SteveW

Just finished watching the 'Sandwiches that you will like' PBS documentary. Katz's deli was one of the featured sandwich places. The Katz's pastrami brisket, to my eye looks noticeably different from Montreal smoked meat. According to the Katz's person, the key when ordering pastrami there, is to tell the counter person have it 'juicy.' Definitely don't order it lean or extra lean. One of the Katz's customers mentioned that when he was young, they were around 500 Jewish delis in Manhattan, now they're only around a dozen. Wow! interesting fact. --------------- Steve

The Sandwich documentary is also airing on the satellite national PBS schedule(Thurs at 8pm). As is the rerun of A Hot Dog program. Our local border PBS station is airing the Sandwich documentary tonight at 8pm(also re-airing A Hot Dog program this week). -------------- Steve

If you want to see Emeril, show more real cooking(& it's without the live audience), then check out the new episodes of The Essence of Emeril. This was one of his first shows, on the Food Network. He stopped producing new episodes for several years. In the past year or so, he's done a whole new series of episodes for this series. ------------ Steve

From checking the links, Centre Street Deli has bagels. Does it have Montreal bagels or what? What you say, about their customers demanding leaner smoked meat, is no doubt true. Unfortunately here in Montreal, most customers prefer lean smoked meat. To such an extent, that many of the Montreal smoked meat places have to throw away parts of the fattier portions(the good section) of their smoked meat, because so so many order lean smoked meat. In the Best of TO list, Reuben's is #7 on the list. Is this the same deli, that was originally called Reuben Schwartz's when it opened around 3 years ago. They tried to copy Schwartz's Deli(Montreal) in every way, including the exact same menu, & claiming to use the same Schwartz's smoked meat recipe. And BTW, Reuben Schwartz is the name of the original founder of Schwartz's in Montreal. Eventually Reuben Schwartz's changed their name, after Schwartz's went after them. #9 listed in the Best of TO smoked meat, is interesting enough named Katz's Deli & Corned Beef Emporium. Any connection to Katz's Deli in NYC? I'm guessing no, but you never know for certain. -------------- Steve

Interesting points made. Is it still expected at the major Old Jewish Delis in NYC, to be given bad service? Maybe that would explain the lack of audience in many of these establishments(resulting in some going under). Artie's might be changing things with much better service(educated guess). In Montreal, some of the worst service in eating establishments I've witnessed have been at the smoked meat delis(namely Schwartz's & Ben's). People expect to get bad service at Schwartz's. The Schwartz's supporters often turn things around, by saying getting insulted by the Schwartz's staff is part of its appeal. That's bull shit, in my eyes. ---------------- Steve

Ed, are you actually refering to Victoria City Seafood? It's world famous for their dim sum in Hong Kong. My friend in Hong Kong highly recommends this restaurant, for their dim sum. --------------- Steve

FG, do many of the major NYC delis make their own pastrami? The others must I presume, get their pastrami product from a commercial pastrami maker, made to their specifications(that's how Snowdon Deli does it). Are their any commercial NY pastrami product in stores and/or delis, that's really good? ---------------- Steve

What I've noticed over the years, is that some of the Montreal smoked meat restaurants, that serve the both regular & old fashioned smoked meat, call their regular smoked meat 'pastrami.' Either officially(listed on their menu) or unofficially(not listed as such). For example, I remember one Smoked Meat restaurant advertising in a magazine aimed at tourists(good portion of the readership would be Americans), list among other things, smoked meat & pastrami. When I inquired about their pastrami, it turns out they were refering to their regular smoked meat. Montrealers who diss NY pastrami, often say that pastrami is similiar to regular smoked meat(or the inferior commercial smoked meat available). ------------------ Steve

I want to check out Centle Street Deli, the next time I'm in Toronto. Where in the suburbs is this deli? Moises Toronto, only lasted about a year. What happened I don't know. Going the other way. Several years ago, a new bagel establishment in Montreal, tried making & selling NY bagels. It only lasted one year. ------------- Steve

The people here who have enjoyed excellent Katz's Pastrami in earlier times, & find it inferior nowadays(or at least inconsistent from one batch to another). Has the thought occur, that if they get a bad Katz's Pastrami sandwich, after taking a bite, just return it back to the server & not accept it. Ask them for another one! And these pastrami sandwiches are monsters in size. It's criminal that they don't offer smaller portions. -------------- Steve

porkpa, until a couple of years ago, Levitt's still had their St. Laurent location(might be at the same address, where they had their restaurant). I think, they finally moved following a fire or something along those lines. There new location is in Lasalle. Would you know, when the Levitt's restaurant closed? ------------- Steve

When we're talking about the authentic stuff. It's a very similiar product to NY Pastrami. Although many Montrealers, claim that Montreal smoked meat is different & so much better than NY pastrami. The only differences between the two, is the slightly different spicing, & the briskets might be from a slightly different section. -------------- Steve

VivreManger(or anybody else), want your opinion about something. Could a established Montreal smoked meat operation like Schwartz's, open a NYC location & be very successful? Or if St. Viateur bagel tried to open in NYC, making their Montreal bagels. Could they be very successful there? Would they have a problem with NYC regulators, installing a wood burning oven for the bagels? I'm going on a premise, that both would be run professionally, & hands on involvement by the current Montreal owners. Just about every tourist all over, that comes to Montreal, wants to try our Montreal smoked meat & Montreal bagels. I think they could be very successful in NYC. This would negate to go through all this effort, culminating with preparing it at home(as you describe here), for the Americans living in or near NYC. Just a thought. --------------- Steve

VivreManger, the whole brisket that you purchased from the Snowdon Deli. Was it the Old Fashioned or the Regular smoked meat? They do carry both(not everybody knows that)? It's news to me, that Levitt's is supplying their smoked meat. Over the years, I've heard different name of companies apparently supplying Snowdon Deli with the smoked meat, & I don't remember the Levitt's name ever coming up. Snowdon Delicatessen has a bit weird hours, as they open early & close early(close daily around 8pm). Chenoy's smoked meat the last time I checked(around 2 years ago), was a straight commercial smoked meat product(wasn't too good, when I ordered there at the time). Chenoy's even tried opening a downtown location around 6-7 years ago, but it didn't last too long. Lester's, known for their delicatessen & having 'their' own smoked meat(they make the sandwich sized smoked meat packages, & sell it to the public). I don't know if I'm being feed misinformation or not, but I've been hearing rumblings in the last year or two, they don't actually make their own smoked meat. Could this be true? I thought they were one of the few commercial smoked meat makers, in addtion to being a delicatessen. Any one, clear this up for me? -------------- Steve

I've seen finishing a steamed dish with a final lash of hot oil done many many times in Chinese restaurants. Ed? Jinmyo, the pouring of very very hot oil on a steamed fish, was discussed earlier by cabrales in a earlier post, of the same thread. Yes, I've seen it done in many many of the Chinese restaurants. I've done it myself at home. -------------- Steve

I still see Andrea Immer, guesting on numerous episodes of Hot off the Grill, as their wine expert. ------------- Steve

Ed, you mention about making a Shanghai crab dish. So live Shanghai crabs are available in NYC? What Shanghai crab dish do you make with hoisin sauce? ----------------- Steve

Prominent wine expert Andrea Immer had a very short-lived wine & spirits show, from around 4 years ago. I can't remember the name. They did only about 8 episodes. ------------- Steve

I'm sure Lesley C, is aware of your new chef. She quoted you, in her column earlier this month. I have an idea already, who this person might be(totally educated guess). ---------------- Steve

Does Ed or any of the other newer eGulleters, have any experiences making Cantonese roast pork, & want to comment about it on this thread? -------------- Steve

For Chinese cuisine. Is MSG only utilized during the cooking process of Chinese food? I've never seen a MSG shaker on the tables, of Chinese restaurants from my memory(as opposed to salt & pepper shakers at restaurant tables almost everywhere). I don't think I've ever seen packets of MSG, for customers of take-out Chinese food. --------------- Steve

Ron Popeil, isn't he the person, who started the practice in infomercials of not actually giving the price of the product. So a $240 item for example, he would say 'it's just 6 easy payments of $40.' He's even guested on The Larry King program(CNN) & profiled in People magazine. I think manufactures actually pitch ideas to him, so Ron could sell their product on television. I remember him for his infomercial many years ago, selling to bald people(or people losing their hair), with his lotion product that promised substantial hair growth again. It was disguised, to have the look-and-feel of a real television talk show. And it included a bonus gift, if people ordered soon(every infomercial includes bonus gifts nowadays). ------------------- Steve

I haven't made a note of it. In the reputable Chinese cooksbooks put out over the years, do the authors list MSG, in many of their recipes? And do they go into detail why it is used(or not used)? -------------- Steve

The love affair with MSG, by some of the postings here. I wonder if these people would of felt the same thing, & posted at eGullet, before Ed Shchoenfeld responded to my question about MSG, in the recent Q & A session(where he praised its use in moderation). Or at least felt this way, but would not mention it publicly. I was surprised by Ed's answer(learn something new daily at eGullet). ---------------- Steve

Horse meat is not that hard to find in Montreal. I've eaten it before. --------- Steve