markk

So I guess it's okay for me to confess that two weeks ago I took out pastrami from Harold's Deli in Edison, NJ... There were two of us, so naturally I got two of those sandwiches. (What, each person shouldn't have his own? Two of us should have to share one sandwich as our dinner?) Well, maybe people will want a little tongue as well, to go with the pastrami... I got a hot tongue sandwich as well, but I did get the "smaller" one, although (thankfully) it wasn't smaller by much. (Technically speaking it was just over 4 1/4 pounds of meat in total, but on the other hand it really was just three sandwiches for two people.) An extra 36 slices of rye bread, a few pounds of cole slaw and potato salad - you know, dinner for two.

So how does their pastrami stack up? I remember years ago they used to cut it right in front of you out in the aisle... (Great pickles too) ← Since learning about it on this thread, I've been there twice. It's by no means a large sandwich like the Harold's version, or the Carnegie (smaller) version, or even the Katz's even smaller version - which is to say that I considered it healty, by virtue of its portion-size, and didn't feel guilty about having it a second time. The first time I had it it was quite good, although (as they say), there not being a lot of it, I didn't have a long time to analyze it and ponder it. When I went back a week later, I got a batch that was not as good- it was tough, not tender - but I will probably give them a third chance. What's really interesting is that I asked them where it came from, and after some prodding, they confessed that it's made by Empire National, whose hot dogs they sell in the package. Well, what's really (really) interesting here is that Empire National supplies the pastrami for Second Avenue Deli, and Ben's Deli on Queens Boulevard in Queens; and supposedly, they make a 'special' recipe for those two places (at least, according to my extensive research). Whether this is true or not, whether Empire National pastrami is sold other places, I don't know. I will have to give it a third (fourth, fifth) try before I pass final judgement. Does anybody know about this?

Oh, yes. Exactly. Genius. After all, what if those ants climbing the tree are feeble, tasteless ants? Or if General Chow is having a bad day? Best to have at least one or two backups for each dish. Excellent: yet another reason that over-ordering is in fact the sane, rational thing to do. Well, it's worse than you realize. I recently had a friend/business associate over for dinner after a long (long) day's work, and so I sent out for Chinese food, and we tried a new place, because I don't actually have anyplace to order from that's decent (and there was no possibility of cooking that night). So, whereas for 2 people I'd order 12 dishes, we were three, and I didn't want anybody to go hungry, so let us just say that I ordered, well, a lot of food! My guest was just horrified, and scandalized by the amount of food that arrived, and carried on and screamed and ranted and raved. Of course, it took two delivery people to bring all the bags, and they covered the entire dining room table when unpacked. The upshot was that nothing was edible. One dish was worse than the next. By picking a bite of this, a bite of that, we all managed not to go hungry, but the food was just horrible, and she did concede that I had done the right thing. Of course, even when I know the food is going to be okay, I order way too much. But then it's for "variety", and not for "safety". What a great topic you started!

Dear God in heaven, pastrami on Levitra! size does matter after all! ← No, no, NO! What we need is pastrami on Vytorin (or Zocor, or Litptor) !!!

I do the exact same thing, and for the exact same reasons. I especially do it when ordering delivery from a new place, and sneak in the reason of covering our bases in case some of the dishes aren't any good. I've been known to look up in mid-meal (dinner for 2) at a table covered with enough food to cater a wedding, and utter the phrase "Um, I think I ordered too much." When I order delivery for two (usually a minimum of 12 things, any way you slice it) I always ask them about the quantity of food I'm getting, and they usually ask "how many people are you feeding?" and to cover myself, I usually answer that we're 4, and sometimes 5. So I always figure that we're okay when they answer "Oh, you got plenty of food for 5 people".

The only comment I could find by you was this, "The Kosher nosh is terrible. " in the Flanken thread. Would you be kind enough to go into detail about it? I've never been there but was considering making the trek, and am curious. Thanks.

I pass the King Plaza buffet regularly on my way home, and peeked in once out of curiosity after somebody told me about it. It is the lowest-end, most disgusting looking food establishment I've ever seen. It was partly Chinese food (I guess that's what it was supposed to be) and the rest Spanish food - all of it really cheap and dingy and old looking. (And the place is none too clean looking or appealing.) But that's not really surprising at all considering the neighborhood.

After I tried Goodman's (above), I decided that I definitely want to try Livinston Bagel, Kosher Nosh, and Tabatchnick's [are they related to the frozen food Tabatchnick's?]. In the meantime, having not been totally satisfied by Goodman's (didn't love it, didn't hate it), I went back to Harold's and took out another sandwich. As discussed on a few other pastrami threads here, it has grown in size by 7 ounces in the past year, but the size isn't the point. It was totally delicious. Someone on a different thread who just had it called it "melt in your mouth delicious" which is was, and tasty too! It's one of the smokiest pastramis I've ever had, and it's a winner. Still, I've made it a vow to try Livingston Bagel, Kosher Nosh, and Tabatchnick's, once Passover is over - since I almost went to Kosner Nosh the other day and learned they were closed for the holiday. Maybe I'll find a new favorite pastrami !

Welcome to Hoboken, home of Chinese food so sweet they could sell it as candy! It's utterly revolting.

They do. To quote from the ABC Handbook (New Jersey) "MAY A PATRON TAKE FROM A RESTAURANT AN UNFINISHED PORTION OF A BOTTLE OF WINE IN AN ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE VERSION OF A “DOGGY BAG?” "Yes. It is the policy of the State to encourage moderation in the consumption of alcoholic beverages. To permit a diner to take home an unfinished portion of the bottle of wine, rather than consume it all to prevent 'waste' of his purchase, furthers that policy. Thus, an unfinished bottle of wine may be re-corked and the patron can take it with him. Removal of other open containers of alcoholic beverages from the licensed premises, such as a glass of wine, a mixed drink or an opened bottle or can of beer, is still prohibited. "Licensees should caution patrons using wine “doggy bags” that the wine should be placed in the trunk of the patron’s car while in transit because Motor Vehicle Law prohibits the consumption of alcoholic beverages in a car and the presence of a container with its original seal broken in a motor vehicle (buses, taxi cabs and limousines are excluded) can give rise to a presumption that the unfinished bottle was consumed in the car."

Maybe this might be a good time to visit Harold's deli, before the sandwich gets any bigger (Well, I couldn't resist.) Still, it might be one of your better options there. As far as I've ever experienced, everything there is delicious, not just big.

I went to the ABC site, and found the answer to a question I've always been asking - that it IS LEGAL to bring wine to a restaurant in New Jersey with a liquor license. I've asked at a couple that serve really horrible wine, one a local steak place that serves cheap and wretched reds, and one a Chinese restaurant I like except for the fact that they serve one especially repulsive Chardonnay or an equally bad Pinot Grigio - neither of which goes with Chinese food anyway- and both restaurants recoiled in horror when I asked about bringing wine and paying a corkage fee, and told me "NO! We could lose our license if you do that !!!" And that's not true. I learned that according to the law, they absolutely can let you bring your own wine, and it's totally their call as a business decision.

This is funny. I was going to post about Vito's Chop House a few days ago and was not sure I could pull it off (saying what I meant) so I aborted, and then I read Susan's line about Vito's and "awful" and thought she meant what I'm about to say... I've been to Orlando millions of times (conventions, business, other) and dined at Charley's Steakhouse (the one on I Drive and the one on Orange Blossom Trail) dozens of times, and Vito's dozens of times. I've even sent people there, but with a warning. The service, and the attitude of the employees is so hideous, so horrible, that you may be sorry you went. But the steaks are just sensational - the meat is great, and the way they grill them high above a very very hot fire of hardwoods, is outstanding. In particular, Vito's has a gigantic ribeye steak, on the bone, which is a must, especially if you get them to "Pittsburgh" it - that is to say, charred on the outside, and then rare inside (well, that's how I like all my steaks). You'll see this steak on display when you enter, and in fact, all the steaks are great - but beware - if you order a steak be sure that they don't put the "Italian Seasonings on it" - I believe that all the steaks but the ribeye come with it unless you request otherwise. (I guess that's why it's called Vito's Italian Chophouse.) But the service is horrible, and one (but just one) of the problems is that the waiters are clearly instructed to try to build up your check as big as possible, to the point that they have developed a clever way of mumbling when trying to talk you into the many things that are additions to your meal - like anything that tops your potato, or the fact that a strange "house salad" comes with the steak, but the waiter will mumblingly offer "or, we can upgrade you to a Cesar salad if you want" without telling you it's a large extra. Well, this is just annoying when the check is literally double what you thought it was going to be - and I've seen people order the daily special of lobster tail and steak and then just shreik when they found out it was almost a hundred dollars, on their check. With such great steaks, you'd think they'd have a better attidude, but it's just awful. And on top of that the servers are just pretty miserable in general. But the steaks are great! The meal starts with the waiter bringing a gigantic tray of steaks wrapped in plastic. The last time I went, I sort of stopped the waiter in his tracks, and told him "we've eaten here many times before, and if you spare us the Vito's 'experience' all around, I'll make it worth your while", and he said, "it's a deal", and he changed his whole personality, didn't try to talk us into the dozen supplemental things, and we had a great meal. (We even had to send back one steak - it had a terrible gristle, which is unusual for them, and the waiter replaced it promptly with a magnificent specimen. I looked it up once on a local board, and I read many comments like "the servers were so rude, we left in tears". This is not to say that you shouldn't go for a great ribeye steak - you should indeed - just that you should be forewarned and not say you weren't prepared for the attitude. The Charley's Steakhouse all the same steaks with the exception of the ribeye, and it has the same service attitude. But they're just great steaks, and definitely worth going for. Otherwise, I just don't find the food in Orlando all that good.

Do you serve Gefilte Fish cold from the refrigerator, or do you take it out and let it come to room temperature? Serving suggestions greatly appreciated! Thanks.

I had this very sandwich not three days ago - I took it out, although I had trouble fitting it in the car. And indeed it was melt in your mouth good!

Six words, really: tax evasion, tax evasion, tax evasion. Now, I know some people who are not American-born, and who come from a country where things like "on the books" and "scrupulous recordkeeping" are not national traits - I didn't mean that as a slur, I meant that there are lots of outdoor markets, lots of remote, tiny restaurants in microscopic villages, and it's a land where haggling is the norm. And, they're from a generation before credit cards and record keeping existed. (Remember, there was even a time when businesses in the US didn't report what they paid you in wages to the government!) So these people went into a Brookstone store in one of the big malls, and told the salesperson that they were prepared to buy the $1500 massage chair, in cash, so that he wouldn't have to charge them the sales tax. Needless to say, the salesman just stared at them as if they were from Mars. (And why a person working in a Brookstone would even be tempted by this on the company's behalf, I cannot imagine.) Nonetheless, they were astounded - they just could not believe that their offer was turned down. But I am sure that the restaurant they own is "cash only".

What a great thread, and what great responses. Yes, I LOVE stuffed lobster. As I kid I ate it at a place on Long Island called Patricia Murphy's - I mean, I was probably 8 when my lobster-addict mother introduced me to it. And I still go to the Ironbound area of Newark to the Spanish-Continental restaurants in search of one (sadly, they all seem to use clams in their stuffing, which to me is a no-no - I want just crabmeat and shrimp. Or, Lobster Thermidor...Plenty of fresh lobster meat is mixed into a creamy sauce with a bit of mustard, sherry, cream, mushrooms, and cheese, and served in the shell. and of course there's Lobster Newburg, just a rich, creamy sauce filled with large sweet fresh lobster pieces. I love these !! I went to Emeril's restaurant Delmonico's in New Orleans a few weeks after it opened, and they featured a Lobster Newburg on the menu, but I think in reality if was a Thermidor. It was a 2.5 lb. lobster, and it was the stuff dreams are made of. The tail was left in whole, intact, and the sweetness and juiciness mingled with the rich cream and whatever other ingredients (lots of what we thought was lobster meat, crabmeat, shrimp) in the filling. It was obscenely delicious. And they shouldn't! That's just a sign of bad preparation. A great lobster preparation - whether stuffed, or Newburged or Thermidored, should retain that delicate sea-fresh sweetness; when it's done right, hard as it is to believe, some of these preparations even enhance the basically magnificent-by-itself plain lobster. My thoughts EXACTLY. I also love a plain lobster as well, but I prefer it broiled to boiled - but let me specify "expertly" broiled - it should still be moist and sweet and juicy, but the charring of the shell and the top of the meat actually bring out the sweetness. And a preparation that nobody mentioned, that is a magnificent way to bring out the best in a lobster, is the Cantonese method of stir-frying with ginger and scallion. I got turned onto this a long time ago. When done properly, the flavors complement, and enhance the sweet lobster flavor, which is released into the mix as you pick every morsel out of the shell, the lobster being sauteed cut-up. Here's one photo I have a restaurant near me (Jersey City) that gets me 3.5 pounders by special order and prepares them for me, along with a green vegetable. You can see the whole thing here if you like.

Char Siu from East Buffet is pretty top notch - but the fat, squid-like creatures (as they classified as fish?) are just about the best. I don't like what they're called, but in Cantonese, (poor romanization ahead) it's Muk Yu. I haven't had any better than from East Buffet. They're found hanging alongside the other meats in window displays. ← Are you talking about the "buffet" itself upstairs, or the takeout place downstairs? Actually, is there another restaurant downstairs besides the takeout? And is the upstairs just the "buffet"? I guess I'm confused as to how many establishments are there.

As I say, it sounds delicious! Was there a pasta involved? I thought that all of the primi piatti there were pastas, that's what has me so curious. (Sorry to be giving you a hard time). Thanks. I also LOVE Lupa and agree with everything you've posted about the place!

That sounds wonderful! How was that offered? Was it a daily special? Was it an "antipasto"?

Oh, I know all about that (and I enjoyed your posts in 'Lunch in Elizabeth' tremendously much). I think we should be grateful that these places, and this food, still exist! When I was a kid growing up in Queens in the 50's, every neighborhood had at least one Kosher deli, and one "Appetizing" Store. Now just try and find someone who even knows what that is !! I'm sure that soon these foods will all just vanish.

I think what's missing at Goodman's is salt to excess. ← Now THAT's really curious that you'd say that. As I was eating the pastrami, that thought occurred to me as one possibility. However, for the rest of the day I was thirstier than I think I've ever been - I mean, thirsty enough (after several large bottles of water) that I kept thinking back to what I had eaten (well, momentarily one forgets, you know), and realized that even though it seemed not to taste of it, the pastrami must have been a lot saltier than I realized.

I was intrigued by the comments about Goodman's (I found a few more in the Lunch in Elizabeth thread) and went there today for lunch. It turns out to be about 18 miles from Hoboken, and not all that far from Exit 13 on the Turnpike. I had the pastrami sandwich, and it was alright, but nothing to write home about. It was tender and moist, for sure, which made it better than a lot of pastrami I try, but I found the flavor less than fully satisfying, somehow. I don't know enough about the spices involved to say what exactly was lacking, but I didn't enjoy it as much as Carnegie Deli's pastrami (when it's good, it's great, and some nights it is, some nights it definitely isn't), nor as much as Harold's (where except for one bad take-out experience, the pastrami has always been excellent). Depending on my cravings and time, I may someday give it another try, although at that point Harold's is just another 12 miles south on the Turnpike... If the original poster tries any of the places mentioned, or finds any others, would you please file a report on the pastrami? Thanks!

Would Exit 10 on the Turnpike - Edison, NJ, be too far? That's where you find Harold's Deli and this sandwich although the sandwich is now bigger than this one from a few years ago. You'll be offered the pastrami 'lean' or 'juicy', which is to say, fatty, and it's excellent. Indicentally, Harold Jaffe, the owner, at one point had a number of Harold's Delis around the state, but sold them all off and has no connection to them anymore, and they do NOT get their pastrami, or anything from him (which is a shame, as many of them are closer). Still, the place is not 30 seconds from Exit 10, and is certainly worth the trip if you've never been. It's attached to a Holiday Inn - until recently it was a Ramada, in case you find directions that tell you that. The pastrami is excellent. If you go, please post your comments. I'd ask you to take photos, but apparently the new, bigger sandwich requires a lens not yet invented. (Not to worry, they also offer a smaller sandwich - why, I don't know...)

I've spent a couple of weeks (or longer) in various regions of Germany, but my only fond memories of the food were in Munich. I ate a lot of roast duck with red cabbage and knoedel, a lot of sauteed calves liver and onions, and a lot of roasted pork. Everything I ate there was rich and delicious and satisfying (this is to say, unlike other regions of Germany which now all blur together in one greasy, reflux-inducing blur). During my time in Mannheim it was hard to find anything decent to eat - and I can handle greasy, heavy food. One night we went to a very local place, famous for the fact that Gorbachov had gone to eat there on his visit to Mannheim, and we ordered up all the local specialties, including the "maultaschen". Everything was pretty much incredibly, and inedibly heavy and uninviting. But I have posted elsewhere that the baked goods in the region, or at least the town of Mannheim, are just spectacular. They're a dense kind of pastry, like the nut doughs of a Linzertorte, as opposed to the flaky kind of dough, but man oh man, the desserts, one after another, were spectacular - several kinds of apple pie, chocolate and nut cakes, and a thing that translated as a Black Forest Brownie (and I'm not really a dessert eater) that was like a rich, blond square studded with chocolate bits and cherries. But other than fond memories of the Munich (Bavarian) food, everything else in restaurants seemed unduly heavy. Now the street food - that was magnificent! The Wurst stands carried everything - there was Thuringer bratwurst, Weisswurst, little Nurenmberger sausages (those always served on a paper dish with pork studded sauerkraut), sausages curved into spirals - and every one was magnificent. It was fun just to spend day after day wandering the streets and sampling from all the different markets and stands. (Oh yeah, and what a healthy alternative!)