pastrami in northern NJ

[nutleygirl]

Hubby and I have a pastrami craving and don't know where to go. Tony's in Passaic Park was the closest place, but now it's gone. We are in the Nutley area, but are willing to venture further afield for a great sandwich. Thanks!

[menton1]

Kosher Nosh, Saddle River Road, Glen Rock. Great Pastrami. Great with fresh rye bread, cole slaw and russian dressing on the sandwich. MMMM....

[ejebud]

We are in the Nutley area, but are willing to venture further afield for a great sandwich. Thanks!

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It's a beautiful day. Hop in the car and go to Katz Deli. Well worth the trip across the pond.

[nizza]

You gotta go to THE KOSHER NOSH!!

The Kosher Nosh is the real deal and their food is delicious!!! From Nutley you can just take 21 to 20 to Fairlawn Ave to Prospect and you'll be there in 15 - 20 minutes.

Here's their website with a map. Their website is cute - put on your computer speakers

Kosher Nosh

[markk]

Hubby and I have a pastrami craving and don't know where to go.  Tony's in Passaic Park was the closest place, but now it's gone.  We are in the Nutley area, but are willing to venture further afield for a great sandwich.

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Would Exit 10 on the Turnpike - Edison, NJ, be too far?

That's where you find Harold's Deli and this sandwich

although the sandwich is now bigger than this one from a few years ago.

You'll be offered the pastrami 'lean' or 'juicy', which is to say, fatty, and it's excellent.

Indicentally, Harold Jaffe, the owner, at one point had a number of Harold's Delis around the state, but sold them all off and has no connection to them anymore, and they do NOT get their pastrami, or anything from him (which is a shame, as many of them are closer).

Still, the place is not 30 seconds from Exit 10, and is certainly worth the trip if you've never been. It's attached to a Holiday Inn - until recently it was a Ramada, in case you find directions that tell you that.

The pastrami is excellent. If you go, please post your comments. I'd ask you to take photos, but apparently the new, bigger sandwich requires a lens not yet invented. (Not to worry, they also offer a smaller sandwich - why, I don't know...)

[zhelder]

Here's another vote for the Kosher Nosh. Definitely the best deli in Bergen County and perhaps the state. Petak's in Fair Lawn is also very good, but I think they're closed on Saturdays. The sandwich form the deli in Edison looks good too, but it's too far for me to go on a regular basis.

[rlibkind]

Goodman's of Elmora, Elmora Avenue. It's been at this location since the early 1950s (perhaps earlier) and, athough it's gone through two changes of ownership, brothers Irv and Julie Goodman long since retired, it's hardly changed (other than the prices, and reupholstering of the counter stools and a fresh paint job).

For a real treat, order the No. 5 Jumbo Combo (pastrami, corned beef, slaw, russian on rye).

Not too-much-to-eat sandwiches like Harold's, just good, always freshly made and trimmed sandwiches. The brisket is popular too. My only complaint (and it's a minor one) is that the owner trims too much of the fat off of the CB, pastrami and brisket after cooking, IMHO, but that's what 99% of the public wants.

Added plus: directly across the street is an old-fashioned bagel place: water bagels, sized reasonably, not those overblown monstrosities you get at too many places today. I believe it's owned by the same family that owned the old Watson's Bagels of Newark and, later, Irvington, and that today owns another bagel bakery in South Orange and Sonny Amster's bakery at the Millburn Mall off Vauxhall Road in Union.

[Curlz]

Livingston Bagel on Northfield Avenue in Livingston; it's just east of the intersection of Northfield and S. Livingston Ave. YUM.

[markk]

I was intrigued by the comments about Goodman's (I found a few more in the Lunch in Elizabeth thread) and went there today for lunch. It turns out to be about 18 miles from Hoboken, and not all that far from Exit 13 on the Turnpike.

I had the pastrami sandwich, and it was alright, but nothing to write home about. It was tender and moist, for sure, which made it better than a lot of pastrami I try, but I found the flavor less than fully satisfying, somehow. I don't know enough about the spices involved to say what exactly was lacking, but I didn't enjoy it as much as Carnegie Deli's pastrami (when it's good, it's great, and some nights it is, some nights it definitely isn't), nor as much as Harold's (where except for one bad take-out experience, the pastrami has always been excellent).

Depending on my cravings and time, I may someday give it another try, although at that point Harold's is just another 12 miles south on the Turnpike...

If the original poster tries any of the places mentioned, or finds any others, would you please file a report on the pastrami? Thanks!

[hitmanoo]

Livingston Bagel on Northfield Avenue in Livingston; it's just east of the intersection of Northfield and S. Livingston Ave.  YUM.

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Driving past this location recently, there's either 1 of 2 things going on...

1. Livingston Bagel is closed

2. Livingston Bagel is going through a MAJOR renovation

From the outside, there looks to be major construction going on both inside and outside of this location.

Does anybody know the story?

[rlibkind]

I had the pastrami sandwich, and it was alright, but nothing to write home about. It was tender and moist, for sure, which made it better than a lot of pastrami I try, but I found the flavor less than fully satisfying, somehow.  I don't know enough about the spices involved to say what exactly was lacking, but I didn't enjoy it as much as Carnegie Deli's pastrami (when it's good, it's great, and some nights it is, some nights it definitely isn't), nor as much as Harold's (where except for one bad take-out experience, the pastrami has always been excellent).

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I think what's missing at Goodman's is salt to excess.

[markk]

I had the pastrami sandwich, and it was alright, but nothing to write home about. It was tender and moist, for sure, which made it better than a lot of pastrami I try, but I found the flavor less than fully satisfying, somehow.  I don't know enough about the spices involved to say what exactly was lacking, but I didn't enjoy it as much as Carnegie Deli's pastrami (when it's good, it's great, and some nights it is, some nights it definitely isn't), nor as much as Harold's (where except for one bad take-out experience, the pastrami has always been excellent).

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I think what's missing at Goodman's is salt to excess.

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Now THAT's really curious that you'd say that. As I was eating the pastrami, that thought occurred to me as one possibility. However, for the rest of the day I was thirstier than I think I've ever been - I mean, thirsty enough (after several large bottles of water) that I kept thinking back to what I had eaten (well, momentarily one forgets, you know), and realized that even though it seemed not to taste of it, the pastrami must have been a lot saltier than I realized.

[TongoRad]

markk

Indicentally, Harold Jaffe, the owner, at one point had a number of Harold's Delis around the state, but sold them all off and has no connection to them anymore, and they do NOT get their pastrami, or anything from him (which is a shame, as many of them are closer).

I went to one of them recently. I regognized the name because I was introduced to the Edison Harold's last November ( I was attending a function in south Jersey and one of the guys couldn't resist stopping off on the way down and picking up two sandwiches. Six of us managed to share those bad boys.) I was driving up Oradel Ave (?) by the Fashion Mall and spied the sign. I didn't think it would be the same experience but figured 'what the heck' and stopped in.

This one is more of a grocery store with a deli section in the back. I got one pastrami and one corned beef (normal sized sandwiches, btw). The pastrami was good- I liked the flavor but thought it was a bit too lean. The corned beef, however, was heavenly. Great flavor and a really luscious texture- with no big hunks of fat. Maybe I just like corned beef better because that seems to be my reaction across the board, no matter where I go- but I would go back just for that sandwich, whereas I would get the pastrami only if I was in the nabe.

Of course, this is only a first impression.

[menton1]

I think a field trip to Katz's is NYC is in order... it's not that far, and would save us all the agonizing about pastrami. I mean, Katz's has to be the ultimate pastrami, and it's just the other side of the Holland Tunnel!! We could organize a bus out of Jersey City!!

[jpr54_]

Harolds II in Paramus-is a kosher butcher store

with a snall deli and appetizing section

[Rosie]

Livingston Bagel is going through a MAJOR renovation. They are open. In the area you might want to also try Eppes Essen on Rt. 10 near S Livingston Ave.

[rlibkind]

I had the pastrami sandwich, and it was alright, but nothing to write home about. It was tender and moist, for sure, which made it better than a lot of pastrami I try, but I found the flavor less than fully satisfying, somehow.  I don't know enough about the spices involved to say what exactly was lacking, but I didn't enjoy it as much as Carnegie Deli's pastrami (when it's good, it's great, and some nights it is, some nights it definitely isn't), nor as much as Harold's (where except for one bad take-out experience, the pastrami has always been excellent).

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I think what's missing at Goodman's is salt to excess.

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Now THAT's really curious that you'd say that. As I was eating the pastrami, that thought occurred to me as one possibility. However, for the rest of the day I was thirstier than I think I've ever been - I mean, thirsty enough (after several large bottles of water) that I kept thinking back to what I had eaten (well, momentarily one forgets, you know), and realized that even though it seemed not to taste of it, the pastrami must have been a lot saltier than I realized.

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Keep in mind that Goodman's is the pastrami of my youth, just as the late, lamented Mother Hubbard (Westfield & Elmora Ave., Elizabeth) was the hamburger of my youth. There may well be better examples of each, but they were the foods of my youth, and nothing will ever taste as good.

[markk]

Keep in mind that Goodman's is the pastrami of my youth,

Oh, I know all about that (and I enjoyed your posts in 'Lunch in Elizabeth' tremendously much). I think we should be grateful that these places, and this food, still exist!

When I was a kid growing up in Queens in the 50's, every neighborhood had at least one Kosher deli, and one "Appetizing" Store. Now just try and find someone who even knows what that is !! I'm sure that soon these foods will all just vanish.

[menton1]

Is the Tabatchnick's in the Millburn Mall on Vauxhall Road gone? I don't go by there very often, so forgive me if it is ancient history. I remember , though, that Tabatchnicks had some terrific pastrami!!

[Curlz]

Very much open, Menton! We stopped in there during the Hot Dog Run!

[markk]

After I tried Goodman's (above), I decided that I definitely want to try Livinston Bagel, Kosher Nosh, and Tabatchnick's [are they related to the frozen food Tabatchnick's?].

In the meantime, having not been totally satisfied by Goodman's (didn't love it, didn't hate it), I went back to Harold's and took out another sandwich.

As discussed on a few other pastrami threads here, it has grown in size by 7 ounces in the past year, but the size isn't the point. It was totally delicious. Someone on a different thread who just had it called it "melt in your mouth delicious" which is was, and tasty too! It's one of the smokiest pastramis I've ever had, and it's a winner.

Still, I've made it a vow to try Livingston Bagel, Kosher Nosh, and Tabatchnick's, once Passover is over - since I almost went to Kosner Nosh the other day and learned they were closed for the holiday. Maybe I'll find a new favorite pastrami !

[NJ2FLA]

Highly doubtful at the Kosher Nosh. Yuck.

[nutleygirl]

Finally got my pastrami sandwich! Went to Katz's in NYC. It was great even the kids ate one. Thanks for all your replies.

[nizza]

NJ2FLA - Kosher Nosh - yuck???? You don't like the Kosher Nosh?

[nizza]

NJ2FLA - Kosher Nosh - yuck???? You don't like the Kosher Nosh?

markk - yes, I do think that Tabatchnick's and the frozen Tabatchnick's is one and the same.