savethedeli

And this you call Jewish? Feh. Question: when does Jewish food become Goyish? Answer: see above. Seriously, I suppose the question becomes: what's Jewish about it? If the origin of a recipe is Jewish (and I'm not really 100% sure what that might mean) but the recipe has evolved to something "other," is it still Jewish food? One can order the above in a restaurant and still ask the question ... "why don't Jews eat Jewish?" ← Mon ami, it is quite Jewish. There's an interesting article by Steingarten about how foie gras was a Jewish creation as a result of finding alternatives to pork pate made in that region of France. So it ain't Goyish...now a Reuben sandwich, that's Goyish...a fine shmaltzy line. From others, I'm getting a lot along the lines of "That isn't Jewish". What then should define Jewish food?

Wow...just a few hours and very good points raised by all involved. Plus, no hysterial kosher bashing or anti-kosher bashing. Impressive. Let me pose another, less-talmudic question: Can traditional Jewish food (whether Ashkenazi or Sephardic or Mediterranean) be reinterpreted today? Have you seen any cool, interesting takes on it. Example #1 Joel Robuchon in New York has a pastrami dish on the menu. It comes inspired from his friend's mother in Alsace, who is Jewish. It lays thinly sliced corned beef, folded over and around, with shavings of foie gras and chive spiked potato salad. Very interesting and delicate...not exactly Katz's or Carnegie. any others?

I completely agree, but the variations created by dietary restrictions created a stye and taste all its own. Pastrami may have come from Turkish preservation and Romanian cured pork, but the brisket and navel stuff is a world apart. Why aren't there Jewish restaurants in NY,LA, Montreal, Chicago that serve the food from different regions you talk about? Why aren't there Jewish chefs who focus on reinterpreting kugels or kibbeh or rice pudding?

Why is it that Jewish food tends to be reserved almost strictly for the holidays? Why has it basically been reduced to brisket, matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, and kugel? There are thousands of recipes and variations on Jewish cooking, from nearly every corner of the globe, to suit almost any taste. Not all of it is fat or heavy or bland (as the reputation goes). So why is it such a rare appearance on Jewish tables and how can it be revitalized? Talmudic questions need modern answers.

If you're in Old Port, you must hit up Gibby's for steak. I consider it the best in Montreal...thick, juicy rib steaks, spiced right, amazing aged atmosphere, fresh baked bread. Heaven mon ami. Pure heaven.

While in Florida last week., I ate at The Sage( the best bagels everah!!). Their matza ball soup is sub par. They serve it with spagettie noodles( an outrage). I also ate at The Best Deli. I've been eating there since I was a kid( I grew up in Plantation). Their matza ball soup was just weird. It was very dark and tasted vaugely of tomatoes. The Flashback Diner in Hallandale as good soup. My sister ordered a steven speilberg sandwich( triple layer of pastrami, corned beef, swiss cheese( so its not kosher) and russian dressing. She enjoyed it. ←

I wrote the following article for a Toronto magazine last year. I've never received more praise or hate mail for anything I've written, including political pieces from Israel. One woman said I was perpetuating the cause of anti-semitism in the world. As though Amenijad and Nasrallah give a damn whether I eat matzo balls or mu shu. http://www.torontolife.com/features/chinatown-syndrome/

Yeah, truly sad. I poked around for a week in S. Florida and came up with a few good delis. I keep the bagel places in a separate category. -Arnie and Richie's-Miami Beach ... the last one around. -Sage in Aventura ... quite good -Pompadale in Ft. Lauderdale... honor system, good pastrami, a real classic place -3g's in DelRay... best food I've had in S. Florida -Best deli in Plantation...nice small place, gorgeous breakfast knish -Ben's Kosher in Boca Raton...not small or old, but they pickle their own corned beef in house and the fried kreplach are classic. Go hang with the old Borscht Belt comedians

I'm not so sure that Rascal House is do-able. I think it would be a sadder than sad experience at this point. I should add here that nobody loved that place more than I did. I used to eat 7 dinners a week there when I'd vacation in Miami several times a year. But the Jerry's people destroyed it, and over the few years since they bought it, it's gotten worse, and worse, and worse. Now it's just a very (very) sad shadow of its former self, with food that's even sadder. Personally, I think they did it in stages, on purpose, so that nobody would miss the place when they ultimately got rid of it. But if you go (anybody) and get anything remotely edible, and have even a marginally enjoyable visit, please do post about it! ← It's a shonda what they did to that place, for certain. Snuffing it out slowly only to tear it down. A shonda! The lunch was pretty terrible, but I have to say that the danish and baked goods are still top notch. Probably because they have to bake for Jerry's and Epicure. Tragic. Truly.

Three points: 1. An interesting thing is that Canadian Whisky really grew in prominence because of USA prohibition. Thanks America! We couldn't have had Crown Royal without you. 2. When my grandfather died in 1992, we found about a dozen bottles of Crown dating back to the 1960's that clients gave him. He never drank. We did. It can only be described as honey kissed liquid gold. 3. For my tastes there is no finer cocktail than the rye and ginger. Introduced it to a New York friend this weekend and she was in love. With the drink...

In terms of Kosher delis, those are almost extinct. Kosher has followed the trend away from the traditional, opting more for Kosher sushi, thai, italian etc... Just because it has the K (or C or U or whatever you are following this week), sure doesn't make it Jewish. Sadly, I've had very few glatt kosher deli meals that are as good or better than non-kosher. I think it's a mixture of cost and the treatment of the meat, which salts and dries to the point of sadness. That said, I had a delicious cheese danish today for shavuot, so my tears are stained with a fair bit of happiness. ess gezunt

I'm currently in S. Florida visiting family and I'm in Deli heaven. This morning, I visited the Sage( an appetizer shop) and brought in a bagels, and smoked salmon. Yummy. Oh, I also had a very fresh Black and White. ←

I've heard the rumors for several months now around the deli scene. Suffice to say that nothing is confirmed, but it wouldn't and shouldn't come as a surprise to many. Sad and tragic. It's time to start a preservation campaign to save these delis, because we won't have any left in Manhattan within a decade.

Scary rumors to spread: Katz's Deli in New York may be torn down for condos. The oldest deli in the country and last of a dying breed. Dark times ahead deli lovers. New York MagazineRead the story here

Deli baby. Deli. You're a Jewish woman now, so what could be more appropriate than Jewish food. If you can't cook it, or don't want to, why not let someone else? Nu? Mazel tov bubuleh.

For my money, the best rye town is Motown. they double bake, which gives an extra crunch to the crust, and allows the slices to be cut a little thicker and on the bias. Gorgeous.

Hillarious quote...almost pornographic photo. More photos are always welcome...

Afternoon my beloved blimps. Allow me to weigh in on the subject, as I lived for 2 years in Argentina and one in Brazil, consuming an average of 6 beef meals per week. In my opinion, Argentine beef has a superiority for several reasons: 1. grass fed: I'll just defer to Pollan on this one, but the beef I had in Argentina (every cut from sirloin and filet to ribs, kidneys and sweetbreads) was sweet, tender, and had none of the gaminess people allude to on the boards. 2. Landscape: The pampas are some of the flattest land on earth, covered year round with lush grass for cows to munch upon. Unlike in North American grazing areas, there's no barn feeding in winter, and unlike Alberta or other places, there are zero hills. The cows don't need to walk far, or up, or down, keeping their fat asses nice and fat. This is why Brazilian beef or Uruguayan is gamier, although that may also be due to the herds (some Brahma, some mix) as well as the climate. 3. Method: the Argentines cook their beef slowly, over wood coals, seasoned only with salt. The whole Ruth Chris 1400 degree oven thing is insane, as slow cooking will always produce a juicier, more tender piece of meat. The method is equally as important as the meat itself, which is why Argentine steaks cooked over gas bbqs aren't nearly as perfect. 4. Cuts: Argentine beef is usually cooked in whole cuts. Due to the low cost, they don't slice up the individual steaks as much. This means there's less surface area cooking, more juicy insides, an it cooks up slower and more tender. Grass may be the key, but these other factors certainly have an effect. I thoroughly enjoyed the beef in Brazil, but it wasn't as good as the Argentine stuff, which I miss more than the women and the wine.

I've yet to see a deli with the naches to serve it to customers on this continent. Maybe Zingerman's will introduce it shortly.

What is the best deli anyone has had outside of New York or LA? I'm looking for diamonds in the rough, in unexpected places.

I highly enjoyed Coca, but I'd still rather go to JK wine Bar. Nicer space, better wines, brighter and less huried.

Like all self-righteous movements, slow foods seems to be a victim of its own success. That's what I get here, though really, what matters is the base of the message which is falling more in line with the mainstream today. Slow food may have started it, but the rest of us are keeping it alive. What happens with the man and the organization is simply a diversion.

I think that at some time or another, I have posted here on eG about an advertisement that had me doubled over with laughter when I ran across it. It was a bus shelter ad for a new housing development in a marginal neighborhood on the far northwest fringe of Center City Philadelphia. The houses in this development sell for anywhere from two to four times what existing nearby structures would probably have fetched before this development opened. The ad depicts an African-American couple beaming in their spiffy new kitchen, with solid wood cabinets and stainless steel appliances. The legend above them reads, "We've started watching cooking shows!" This is cooking as conspicuous consumption, a form of status display. I don't believe that Americans collectively are as divorced from good food as things like this imply -- no culinary culture that produced great indigenous barbecue can be that bad -- but I agree that it's certainly not instilled from birth in many Americans. ← Well said, but you have to admit that the rise of cooking shows has probably done more to get people off the liquid crack (soda) and McRiblets, and into their kitchens. Sure, it has led to thousands of know-nothing 21 year old chefs reducing any kind of vinegar and making spinach foam, but it's a step in the right direction. It gets people to change and challenge their palates, and that's a good thing.

First tried it in le Marais in Paris last year. Fantastic kosher butcher/delicatessen man named Michel Kalifa gifted me a bit. I took it back home and served it for Rosh Hashanah to my family with mixed reactions from all...disgust from most. But it's a truly magical dish. Initially it appears and tastes horrid...a cold, latex block of gelatin. But sliced super thin, and with a touch of horseradish, it dissolves on the hot tongue and the rich marrow flavor of the veal comes out. Not a crowd pleaser in this day and age, but def something for the yiddish gourmands out there. If they exist.

If any of you are salivating for a little deli porn, you must check out the film Chez Schwartz, which I caught last week here in Toronto. It's a fly on the wall documentary about Schwartz's Delicatessen in Montreal, the temple of smoked meat and one of the best delis in the world. Chez Schwartz Website Schwartz's Delicatessen