NY Style deli

[Vancouver]

True or false: There is a real NY style deli someplace in the Vancouver area?

Requirements:

Steamed brisket overstuffed on NY deli rye with NY deli mustard

Square knishes

Dr. Brown's sodas

Hebrew national franks

Full dill pickles

Bonuses:

A good coleslaw

Curt efficient service

Help?!?!?!?!

[wesza]

True or false:  There is a real NY style deli someplace in the Vancouver area?

Requirements: 

Steamed brisket overstuffed on NY deli rye with NY deli mustard

Square knishes

Dr. Brown's sodas

Hebrew national franks

Full dill pickles

Bonuses:

A good coleslaw

Curt efficient service

Help?!?!?!?!

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If it's anywhere in Vancouver I will come and visit very soon.

Why don't someone utilize your national treasure ?

Many eGullet posters and lurkers have been inundated with "Pastrami Dreams" ever since "Chef Brian Fowke" made everyone droll over his magnificent Pastrami Experiment via eGullet his looked better then the venerable "Katz's" or anyplace from Montreal and I'm sorry but I keep thinking about it every time Pastrami or Vancouver is mentioned.

Irwin

[winegeek]

Best spot is Kaplans deli. One location on Oak and a new one open till 5 on West Pender, I believe. I'm from Montreal and it's the closet thing to Shwartz's that we have, although without Shwartz's great atmosphere.

[DameD]

I was going to say Kaplans as well, it is the only one that i know of

[baconburner]

Best spot is Kaplans deli.  One location on Oak and a new one open till 5 on West Pender, I believe. I'm from Montreal and it's the closet thing to Shwartz's that we have, although without Shwartz's great atmosphere.

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Hi

Ex Montrealer (1981) and still salivate for a Schwartz's Smoked Meat. I found a place in Langley on 200th street just past the By-Pass on the left hand side. He brings in the meat from Montreal. After many tries at other places , i.e. people swearing that the smoked meat was from Montreal, something was missing. Sliced the meat and put it between two pieces of bread-UGH. If the meat is not steamed for two or three hours to re-hydrate it it won't taste the same.

Baconburner

[Vancouver]

Hm....I'll have to try Kaplans. Is Kaplan (I assume that is the owner or founder) from NY by any chance? I'm having a serious brisket craving.

Cheers!

[Coop]

It's not Frenchie's on Hastings. Tough flavourless meat allegedly from Montreal. The only good thing was they didn't give you very much meat. After seeing Into the Fire about the New York place, was it The Carnegie? I have to ask, do you really need that much meat? Come on.

[eatrustic]

The owner of Kaplan's Deli is Marshall Cramer and yes he is from New York. He's a rag trade guy who loved great deli and bought the old Kaplan's a few years ago. http://www.kaplansstardeli.com/about.html

[Coop]

There was a great thread on another well known website about this place. It put our Irish Heather thread to shame. I understand they have cleaned up thier act in the last few years. It used to be a real old school place. Water served directly from the tap, matzo ball soup and some decent shnitzel of all things.

[nwyles]

There is a place that just opened in Yaletown call PHAT. I had a smoked meat bagel there the other day. Not being from NY or Montreal, I am not sure how it would compare but I do know it was very good and very filling.

Perhaps Chef Fowke could compare this to his day in Old Montreal..............

Brian ??

Are you there ?

[montrachet]

Best spot is Kaplans deli.  One location on Oak and a new one open till 5 on West Pender, I believe. I'm from Montreal and it's the closet thing to Shwartz's that we have, although without Shwartz's great atmosphere.

←

I miss having their mixed grill while sitting elbow to elbow with total strangers.

[Daddy-A]

Why don't someone utilize your national treasure ?

Many eGullet posters and lurkers have been inundated with "Pastrami Dreams" ever since "Chef Brian Fowke" made everyone droll over his magnificent Pastrami Experiment via eGullet his looked better then the venerable "Katz's" or anyplace from Montreal and I'm sorry but I keep thinking about it every time Pastrami or Vancouver is mentioned.

Truly, Chef Fowke's pastrami is the stuff of legends ... and tastes every bit as good as you'd think it would. Much better than Kaplan's IMO.

Perhaps Chef Fowke could compare this to his day in Old Montreal..............

Brian ??

Are you there ?

Brian? Wherefore art though Brian?

A.

[Vancouver]

Ok, the Kaplan's website sounds promising. I'm going to try it and hope for the best!

Cheers!

[appreciator]

Go forth..... see what you think....

Try to not keep in mind what you’ve read.

I have not been to Kaplan’s but I have been to various places in Montreal.

Are you going to have a Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich experience in Vancouver.....

I doubt it.

Are you going to have a great sandwich..... I think that is a high probability.

It's all about perspective folks

Ok, the Kaplan's website sounds promising.  I'm going to try it and hope for the best! 

Cheers!

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[eatrustic]

No Kaplan's doesn't give the Monteal experience but they sure try to cover the bases from Smoked meat to Pastrami to Corned Beef. Theoretically all flown in from their respective places of origin (N.Y., Chicago etc.)

For someone who was brought up in Montreal this is almost heretical to say but the hot smoked meat (on) bagel at Siegels beats all the other smoked meat on rye that I've had here in Vancouver.

[Vancouver]

Just to clarify - I wouldn't want a Montreal experience.

I'm looking for a NY experience.

Wouldn't want to start the discussion on the relative merits of Montreal vs. NY for anything related to deli or bagels.

Cheers!

[agog]

Best spot is Kaplans deli.  One location on Oak and a new one open till 5 on West Pender, I believe. I'm from Montreal and it's the closet thing to Shwartz's that we have, although without Shwartz's great atmosphere.

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The Kaplan's downtown is located on Alberni Street between Burrard and Thurlow right across the street from the Kobe Steakhouse. I had lunch there last week and they've been open about a month now.

I had the pastrami on rye and my friend had the Montreal smoked meat. She's eaten at Shwartz's in Montreal and agrees it's very similar. One thing I noticed was that she got the smaller sandwich ($7.25?) and I got the full size ($10.25?). We compared the sizes and mine didn't look like I got much more meat than she did.

The only reason I was a bit disappointed was that the counterperson said they were done by weight and I didn't think I got $3 more at all. Both of them were still stacked huge though. Another minor complaint was that the rye they gave us was tiny. Maybe we got the ends of the loaf because there was barely any bread to hold on to.

I really liked the coleslaw which my friend doesn't eat, so I got her portion too. That kind of made up for the slightly smaller sandwich. I also had the Dr. Brown's Black Cherry Soda ($2.50). Overall it was a very good sandwich and I was pretty stuffed afterwards especially after drinking the Cherry Soda. Another thing is that they have two different kinds of mustard in those plastic squeeze containers on the island. There's a hot and regular. The hot tastes kind of like the hot Chinese mustard you get at restaurants with a bit of honey added. I kind of like that taste. I've never had that on a sandwich before.

The deli is also very bright and roomy. Almost everyone sits up on stools at these large yellow islands. When it's busy, which it was, there'll be people sitting directly across and next to you. I think you can also sit right against the window to people watch on Alberni. There might be 4 or 5 regular sized tables.

The next time I go back I'll probably try one of their Chicago dogs. I think they have three on the menu.

Is Marshall Cramer the same fellow that used to run Tribeca on Seymour about 5 doors down from A&B Sound? I thought I had read that somewhere. I used to eat lunch there before they switched owners and the one thing I miss is that I like my rye bread toasted really well. I'm not sure if Kaplans will do that.

[Keith Talent]

Selflink to my Kaplans hotdog report

[Vancouver]

Hi. Thanks for recommending Kaplans. I had lunch there today. I had a brisket sandwich, knish and cel-rey soda. The brisket was quite good - tender, warm, moist. The rye bread was ok - it wasn't real NY deli rye. (Most particularly the crust was a bit different - wrong texture.). But overall I enjoyed the sandwich, and it was better than any other brisket I've found in Vancouver or San Francisco. The side slaw was tasty - and not overly mayoed up. It had a pleasant crispness to it. The knish was a round one, no square ones available. It was served plated much more fancily than in NY - it came with lettuce and tomato garnish as well as sour cream to dip into. The cel-rey soda was authentic.

Overall I was happy to have tried the place and will certainly return. Thank you!

[canucklehead]

No Kaplan's doesn't give the Monteal experience but they sure try to cover the bases from Smoked meat to Pastrami to Corned Beef. Theoretically all flown in from their respective places of origin (N.Y., Chicago etc.)

For someone who was brought up in Montreal this is almost heretical to say but the hot smoked meat (on) bagel at Siegels beats all the other smoked meat on rye that I've had here in Vancouver.

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Yeah! Someone else said it first.. I really like the bagel sandwich and Seigel's too. However, my deli experience is a limited to the L.A. stuff - Jerry's and Nate n Al's - very good, but I am sure a New Yawka would completely disagree.

[Chef Fowke]

I was a huge fan of the Kolachy...

I have kept my mouth shut about this place long enough, I feel so selfish…but you eGulleters always cause such big lines whenever I find a new great place that I love ~ I cannot even get near to the Kolachy Shop because of the eGullet Hoards!

Three times a week I am at Phats for a REAL Montreal Smoked Meat, served on light rye with spicy deli mustard!

Nothing touches it. Though the room feels like a 'franchise boilerplate' it seems to be run by a Jewish family, I suspect from Montreal.

...and they know their DELI FOODS!

I am just starting to work my way through the other items on the menu; other Montréal transplants and wanna-bes will appreciate the Matzo Soup, Challa Bread French Toast, Challa Club Sandwich just to name a few.

And the espresso drinks! WOW! Finally a deli that understands what an Americano is about.

I can not say enough about this place, I guarantee I will be standing in line a couple times this week....drool running down my chin!

I will grab a menu, takes some photos and post more as I get it.

[winegeek]

Chef Fowke, thanks for the tip. Only 21 more days until I'm at Schwart's!!!!

[dodger]

Kaplans is the best deli in town......according to my Jewish in-laws...and I can attest to it!!

We have Kaplans <deli> at least 2 or 3 times a month at family gatherings..... ( the < & > were inserted because that is how we refer to anything that comes from Kaplans........."DELI" just so we know what kind of dinner it is going to be!)

They have a boccinini and tomato salad, dressed in a tarragon vinagrette that is to die for...never mind the huge kosher dills (nice and tart...pucker up!) and the meats are great....

Always a treat....

John

[Chef Fowke]

Hey, do not beleive me, take a look!!

This is the NEW old Montreal Style and it is good to see it in Vancouver!

[Keith Talent]

If you take off your glasses, stand well back from the monitorand tilt your head to the right that sandwich looks, awww screw it, that 's too off colour for even my depraved sense of humour.