Dallas Delis

[Kevin72]

Saturday we made a far-too-infrequent visit to Deli News, at the intersection of Preston and Campbell. Deli News had originally been in operation further west on Frankfurt (maybe at Midway?), and it doubled as a Russian restaurant, complete with ornate murals of Russian palaces and scowling czars. It closed up shop and moved to this location, and we only found it again by accident, thinking it had shut down for good. It has dropped the overt Russian theme and moved more in the direction of a general delicatessen, though there are Russian/Polish/Jewish specialties liked stuffed braised cabbage and pirogues offered for dinner. For lunch they offer salads and deli-style sandwiches, and at breakfast they have omelettes, eggs, pancakes, challah French toast, bagels, and a good spread of smoked or preserved fish for the real deli-heads. I’m always interested in other items on the menu, but we go so rarely that I gravitate to my standby, the deli breakfast plate of scrambled eggs, a bagel, and sautéed sampler of salami, pastrami, and corned beef. They will roll the defibrillator up to your table on request.

So as we’re eating it hit me that we really needed to start going here more. We’ve been wanting to find a reliable straightforward breakfast spot with no luck, and were also lamenting the recent (to us) demise of Gilbert’s Delicatessen in Addison. We’ll probably hit it for lunch sometime in the next few months and I’ll get that review up as well. I’m not making any claims about authenticity to displaced New Yorkers out there, but it’s a good, reliable spot.

What are your favorite Dallas delis?

[orenlund]

I hadn't eaten at a deli news since I was in elementary school. I tried the one on preston and campbell and had the best reuben I've had in Dallas. Very exciting that there is a place (albeit a 30 min drive) to get a good reuben here. thanks for the suggestion. As far as deli's... considering the huge jewish population in Dallas I am always surprised by the lack of good deli that can stay in business (without changing owners) for more than a few years.

-oren

[Kevin72]

Glad you liked it!

We actually went back last week and also had the reuben. And I'd agree, it's better than Gilbert's (the only other place in Dallas I've had a reuben).

[theabroma]

I had the saddest Reuben of my life at the Deli News, Too at Preston and LBJ - open faced, and not freshly cooked corned beef brisket, but that compact, pressed stuff that you buy at the deli counter at Tom Thumb. I couldn't get through more than three bites.

Now, their kasha varnishkes are good, as is their borshcht. The chopped liver on rye isn't too shabby either.

I really don't know any good delis in Dallas. Once upon a time there was Phil's and Deli News was at the Crescent Court and it was killer.

I guess the pleasure must be saved and treated on a trip to southern Florida, Los Angeles, Chicago, and, of course, New York.

Theabroma

[theabroma]

As far as deli's... considering the huge jewish population in Dallas I am always surprised by the lack of good deli that can stay in business (without changing owners) for more than a few years.

-oren

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Oren, you're right about the size of the Jewish community here in the Metroplex. But ... the kind of deli delights we're talking about, and I'm getting teary eyed and slobber-jawed over belong squarely to the Eastern European Jewish community ... the Poles, Russians, etc. And since Dallas was not a major port of immigration, it never had a concentration of that group, unlike Houston, New Orleans, etc. As people became more "Reformed" and the grandmas who knew how to cook these things, and the number of people who were even familiar with this style of food began to decline, and then when fat, saturated fat, schmaltz, etc. became somehow more vile thank pork, the demand for these items declined sharply. Much of the meats and fish products are mfg in New York, often by companies producing kosher foods ... so they become rather expensive. The target audience is in decline, or will not be seen anointing a slice of black bread (where can you get good black bread, anyway??) with schmaltz and shredded black radish in public. So who buys?

It's really sad because this is such wonderful food, evocative of such a rich culture. I would positively kill for some chopped chx liver made with chicken fat, real marble rye to eat it on, and garlic dill pickles right now. Then the mushroom barley soup, and a kasha knish. This, then, is the Jewish Rapture!!!!!

Theabroma

[Kevin72]

I had the saddest Reuben of my life at the Deli News, Too at Preston and LBJ - open faced, and not freshly cooked corned beef brisket, but that compact, pressed stuff that you buy at the deli counter at Tom Thumb.  I couldn't get through more than three bites. 

Now, their kasha varnishkes are good, as is their borshcht.  The chopped liver on rye isn't too shabby either.

I really don't know any good delis in Dallas.  Once upon a time there was Phil's and Deli News was at the Crescent Court and it was killer. 

I guess the pleasure must be saved and treated on a trip to southern Florida, Los Angeles, Chicago, and, of course, New York.

Theabroma

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I didn't know that there was more than one Deli News. So maybe that one that used to be on Midway and Frankfurt was just another outlet that closed . . . ?

Your description of deli fare just set my lunchtime stomach rumbling into overtime. Sorry you weren't so keen on the reuben . . . they even say on the menu it's New-York authentic!