New Jersey Pastrami Tour

My friend Micah and I like to call ourselves the Kreplach Brothers. Micah often visits his mom in northern New Jersey and when he's there I go down to avail myself of shopping and eating opportunities not found in Dutchess County. Since we've enjoyed a few pastrami sandwiches in our time, he had the idea of a comparison tour -- let's split sandwiches at four locations and decide which is best. Seemed reasonable to me!

Stop #1 was the wonderfully-named Nosher Rye in Allendale. We had been there recently and thought the pastrami very good. We got four sandwiches to go. One for Micah's mom, two for her nice neighbors as a father's day present and one for Micah and me to split. Micah had pre-selected Dr. Brown's cream soda. One of the pickle slices on the plate is from a batch of 3/4-sours I just made and it was pretty good; nearly as sour as the sour pickle from the deli.

Stop #2 was Harold's Superette in Paramus. Since this was strictly take-out, we ate in a nearby park. This pastrami had a very mild cure, and tasted more like slightly spiced corned beef. Which is essentially what it was. Enjoyable, but not a truly satisfying pastrami flavor.

Stop #3 was the Kosher Nosh in Glen Rock. This is where we met our Waterloo. They had a soup and half sandwich special, and once Micah told me the mushroom barley soup was good I couldn't resist. As well they have a free salad bar. The pickle, tomato, health salad and potato salad were all very good. And the soup was indeed excellent. We chose Dr. Brown's black cherry here for variety's sake.

By the time we finished all that, had our third soda each, and the third half sandwich, we were done. We had planned a fourth stop at Harold's Deli in Lyndhurst, but it was not to be. Even the Kreplach Brothers have their limits! The pastrami here was almost as mild as that from Harold's Superette. Enjoyable, but not strident enough for us. So the winner as far as pastrami was concerned was clearly the Nosher Rye.

We then worked off the calories with some shopping, including the wonderful Corrado's and a 3-pound seeded rye from Rockland Bakery. At $4.75 I feel I've stolen something when I shop there.

All in all, New Jersey isn't as bad as I thought it was growing up in the Bronx.

Ben's Best is Right

Some of my favorite meals have been shared with my Kreplach Brother, Micah. Ever since seeing Ben's Best Kosher Deli on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, we've been wanting to go. I live in the Hudson Valley and Micah visits northern New Jersey often. So last week I picked him up and we drove to Queens.

We tried a number of sides and appetizers. We realized that we had never eaten kreplach together. Ben's fried kreplach were superb. Served with lots of caramelized onions. Also, they provided duck sauce for dipping, which seemed strange, but went amazingly well. Had it not been Kosher, I might have wanted sour cream instead. We also recommend the health salad, more finely shredded than others we have had, and that helped the flavors blend beautifully.

The highlight, and what we really came for, was the sandwiches. He had pastrami. And while I normally favor pastrami these days, I grew up eating corned beef and wanted that comfort feeling again. We each took a taste of the other's. Both were the best we can recall. Great flavor, and just the right amount of fat. And while disappointed that the rye was seedless, it was fresh and substantial. We were quite in heaven with those sandwiches, the accompanying cole slaw, pickles and Dr. Brown's cream sodas.

Owner Jay Parker was kind enough to pose with us for a photo. He said the corned beef and pastrami are their own; made to their recipe, and the pastrami smoked in house.

2nd Avenue Deli is Back!

Great news last month: A bit more than a year after the demise of the original, the 2nd Avenue Deli has re-opened. It's now close to midtown. Unforch, I have no NY trips planned for this year but maybe I'll figure out a way to get there.

It's run by the nephew of the founder, Abe Lebewohl, and judging from this interview, I'd say the spirit and quality of the old place will live on.

Fave Eats

Responding to a meme for my 5 favorite places to eat. It's dang hard to come up with just five, but let's see what happens...

Sammy's Romanian Steakhouse - New York
Much more than its name implies, this is a Jewish Experience. It's like going to a Bar Mitzvah in the Catskills. The menu includes most of the "K" foods -- kishke, kreplach, kasha varnishkes. But the steaks are amazing. Giant strip steaks with an indescribably delicious Romanian marinade. And to dip your bread? Not butter. Not olive oil. But schmaltz. Yes, liquefied chicken fat. Yum! Order Vodka and you'll be served a bottle of Absolut frozen in a block of ice, left at your table in a tub, just like champagne. Remember those old-fashioned seltzer bottles? There's one on your table. When you're done with the main course, your waitress will bring milk and Fox's U-Bet Chocolate Syrup. Those in the know will then mix their own egg creams (no egg, no cream, but it's nectar from heaven) to enjoy with a plate of rugulach. I forgot to mention the entertainment. Depending on the night, you might find a fellow who looks like Bobby Vinton singing and playing Jewish favorites and standards on a keyboard. The owner is the guy with the gold chains, a glass of wine in his hand and bawdy comments at the ready. Not to be missed! Leave your business card on the wall and buy a souvenir T-shirt.

Katz's Delicatessen - New York
One of the few authentic Jewish deli's left, this one is atypical. It is set up cafeteria style. You go to the counter, and a counterman makes your sandwich. Order your corned beef or pastrami on club bread for a great alternative to the ubiquitous rye. Enjoy the decor, which includes hanging salamis and a sign dating to W.W.II that urges you to "send a salami to your boy in the Army" (in New York, that rhymes). See my post from a 2005 visit.

Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles - Hollywood and other L.A. area locations
The name just about says it all. This combination works. Roscoe's is a specialized kind of soul food joint. You'll be greeted by a friendly security guard/mâitre d'. The menu is mostly various combinations of fried chicken and waffles. The chicken is wonderfully breaded and fried, available with or without gravy. The waffles are tender and fluffy. A side order of collard greens cuts through the heaviness of the gravy and syrup.

Billy Goat Tavern - Chicago
Many times, I've walked up Michigan Avenue just north of the Chicago River (one of my favorite spots in any city) and not noticed the sign for the Billy Goat. This time, my friend spotted it and we went down the stairs to a lower level on which cross streets run, to see what it was. Immediately on entering, I realized the import of our discovery. The Saturday Night sketch about a Greek burger joint - "Cheeborger, cheeborger . . . no fries, cheeps . . . no Pepsi, Coke." - was a take-off on the Billy Goat! It was a great cheeborger! I got a double, because the counterman refused to sell me a single. It is served on a piece of wax paper which you take to a fixin' station with onions, pickles, relish and condiments, and then carry to your table. Alert the historic preservation society; the Billy Goat must always stand!

Café du Monde - New Orleans
Enjoy fresh squeezed orange juice, that wonderful New Orleans chicory coffee, and beignets at this open air cafe near the waterfront. Beignets are incredibly wonderful, square, donut-like delicacies that are pummeled with powdered sugar. Most mornings, local street musicians will provide a jazz serenade.

OK, I can't stop at five...

Two Lights Lobster Shack - Cape Elizabeth, Maine
When visiting Maine between late April and early October, enjoy this classic seaside seafood experience. A beautiful, rocky setting just south of Portland. Lobsters, lobster rolls, great lobster stew, fried clams, shrimp or fish. Get a basket with fries, and cole slaw that has a hint of pineapple juice. Dine inside or out.

Arthur Bryant's - Kansas City
In a city known for its barbecue, this place ranks at the top. First finding national fame in Calvin Trillin's writings in the New Yorker, Bryant's has not been ruined by its celebrity. The key to its success is a uniquely flavored, grainy sauce. Get on line and be served whopping portions of ribs and fixin's on a metal tray. Enjoy your meal in decor that looks like a men's room, but is otherwise pleasant.

Yocco's - Allentown, PA.
There are few local/regional fast food joints of distinction left in America, and Yocco's is one. Their specialty is chili dogs. A standard "Yocco's" is a well-done dog in a steamed bun with mustard, chopped onions and homemade chili sauce. I recommend asking for pickles and (banana) peppers. Instead of fries, order fried potato pierogies -- sort of an Eastern European ravioli. Dig their logo which shows an angry hot dog wearing a crown eating...a hot dog.

Brennan's - New Orleans
In the best dining-out city in America, Brennan's has a special place in my heart. This is where I had the most amazing breakfast in my life, and I love breakfast! The specialty is poached eggs and omelets in many varieties, done to perfection. Have turtle soup as an opener and finish with Bananas Foster (this is where it was invented) made tableside. Make reservations, dress well, and plan to spend more than you ever thought breakfast could cost. Just do it.

Lawry's Prime Rib - Chicago, Las Vegas, L.A.
A relic of a bygone age (like the 40's!), with waitresses identified as "Miss Soandso," none of the first-name-phony-familiarity that's run rampant. With the exception of one fish dish, they serve prime rib and prime rib only. Choose from a selection of cuts, carved tableside from a Buck Rogers-ish chrome cart. Salads are served from a bowl that your waitress spins by hand as she drizzles Lawry's salad dressing (a spicy French type) into it. Sadly, they no longer bottle the dressing; you used to be able to take some home. Yes, this is the restaurant that invented Lawry's seasoned salt.

Buckhorn Exchange - Denver
A real man's eating establishment, but women are invited, too. The oldest restaurant in Denver at 100+. A kind view of the decor, for non-hunters, is that it's like a visit to the Museum of Natural History. In other words, taxidermy abounds in a setting of rich hardwood. The menu features elk, buffalo, rocky mountain oysters and other game. Preparation and presentation are superb, and the food tastes wonderful, not gamy at all. This is the kind of place to which a gentleman will want to wear a tweed jacket with suede elbow patches, though I don't think there's an official dress code.

Phillippe's the Original - Los Angeles
Phillipe's feels like a trip back to the 1940's, but the place is actually older. Founded in 1908, they claim to have created the French Dip sandwich in 1918 by inadvertantly dropping a roast beef sandwich in the gravy. The customer who accepted the soggy meal came back with friends for more, and a menu item was born. Also born was a verbal travesty as other places serve the gravy on the side and refer to their sandwiches as being served "with au jus." You want to upset the French, that's all you need. Me, I'll take the tasty soggy sandwich along with great sides -- cole slaw, served dry, medium or wet, macaroni salad with lots of pickle relish, an outstanding kosher dill pickle, beet-pickled eggs and pickled pig's feet. My friends also tried and liked the beef stew. And you can get dipped sandwiches with lamb or other meats instead of beef. Beer, wine and rich desserts also available. The 1940's feel probably comes from the uniforms of the (counter) servers and the signage.

AQ Chicken House - Springdale, AR.
Just a town away from Wal-Mart HQ is another stuck-in-time eatery. They make pan-fried chicken and I've never had any nearly as good. A chicken dinner with sides and ice tea ran about $14 including tip just a few years ago.

I knew I couldn't do just five!

2nd Ave Deli R. I. P.

The Second Avenue Deli was the last of the old neighborhood Jewish delicatessens. Growing up, there was one just like it in every Jewish neighborhood in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan. I never went to Queens, so I don't know about that.

When I lived in the East Village, in the early 70s, it was still a small neighborhood place with white tile floors and countermen with concentration camp tattoos on their arms.

Sometime in the 70s, the Deli expanded and the decor was made fancier, but the menu did not change. Eventually the countermen were Hispanic and Asian, but the servers were the same crotchety old Jewish men and women. I once saw a waitress spill soup on a customer and then yell at the customer.

A few years ago, the founder and owner was murdered while making a night deposit. His children carried it on for a while, but I've read that they didn't own the building and the rents in this now gentrified neighborhood (the half-railroad I rented for $75 in 1971 would probably fetch $1,500+ now) were too high, so they closed it earlier this year.

Yes, there are other Jewish delis in New York, not the last of them Katz's, but the 2nd Ave.'s demise truly marks the end of an era.

Photo from Eater

1888

Two great institutions were founded in 1888. One is the one I work for, The National Geographic Society. The other is Katz's Delicatessen on New York's Lower East Side.

I first enjoyed the pleasures of Katz's with my friend Barry when we were teenagers more than 35 years ago. I visited again last week and invited some industry friends to meet me there. It is set up cafeteria style. You go to the counter, and a counterman makes your sandwich. Tipping, once done on the sly, is now encouraged. A sign dating to W.W.II urges you to "send a salami to your boy in the Army" (in New York, that rhymes).

I always have a hard time choosing between corned beef and pastrami. Since Henry and I got there early, I had a hot dog appetizer while pondering the selection. Once our friends had arrived, they lined up behind me. I went for the pastrami, piled high on rye with mustard. The counterman gave me a generous plate of sour and half sour pickles and pickled green tomatoes. I helped myself to a plate of sauerkraut, and bought some potato knishes and fries for the table. Sipped first on a Dr. Brown's Cream soda, and still thirsty, followed with a Dr. Brown's Black Cherry. Regina enjoyed something I hate, but Barry always loved, Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray. Yup, celery soda.

Regina brought the table a classic New York black & white cookie to share. On Seinfeld, Jerry said, "Oh look Elaine, the black and white cookie. I love the black and white. Two races of flavor living side by side. It's a wonderful thing isn't it?"

This was Shane's first dinner ever in New York. I told him he hit the jackpot -- few places are more unique to NY than Katz's. He unwittingly had a taste of tongue. I think he found it "interesting." I find tongue too rich to have by itself, but sometimes have a combo with corned beef.

I'll forgive Sandy for having a hot dog with relish and ketchup instead of the de rigeur mustard and kraut.

If you saw the movie When Harry Met Sally you've seen Katz's. Meg Ryan might have been faking it, but I've seen people with this look there:



"I'll Have What She's Having"