Famous 4th Street Deli to Close

[philadining]

Stopped by Famous Deli today, and must agree with some previous comments that it seems like a whole new place. It actually looks much the same, but gleamingly clean, with very friendly, almost over-attentive service.

As I sat down, they brought a carafe of seltzer, a nice onion roll, and later a plate of pickles containing two old sours and two new half-sours. I ordered a "regular" brisket sandwich, for 9 bucks. It was so big I could barely get it in my mouth: (there's actually a bigger size for three more bucks, "the Zaftig")

It was very delicious, warm, flaking-apart brisket on good rye bread, fine on its own, better with a little touch of horseradish. I still like the cold, thinner-sliced style like at Koch's, but this was every bit as good, certainly juicier and more tender.

Other sandwiches going by looked great as well, and just as insanely large.

I ordered potato pancakes as the one side order included with the sandwich, which were almost spherical, just slightly smooshed toward disc-ness, with a good crunch and tender, smooth interiors. I loved them.

They also brought a complimentary small sample of matzoh ball soup, one tiny dumpling floating in a clear and subtle chicken broth. I'd get it on a cold day. As reported before, a Famous Chocolate Chip Cookie came with the bill.

I have to admit that I'd stopped going to Famous, but I'd gone many times years ago, and this incarnation seems orders of magnitude better. And their decision to stay open until 9pm seven days a week is grounds for celebration. I'm of two minds about the gigantic portions, they're actually fairly priced for what you get, but I could actually do with a bit less.

I'm ashamed to say that tonight, I sat there and slowly, methodically ate that thing... it was just so good!

Edited June 13, 2005 by philadining (log)

[Sfuffy]

Stopped by Famous Deli today, and must agree with some previous comments that it seems like a whole new place. It actually looks much the same, but gleamingly clean, with very  friendly, almost over-attentive service.

As I sat down, they brought a carafe of seltzer, a nice onion roll, and later a plate of pickles containing two old sours and two new half-sours. I ordered a "regular" brisket sandwich, for 9 bucks. It was so big  I could barely get it in my mouth: (there's actually a bigger size for three more bucks,  "the Zaftig")

The pickle portion is a big improvement over Famous's old one pickle per plate portion. But I still miss the complimentary steel bowl of pickles (and pickled tomatoes) of my North Jersey deli youth.

It was very delicious, warm, flaking-apart brisket on good rye bread, fine on its own, better with a little touch of horseradish.  I still like the cold, thinner-sliced style like at Koch's, but this was every bit as good, certainly juicier and more tender.

A big thumbs up for the thick-cut warm brisket - it's the only way to eat it. The rye looks a bit soft (and unfortunately seedless) similar to the bread I had when Russ Cowan owned the Chestnut St. Kibitz in the City. I'd be curious if it held up under the warm juciness.

Other sandwiches going by looked great as well, and just as insanely large.

The sandwich looks like just the perfectly sized deli sandwich to me - not at all insanely large (except when compared to the former Famous 4th's stingy size).

Looks like I'm gonna have to stop by and give them a try.

[philadining]

The rye looks a bit soft (and unfortunately seedless) similar to the bread I had when Russ Cowan owned the Chestnut St. Kibitz in the City. I'd be curious if it held up under the warm juciness.

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It is indeed a bit softer than the ideal deli rye, and seedless, which I'll agree is sad. But it was sliced just thick enough, and the sandwich was juicy, but not drippy, so it held up just fine. It's not my favorite bread, but the sandwich as a whole overcame that.

[rlibkind]

Finally got to The Famous today after avoiding it under the former management for at least a dozen years (see previous post).

What a difference new management makes! Whether judging by decor, service or food quality, this place is what a deli should be.

Decor: First of all, it's clean. It's been scrubbed and repainted, lighting improved. The 1940s, 50s era memorabilia from ancestors' delis were delightful to behold.

Service: Our waitress was there when we needed her, friendly, generous (she thought the egg cream too small, so she gave She Who Must Be Obeyed more). Since she was generous, so were we.

Food: My pastrami was on-target. At Kibbitz, they had switched to Vienna Beef, imported from Chicago which, while of decent quality, was way too salty for my taste. This pastrami was better. However -- and I'm in the minority here -- I want it to be less well trimmed: Gimme some fat. For $9.50, it was good value, oversized at nearly half a pound of meat, I'd guess. I imagine the "zaftig" portion comes in close to a pound, and I can't imagine anyone eating one. (Though I have finished a standard sized sandwich at Harold's, which is probably closer to a pound of meat.)

We'll be going back to try the rest of their menu. When winter comes, we'll taste the chicken soup with knaidele (well, one very big knaidel, the size of a softball, based on the order that passed us by at lunch today).

We picked up some blackout cake to have for dessert tonight, and I had some belly (salty) lox sliced to order for brunch at home over the weekend. The smoked fishes looked pretty good. Bulk halvah, too.

Cinghiale, I think the special sandwich you had was the "Franklin Avenue". Of course, on Franklin Avenue, they wouldn't have put cheese on the sandwich, which makes it non-Kosher. Growing up in North Jersey, most of the delis had a similar sandwich (invariably called a "No. 4" or "No. 5" combo: corned beef, pastrami, slaw and russian. For catering jobs, they'd make a similar sandwich, but with a lot less filling so it could be easily handled as finger food on party rye, and call it a "Sloppy Joe". (Yes, I know most folks consider the ground beef/tomato mix a sloppy joe, but at a North Jersey Jewish deli. a sloppy joe was entirely different.) The meats on the sloppy joe would vary to include roast beef, turkey and/or tongue. And if you make it from smoked fish, well, that's a Smoky Joe.

But I digress. The Famous is now back on my "go to" list. Hooray!

[Mottmott]

I went to Famous today for the first time since the management changed -- and the last time.

Yes, it's cleaner and brighter looking. But the service was just as slow, maybe slower. The food, definitely worse. To begin with, I don't remember when I had a weaker, more tasteless cup of coffee. Yes, I drink decaf, but I'm comparing it with decaf I've had there and elsewhere. I always get a whitefish sandwich, so it's easy to compare exactly with what I ordered at the old Famous.

First, they don't have kaiser rolls! A deli without kaiser rolls? And then, the "onion roll" I settled for fell apart on me. It also made a smaller sandwich to go along with the higher price. I admit that the sanwiches was taller so that I probably had the same amount of fish, tomato, etc. But i find it more pleasant to have a wider, shorter sandwich that doesn't dislocate my jaw to take a bite.

And as for their supersized sandwiches? I don't get it. To my eye a 6-7 inch high sandwich at a nearby table kinda took my appetite away. How can anyone possibly eat it? Fortunately, she had her back turned to me so I didn't actually have to watch it. And even some of the regular sandwiches are just unappetizing looking big blobs of meat on bits of bread.

And while I'm on a bit of a rant, I don't get why everyone thinks those chocolate chip cookies are so great? Greasy and salty at the old Famous, still greasy and salty.

[rlibkind]

Yes, it's cleaner and brighter looking. But the service was just as slow, maybe slower. The food, definitely worse.

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Based on my single experience, I disagree; our service was quite prompt. We were there for a weekday lunch at 12:30 p.m. with the place threee-quarters full; I counted five servers/buspersons. Sundays, I imagine, can be a lot busier. Nonetheless, even if they were having a normally busy Sunday, they should still be able to provide prompt service. Did they appear to be short-staffed or otherwise handicapped, or simply not paying attention?

To my eye a 6-7 inch high sandwich at a nearby table kinda took my appetite away.

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That sounds like the "zaftig" sandwich which, I concur, is way too big. The "normal" sandwich, though, is probably 4-inches tall, and that's still more than my jaw can open. But I urge you to visit Harold's in Edison to see what a really, really tall sandwich looks like. It would have trouble making the clearance in the Holland Tunnel.

I can understand why a substandard cup of coffee would set you off; no restaurant should get that wrong. Still, other than sandwich dimensions and your preference for a wider rather than taller sandwich (and the lack of kaiser roll), I have trouble understanding how you can state the food is "definitely worse". Was the whitefish salad rancid or have too much/too little mayo? Was in improperly prepared/seasoned?

As for the chocolate chip cookies, my guess is they are buying them from David Auspitz, the deli's previous owner who kept that business. So if they were greasy and salty before, well, they're probably still greasy and salty.

We brought home a piece of the blackout cake, and it was just what we wanted and expected: very chocolatey while remaining a cake, not a piece of fudge, though it would have been nice if the almonds had been toasted. I also brought home some belly (salty) lox; tasted perfectly fine, but the slicing was amateurish: some almost as thin as they should be, other slices way too thick. In my considered opinion, no one under the age of 55 should be permitted to slice smoked fish.

[Holly Moore]

As I struggle through the next six weeks of Carman traveling the Mideast - my weekend breakfast haunt therefore closed - I am forced to find new breakfast places. Sunday I ventured to the Famous Deli.

I use these occasions to order foods that Carman will never prepare, like SOS. This time it was corned beef hash and eggs. Gulp!!! The serving of corned beef hash could have fed half the restaurant. It came mounded on an 11" long x 5" wide platter (estimate) and was piled about 5" high. Filled the entire plate. On top two fried eggs - they don't do poached. I asked for a spare plate, took a normal portion and slid off the eggs. Hardly made a dent in the mountain of corned beef. Not the best I've had, but not the worst either.

It is a rare day in June that I will complain about tonnage. For me tonnage is usually second only to greasiness. But this was simply too much. I guess most people lug home what they can't eat. I opted not to. It would have just created another guilt trip sitting there in my refrigerator. Who wants to eat corned beef hash six more days in a row?

Edited June 12, 2006 by Holly Moore (log)

[rlibkind]

Who wants to eat corned beef six more days in a row?

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Me! Me! Me! Though it would be nice to have an occasional break with some pastrami, instead.

[Holly Moore]

I corrected my original post from corned beef to corned beef hash. Not sure if that changes things for Bob.

[Diann]

Who wants to eat corned beef hash six more days in a row?

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Me me me! If it changes things for Bob, it doesn't change things for me. Next time, box that baby up and send it my way--I adore corned beef hash.

Thanks for mentioning that Carman's is temporarily closed, by the way. I had been planning my inaugural visit for next weekend, but I'll wait.