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Flanken in NJ


markk

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Does anybody know a Jewish restaurant in New Jersey that serves flanken, and other Jewish (eastern European) dishes? The only places I know are primarily delis with pastrami and such, although a few also have stuffed cabbage.

For those who don't know the dish, here's a photo of it as served at Rascal House in Miami, one of the last surviving Jewish restaurants I know of.

flanken-fixed.jpg

For the un-initiated, you're looking at boiled beef short ribs served in a pot of traditional chicken soup with all the trimmings - noodles, matzoh balls, and kreplach (devoured by the time this photo was taken).

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

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the kosher nosh website takes one click to get to the menu. i counted 3 on the noah's ark site, and that loaded a pdf. oddly, the noah's ark website seems to play the sound of an airplane or something. although that's better than the kosher nosh music, which also includes New York, New York.

Edited by tommy (log)
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THANK YOU, TOMMY.

I must confess that it seemed to good to be true, so when I got to their site I thought "oh, it's just a deli - they're not going to have flanken" - and of course THEY DO! Flanken in the Pot. Bless your heart! Good work! and Thanks !!!

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

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Noah's Ark in Teaneck (Cedar Lane)

THANK YOU !!!

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

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That is how the send you their Roumanian pastrami, by FedEx plane ..... you shouldn't have to wait, boychik ... that would be a "shondeh"!  :huh:

During WW II, wasn't Katz's Deli's slogan "Send a Salami to Your Boy in the Armed Forces"?

Edited by markk (log)

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

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During WW II, wasn't Katz's Deli's slogan "Send a Salami to Your Boy in the Armed Forces"?

The slogan "Send a Salami to Your Boy in the Army" was first coined during the Second World War, when the three sons of the owner of Katz's Deli were all in the armed forces..... The Katz's website claims that "anecdotal historians" credit the deli with ending the Second World War. "When artillery units ran out of shells they lobbed Katz's aged salamis instead of shells. The enemy so thoroughly enjoyed this American treat that they surrendered en masse, hastening the end of the conflict."
:rolleyes:

You have a great memory, t'would appear, markk!

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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Markk,

Glad you've got solid answers already! I can't remember where you live, but there are also a couple of places in Livingston that I'm sure have flanken. Livingston Bagel (a full deli), what used to be Eppes Essen on Mt Pleasant Ave/Rt 10 and/or the Ritz Diner--which is right across from the EE location. I'd call first to be sure, but I'm positive that at least one of them will have it as well.

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

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Markk,

Glad you've got solid answers already!  I can't remember where you live, but there are also a couple of places in Livingston that I'm sure have flanken.  Livingston Bagel (a full deli), what used to be Eppes Essen on Mt Pleasant Ave/Rt 10 and/or the Ritz Diner--which is right across from the EE location.  I'd call first to be sure, but I'm positive that at least one of them will have it as well.

Thank you !!!

I couldn't find a number yet for Livingston Bagel, but I found listings for "Eppes Essen" (so what do you mean "what used to be"?) and Ritz Diner, and called them both, and both have Flanken!

I'm in Hoboken, so Livingston's not all that close, although occasionally I do visit the Bottle King there.

Mostly, I am astounded by all the places everybody posted. When I started the topic, I really expected to come up with nothing. Not to mention, most of these places have scambled eggs, onions, and lox as well (some even eggs, onions, and nova!) Oy !!! There's luch and dinner right there! This is great and I thank you all once again !!

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

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that slogon remains up on a sign at Katz's, IINM.  made famous to this generation by The Jerky Boys back in the early 90's.  that was perhaps my first introduction to what Katz's was.  and how old it was.

picture here.

Yes and a box of boloneys please....and a box of Bud Lights.... :biggrin:

"It's better to burn out than to fade away"-Neil Young

"I think I hear a dingo eating your baby"-Bart Simpson

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Thank you !!!

I couldn't find a number yet for Livingston Bagel, but I found listings for "Eppes Essen" (so what do you mean "what used to be"?) and Ritz Diner, and called them both, and both have Flanken!

I'm in Hoboken, so Livingston's not all that close, although occasionally I do visit the Bottle King there.

Mostly, I am astounded by all the places everybody posted.  When I started the topic, I really expected to come up with nothing.  Not to mention, most of these places have scambled eggs, onions, and lox as well (some even eggs, onions, and nova!)  Oy !!!    There's luch and dinner right there!  This is great and I thank you all once again !!

Markk,

I may be wrong, but I thought I'd heard that EE closed; hopefully I'm wrong! The RD is really good too--for 'regular' diner food as well as everything else! And they make pretty yummy apple pie, too... :biggrin:

And don't be astounded--that's the beauty of eG! :wub: Ask a question and we're all going to throw you the info you need.

Edit: Livingston Bagel: 973-994-1915 Hours: Mon-Sat 6am-6:30pm, Sun 6am-3pm. That info is according to their bag, b/c I picked up a chopped salad there this morning for lunch today! Just a big DUH that it didn't occur to me to look for flanken--I was a tad preoccupied--sorry! And now I'm off to enjoy lunch...

Edited by Curlz (log)

"I'm not eating it...my tongue is just looking at it!" --My then-3.5 year-old niece, who was NOT eating a piece of gum

"Wow--this is a fancy restaurant! They keep bringing us more water and we didn't even ask for it!" --My 5.75 year-old niece, about Bread Bar

"He's jumped the flounder, as you might say."

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I know that a lot of people will disagree with me but.

The Ritz Diner is overpriced and pretentious for plain, boring, food.

Eppessen is pretty much the same.

I thought the Kosher Nosh stunk. I will tell you why.

I went there for lunch with my mom and was greeted by one of the waitresses that just finished smoking a cigarette out front. No she didn't wash up.

We ordered some soup and then asked would one pastrami on rye be enough and she said it was huge. Well the soup was alright, nothing special. In the mean time they have a pickle and salad bar that had some green tomato's and pickles and cole slaw and other salad. The cole slaw is like the crap you get at the supermarket and obviously not home made, which is sad for a deli. The pickles were bitter and had not spent nearly enough time in the brew. Then the sandwich came out and it was plenty for 1 person, not two. It was not humongous like she said.

I guess I compare to the size of a sandwich at Katz's in NYC or the Rascal House in North Miami Beach. I just thought the Kosher Nosh for all the rave was not worth my return trip. That's my opinion sorry. Should I have got "creative" and ordered a $20 dinner for lunch and got something else?

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We ordered some soup and then asked would one pastrami on rye be enough and she said it was huge...   Then the sandwich came out and it was plenty for 1 person, not two.  It was not humongous like she said.

WELL...

pastrami-600.jpg

If it's a "substantial" pastrami sandwich that you're after (I would be, too), try Harold's NY Deli in Edison, NJ. It's excellent, too. They'll ask you if you want "lean" (why bother), or "juicy" (BYOZ - Bring Your Own Zocor), and it's both substantial, and delicious. But... alas... no flanken.

By the way, since I am the original poster of the flanken photo from Rascal House, let me just say that I was in Miami Beach for July 4, when I took many meals at Rascal House (and I was supposed to be there again for Labor Day, thank you very much Hurricane Frances for evacuating Miami Beach the morning of my arrival) - and the pastrami sandwich there was one-third the size of the one pictured here from Harold's.

Worse, the tongue sandwich the next night was even smaller - to the point where I complained, and the waiter told me "the tounge sandwich is always smaller than the pastrami". I said something, I don't remember what, and he said "I'll get you more tongue", and quickly returned with a plate of sliced tongue half again as much as my meager sandwich. Not that I don't love Rascal House - I do so much that I make two trips there (from New Jersey) a year. But do make note - the pastrami sandwich at Harold's in Edison is huge, and if you order it "juicy", most delicious!

Edited by markk (log)

Overheard at the Zabar’s prepared food counter in the 1970’s:

Woman (noticing a large bowl of cut fruit): “How much is the fruit salad?”

Counterman: “Three-ninety-eight a pound.”

Woman (incredulous, and loud): “THREE-NINETY EIGHT A POUND ????”

Counterman: “Who’s going to sit and cut fruit all day, lady… YOU?”

Newly updated: my online food photo extravaganza; cook-in/eat-out and photos from the 70's

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Harold's is an obscene restaurant. If it were a porno mag, it would be one of those that are wrapped in heavy plastic at a newstand, like the one focusing on giant amazon women with 55DDD breasts.

I've been to Harold's only a few times -- one of those was the rehearsal dinner for our wedding. Everyone ordered their own sandwich -- we didn't bother warning everyone. You should have seen the looks of horror on some of the petit people at that dinner, especially Rachel's bridesmaids.

Everything at Harolds comes in gigantic obscene portions. Its a goof, really. The matzo ball in the matzo ball soup is the size of a grapefruit, the knishes are like throw pillows, and the corned beef hash looks like a potato factory collided with a deli truck. The turkey BLT is a gargantuan, multitiered, over a foot high monstrosity reminiscent of a architectual mock up of the World Trade Center. The slices of cheesecake that they serve look like the bow of an ocean liner. The chocolate eclairs are the size of sewer rats.

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

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Harold's is an obscene restaurant. If it were a porno mag, it would be one of those that are wrapped in heavy plastic at a newstand, like the one focusing on giant amazon women with 55DDD breasts.

:laugh::laugh:

"Some people see a sheet of seaweed and want to be wrapped in it. I want to see it around a piece of fish."-- William Grimes

"People are bastard-coated bastards, with bastard filling." - Dr. Cox on Scrubs

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the knishes are like throw pillows, and the corned beef hash looks like a potato factory collided with a deli truck. The turkey BLT is a gargantuan, multitiered, over a foot high monstrosity reminiscent of a architectual mock up of the World Trade Center. The slices of cheesecake that they serve look like the bow of an ocean liner. The chocolate eclairs are the size of sewer rats.

Jason, this is killer stuff! Not the food so much as the humor. I once thought, and then wrote, an article about a place that served a whopping piece of cake covered with mounds of whipped cream resembling nothing so much as a Diabetic's Fantasy Matterhorn ... but an "ocean liner bow" is even better! Thanks for the belly-deli laugh! :laugh:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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