around after all. Just read the following Daily Mail article from food writer Tom Parker Bowles, an esteemed gastronome and son of Mrs. Prince Charles herself, Camilla Parker Bowles: (more…)
A more reflective Pesach
Friday, April 18th, 2008
Last year, I celebrated the start of Passover with a tiny bit of thought and a whole lot of shtick, including clips from the Family Guy. And as delis the world over shut down for the next week, entering a sort of forced fallow season (and the one time of year when deli owners get a holiday), I intended to do the same. (more…)
Save the Knish…er, kinda
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I’ll buy that, but I’ll do one better and say that satire is adding on a whole other level to the flattery. Now, I don’t know whether the site Save the Knish came after Save the Deli, but I do know the following is freaking genius:
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The Luck of the Irish is Jewish
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008
“I’ll fight ya for dat last knish laddie”
Yes, St. Paddy’s is almost upon us, but please don’t expect me to color the site green and eat emerald colored matzo balls. It just ain’t happenin’. I did go to an Irish pub last night and consumed some great whisky, which is about as shamrock shaking as this Yid gets.
But over the next few days, Jewish delis around North America, and especially cities like New York, Chicago, and Philly are going to be selling more corned beef than they’ve likely done all year. While the lore has it that the Irish brought corned beef to America, the truth is decidedly more deli-centric. Corned beef and cabbage is an Irish-American/Jewish-American fusion, made famous by the Irish in New York, who adopted the Jewish corned beef so common there in the late 19th century (as a substitute for bacon), spiced it to their liking, added cabbage, and made it the patron saint of Saint Patrick’s Day foods. (more…)
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles
Monday, March 3rd, 2008
Back in December, when I was attending the opening of the 2nd Ave Deli, I met a reporter from the New York Times named Jennifer 8 Lee. She was putting together the story on the deli’s return to Manhattan, and we soon got to talking about my book and her passion for Chinese food. As I talked about the format of the upcoming Save the Deli book, she told me excitedly about her own upcoming work, The Fortune Cookie Chronicles. It turns out that Ms. Lee and I were in many ways kindred spirits. In many ways she is my Chinese counterpart: more studious, more accomplished, and more inclined to each chicken feet than to have matzo balls. But still, her blog www.fortunecookiechronicles.com amazingly paralells this site, and her book The Fortune Cookie Chronicles is in many ways the Sunday night version of Save the Deli.
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Pastrami Dips, Langer’s Signs, and Friedman’s
Monday, February 11th, 2008A wee bit of randomness for this monday. I just got an email from my delectable friend Sara Wilson, who is working for Los Angeles Magazine, and was recently sent on assignment to Culver City, to check out Johnny’s Pastrami. Here she is in all her adorability…”pigging out”, as she put it, on one of Johnny’s famous pastrami dip sandwiches. Said Wilson: “I’d never enjoyed a meat sandwich by the warm glow of an open firepit. Only in L.A.”
Chanukah (and that other holiday) Deli Gift Guide
Tuesday, December 4th, 2007Happy Chanukah!
Yes deli fans, the era of oil is upon us. Line up those latkes and fire down those doughnuts, because the festival of lights is here, well ahead of Christmas, which means we won’t be assaulted by Bing Crosby songs for another week or so. Now that’s something to mazel tov about.
I’ve begun the editing of the deli book, which is now called “Save the Deli”, thanks to the popularity of this site. It’s due in mid-January, so needless to say, don’t be expecting too many updates until then. But today being the start of that least religious, and most materialistic of holy days, I figured I was due for a nice one.
The big question every year is: what am I going to get my beloved deli lover?
Well, here’s Save the Deli’s list of recommended gifts this year.
The official Save the Deli “Salami Mommy” Thong
Words can’t express the type of love a deli lover feels for his sweetheart. So why even speak, or write. Instead, let this hand crafted undergarment say the message you need to deliver, enshrining your love of deli and that special lady where it matters most…
ENJOY ALL SAVE THE DELI PRODUCTS HERE
We’re all supposed to save the earth by abandoning those evil plastic bags. Why not do it in style, and while making a statement about your love of deli, with this attractive, sturdy and spacious canvas tote bag. It’ll easily fit three loaves of rye, 5 pounds of pastrami, and a half dozen knishes.
ENJOY ALL SAVE THE DELI PRODUCTS HERE
If you haven’t yet seen this in-depth documentary about Montreal’s most famous temple of smoked meat, you aren’t a true deli fan. The scenes of sandwiches being carved and assembled are so tempting, it should come with an X rating.
2. “Let’s Nosh” by Amy Wilson-Sanger
Finally, a children’s book about Jewish food, to get them interested young.
“Chopped liver spread
on dark rye bread
tastes best with extra schmaltz”
3. “The Book of Jewish Food” by Claudia Roden
This is by far the most interesting cook book I’ve ever read, let alone Jewish cook book. I’ve consulted this extensively in the research of my own book. Mrs. Roden crafts the tale of Jewish food over the past millenia, from the deli’s roots in the Ashkenazi world, to obscure recipes from communities in places like India. If you buy one book on Jewish cooking, this should be it.
“America’s Great Delis” by Sheryll Bellman
The original book on Jewish delis, with tons of pictures and recipes to satisfy your cravings. Looks as though it’s headed out of print, so order fast.
5. “The 2nd Ave Deli Cookbook” by Sharon Lebewohl
With the reopening of the namesake New York kosher deli only weeks away (more on that soon!), bring a bit of the East Village cum Murray Hill institution into your home with the recipes of the legendary Abe Lebewohl, his daughter Sharon, staff and friends. A great read, and a fantastic cookbook.
“How to Feed Friends and Influence People: The Carnegie Deli” by Milton Parker and Allyn Freeman
A mere taste of the super-sized shtick from the famous delicatessen on 7th Avenue. Filled with history, jokes, and antics, plus only a 10th the weight of a Woody Allen sandwich.
“Jewish Cooking in America” by Joan Nathan
Joan Nathan is to Jewish American cooking, what Yakov Smirnov is to Soviet era comedy. She is the well, the source, the absolute bomb of bombs, and this thick cook book will surely satisfy any Jewish cook, in America or not.
Finally, there’s the gift every deli fan will be happy with…deli. Order some meats, breads, baked goods, and gear from your favorite delicatessen, so long as they deliver. Or, just order a gift certificate and let your loved one order whatever they want.
A small selection.
New York Delis
www.katzdeli.com
-salamis and pastramis
www.carnegiedeli.com
-cheesecakes and meats, oh my
www.bensdeli.net
-kosher kosher kosher…and such prices
www.liebmansdeli.com
tongue so good, you’ll kiss it
www.noahsark.net
-glatt kosher, for the observant deli lover
LA Deli
www.langersdeli.com
-the finest pastrami anywhere…sent anywhere
www.natenal.com
what Larry King and the Hollywood elite eat. No, you can’t order Larry, but the Angus corned beef is deadly.
www.cantersdeli.com
-the chocolate rugelach are worth the flight to LA
www.brentsdeli.com
-kishke to kill for
www.artsdeli.com
-when Spielburg jets to Cabo on his jet, this is who feeds him
Elsewhere
www.mannysdeli.com
sweet home Chicago…the best in the Windy City
www.elevencitydiner.com
-killer chopped liver and brisket
www.kaufmansdeli.com
-amazing Chicagoland baked goods and corned beef
www.centrestreetdeli.com
-a taste of Montreal here in Toronto
www.yitzs.ca
-the deli where I grew up. #1 tongue
www.schwartzsdeli.com
some legends need no introduction
www.abiesmokedmeat.com
a smoked meat legend in the making
www.snowdondeli.ca
The local Montreal favorite…amazing salami and cheese bageleh
www.thestagedeli.com
-inventors of the double baked Detroit rye…a Motown classic
www.zingermansdeli.com
the deli that spawned an empire. ships nationally.
www.kennyandziggys.com
Ziggy Gruber is the New York king of deli…in Texas…yee ha, oy vey
www.kennyandzukes.com
the new kids in Portland, Ore
I know I’ve left a whole bunch out, so my apologies to them, but I have to get back to the book and have a pile of tongue in the fridge calling my name.
The Maven does Baltimore: Arthur Schwartz on Attman’s
Sunday, October 28th, 2007
One of my loyal readers just sent me a great link from the blog of Arthur Schwartz’s, aka the Food Maven. Schwartz is known in New York and Jewish food circles as the man who knows how to munch. He is a folklorist of New York foods, posessing an encyclopedic knowledge of things like hot dogs, knishes, and pizza slices. Schwartz is a big guy. He can pound the food away with the best of them, and he has a fond spot for deli. His chapter on delicatessen in New York City Food: An Opinionated History and More Than 100 Legendary Recipes is a must read for deli fans.
Recently, Schwartz was in Baltimore, and had a chance to stop in and eat at Attman’s, the delicatessen on Corned Beef Row.
“I also tried Attman’s pastrami, corned beef, and chopped liver. The menu says it sells “authentic New York delicatessen (only better).” I hate to admit it, because I am such a New York chauvinist, but Attman’s is right. Their meats are better than almost any deli you can get in New York these days. In fact, I can’t think of better pastrami, except at Katz’s and Junior’s. Attman’s is well-spiced, lightly smoked, and incredibly succulent and tender without being too fatty. You’ve gotta have some streaks of fat. I have to laugh when people complain that pastrami is too fatty. It’s made from plate beef, also called navel, which is equivalent to bacon. Fat is part of the attraction, a good part. The corned beef, of course brisket, was equally succulent, not terribly salty, great flavor, sliced paper thin. And since the Second Avenue Deli closed, I haven’t had such good chopped liver – well, except for my own homemade, if I say so myself.”
To read the rest of the Food Maven’s blog entry on Attman’s, CLICK HERE.
Ed Levine wants to know, “What’s Your Favorite Deli?”
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007
Gail Simmons (Food and Wine/ Top Chef) and Ed Levine at Artie’s in New York
New York Times food writer, meta foodie blogger, and cosumate fresser Ed Levine wants to know what your favorite deli is. The head honcho over at his website Serious Eats, who knows his way around a spiced, smoked navel, is all aflutter over the reopening of the 2nd Ave Deli, and his passion for deli is rising once again.
It started yesterday with his comment on the New York Times article on the 2nd Ave Deli.
The city has been a lesser place without the Second Avenue Deli. I for one can’t wait to have a bowl of that incomparable mushroom-barley soup. a corned beef sandwich, and an order of french fries. Welcome back, Second Avenue Deli.
In that article, he lay out the challenge for young Jeremy Lebewohl as clearly as he could. Many delis have declined in quality in New York. Levine believes the 2nd Ave Deli was never the same after Abe Lebewohl died in 1996, and his brother Jack, a real estate lawyer, took over. Ed’s words are those of a seasoned critic…direct, insightful, brimming with opinion, and often pointed.
Click to read “The Second Avenue Deli: Reopening to Close an Old Wound”
Today he’s back on the deli train. Levine wants to know your thoughts on where the best delis rest. He is a firm defender of New York’s, and though he acknowledges Langer’s and Schwartz’s, he remains focused on the five boroughs.
Here’s a selection of his tops:
Artie’s –The pastrami is excellent (ask for it well-steamed), the hot dogs are just about as good, the chicken soup has gotten better over the years, and the skin-on french fries are solid if not spectacular.
Ben’s Best– Ben’s Best owner Jay Parker is an old-fashioned deli man, a chip off Abe Lebewohl’s block.
Carnegie Deli — Yes, the Carnegie Deli’s portions are obscene, and it is indeed a haven for tourists in search of the deli experience they can’t get at home, but the Carnegie still makes a terrific if gargantuan pastrami sandwich, fine matzo ball soup, the best corned beef hash I’ve ever had (ask for it extra crispy), and an overly large, extremely greasy, but utterly delicious potato knish.
Katz’s — The soups are ordinary, the french fries a pale, frozen shadow of their former selves, but a hand-cut pastrami sandwich from Katz’s is a gift from the deli gods.
Liebman’s — The Bronx has a long, proud tradition of Jewish delis, but in the last 20 years their numbers have dwindled precipitously. Liebman’s in Riverdale is doing its best to maintain the Bronx deli tradition.
Sarge’s– Sarge’s has everything a deli should have, bad florescent lighting, a wisecracking waitstaff, fine house-smoked pastrami, and terrific french fries. I don’t think I’ve ever had soup at Sarge’s.
I’ve responded at length in Ed’s comments, as should you. It’s due time for some serious deli discourse and Ed Levine is putting us up to the challenge.
Click here to read “The Best Jewish Delis: What’s Your Favorite?”
Click here to read “An Ageless Pleasure Between the Rye” from the New York Times in 2003
Click here to see the audio slideshow from the Times article
