Best NY Deli , not in NY

If you are ever in Edison New Jersey, you must try Harolds New York Deli. Their small deli sandwiches can feed 3-4 people. Large can feed 6. They have a pickle bar to kill for and their desserts are mpre like half a cake...

I loved my pastrami sandwich at Harold's but even I couldn't quite finish it. My wife ate maybe a quarter of her sandwich and the rest went in the garbage. Whats the point of serving only such huge portions. The cheapest salad on the menu was about $30. I'm sure its huge but who wants it for themself. I'm only in the area when traveling and don't want to take a to go bag, so we'll never be back.

The point is getting as much money out of your pocket into theirs. Their fixed costs are set.

When I was an undergrad at Penn, we were fortunate to have Koch's Deli a few blocks out in West Philly. I noticed in the spring when I was in Philly that it's still there, so I'm hoping it's still family-owned and the sandwiches as piled high and the service as friendly as I remember. When the lines would get out the door, one of the Koch sons would slice up a bunch of meat and hand it into the line to be shared and passed back!

Attman's Deli in Baltimore was in David Rosengarten's top picks for corned beef. The corned beef, pastrami, kugel and bologna wraped kosher hot dog are all among my favorites.

The place has a a great vibe. Few places have everyone from the well heeled to the welfare recepient standing shoulder to shoulder to get some good nosh. Oh, and the staff is great. Listening to the give and take among the staff is always hilarious.

Famous Fourth Street Deli in Philadelphia is up there with the best. I also like Chompie's in Scottsdale.

Two San Fernando Valley favorites: Art's Deli on Ventura Blvd. and Brent's Deli on Parthenia in Northridge. Both are absolutely delicious. Great people watching at Art's too!

quote:

Originally posted by Robearjr

Attman's Deli in Baltimore was in David Rosengarten's top picks for corned beef. The corned beef, pastrami, kugel and bologna wraped kosher hot dog are all among my favorites.

The place has a a great vibe. Few places have everyone from the well heeled to the welfare recepient standing shoulder to shoulder to get some good nosh. Oh, and the staff is great. Listening to the give and take among the staff is always hilarious.

I agree with this as the best one can get..............we thought the pastrami was better than any place in NYC as well as Harold's in NJ.

Let's not get picky but Edison NJ is right close to NYC!!!
I will nominate the New York Deli in Santa Fe (Cerrillos & Rodeo Rds) but I don't have the heart to try the food, esp. in chileland.

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Originally posted by acer2x

Famous Fourth Street Deli in Philadelphia is up there with the best.

I agree that they've become a great deli since they changed ownership a couple years ago. I wasn't so crazy about them before then.

Hershel's, the new deli in the Reading Terminal, has gotten past their rough first couple weeks and is now turning out very good corned beef and pastrami sandwiches that are thick, but not so much so (like Harold's or Famous Fourth Street) that you wind up barely being able to put a dent in it.

Deli, outside of NYC?

Dallas: Deli-News.
LA: Junior's.
Beverly Hills: Nate & Al's.

I'm sure there are many others. These are the ones I'm familiar with.

I nominate two:

New York Deli News in Denver

D.Z. Akins in San Diego.

Grizzly, you beat me to it.

I adore the New York Deli News. We can easily devour two bowls of the pickles besides dinner.

Sherman's in Palm Springs and Zingerman's in Ann Arbor.

I second Akins in SD. Great variety and high quality. Top notch omelettes. A nice array of deli staples-- smoked fish, chopped liver, kishka, etc. Not great pastrami, but not a pastrami place. For good pastrami, you got to go to a place that specializes in that particular style. Most delis with the kind of variety Akins has do not make their own pastrami. Nevertheless, Akins' sandwiches are tasty and enormous.

I nominate Reins Deli in Vernon, CT. www.reinsdeli.com Very good NY Deli food and far enough from NYC (it's north of Hartford) to make it out of the NY Metro area. In defense of Harolds in Edison, NJ. We always went as a family, bought 2 sandwiches, got extra rye bread and had leftovers for lunch the next day. Their portions are meant for sharing.

DPuro329

The Kibitz Room in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Like Harold's but better, and maybe a dollar or two cheaper lol.

quote:

Originally posted by NYNM


I will nominate the New York Deli in Santa Fe (Cerrillos & Rodeo Rds) but I don't have the heart to try the food, esp. in chileland.

I went there! And, as an ex-NJ resident myself, all I can tell you is: don't bother! I met the owner, and he was a nice enough man, that said, it's not a patch on the you know what of such a place as Carnegie, Harolds, etc.

Anyone know of one in Northern Delaware?

If your in Phoenix go to the Miracle Mile Deli. They have great Corned Beef and Pastrami sandwiches piled high.

I don't know if they are considered NY Delis or not, but Milwaukee has two really good ones in Jakes's and especially Benji's.

quote:

Originally posted by harriet1954

The Kibitz Room in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Like Harold's but better, and maybe a dollar or two cheaper lol.

If I'm not mistaken, The Kibitz Room was started by the same guy who started Kibitz in the City and purchased and transformed Famous Fourth Street Deli in Philly. He's a genius. We had virtually no decent Jewish deli scene in this city until he came along.

I grew up working in delis in NJ, here in Virginia there are slim pickings deli wise. But Goldberg's in Virginia Beach is outstanding, most likely because the owner is retired NYPD and knows about real delis. Its the best in the Hampton Roads area.

Since no one has mentioned them, I thought Shapiro's in Indianapolis was pretty good. Good bakery stuff, cafeteria-style deli delivery and some pretty fair ethic touches made it a nice retreat for someone looking for a deli sandwich. They're known for their corned beef, and it was good, as was the rye. It's been a few years since I was there, but I'd recommend it. I mean, it's Indianapolis, folks!

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Originally posted by phlmaestro2000

quote:

Originally posted by harriet1954

The Kibitz Room in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Like Harold's but better, and maybe a dollar or two cheaper lol.

If I'm not mistaken, The Kibitz Room was started by the same guy who started Kibitz in the City and purchased and transformed Famous Fourth Street Deli in Philly. He's a genius. We had virtually no decent Jewish deli scene in this city until he came along.

I tried to email you, but you have no contact info. Anyway, yes, Russ Cowan's the guy, and he has also bought Mr. Bill's, the landmark eatery on 73 off the A.C. Expressway. I can't vouch for the Philly Kibitz Room, and I don't even know if it's still there, but the one in Cherry Hill is extremely busy. As for other delis, like anything else, many of them have died out, but growing up in Northeast Philly, we used to go to Famous on Krewstown Road (it might be called Steve Stein's now), Jack's in Bells Corner, a place whose name I forget on Bustleton near Tyson, and a few other places. I'm hardly ever in Philly anymore. Further away from the Northeast, also used to go to 4th Street (we never called it Famous), Charlie's Wagon Wheel, and Hymie's in West Philly.

quote:

I tried to email you, but you have no contact info. Anyway, yes, Russ Cowan's the guy, and he has also bought Mr. Bill's, the landmark eatery on 73 off the A.C. Expressway. I can't vouch for the Philly Kibitz Room, and I don't even know if it's still there, but the one in Cherry Hill is extremely busy. As for other delis, like anything else, many of them have died out, but growing up in Northeast Philly, we used to go to Famous on Krewstown Road (it might be called Steve Stein's now), Jack's in Bells Corner, a place whose name I forget on Bustleton near Tyson, and a few other places. I'm hardly ever in Philly anymore. Further away from the Northeast, also used to go to 4th Street (we never called it Famous), Charlie's Wagon Wheel, and Hymie's in West Philly.

Yes; I know about all or most of those places. The service station a block up from Jacks' was my grandfather's and uncle's for decades. I still go to Stein's Famous on occasion because I have an elderly aunt who lives near there and it's about the only place she'll eat at.

But the key word in my last post was "decent." I admit to liking the Philly style of Jewish deli (served cold and sliced very thin), especially corned beef, for most of my life, but I never eat it any more (I get smoked fish and a bagel usually at Stein's). I didn't realize that the style of deli at all those old Philly places was nothing like what people eat in New York and some other parts of the country until maybe a decade ago, when some New York friends started taking me to places like Katz's, 2nd Ave., and Carnegie. Since then, and especially since Cowan started opening places in Center City, I find it difficult to eat the stuff I grew up on. I now get most of my deli from Hershel's at the Terminal, since I live so close to it.

It's all a matter of taste, of course. I know people who still prefer the Philly style to the New York style. But I don't think I'll ever go back.

Oh, and Kibitz in the City was pretty empty the last time I went in there, but it was an off time on a weekend. One thing I've noticed, going back to Pastrami and Things, the first place Cowan opened in Center City, is that after he sells them to the people he trained and moves on to his next project, the places he left sometimes go a bit downhill.

I'll second the vote for Shapiro's. Excellent, juicy pastrami on rye, and you can get 1/2 sandwiches (the sandwiches are huge). Plus Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray soda, and, since it is Indianapolis, a slice of strawberry-rhubarb pie...yum!

Well, philmaestro, without going into particulars, I'd be interested if you think the Kibitz Room in Cherry Hill has gone downhill (I'm serious; I want to know your opinion) - it's been awhile since the current owner took over. I don't have anything to compare it to, owner-wise, as I never ate there before he took ownership. I can't say more about it on here; as I said, I tried to email you and couldn't.

quote:

Originally posted by Phildelmar

Anyone know of one in Northern Delaware?

Afraid not. Nor southern Delaware for that matter. The Imperial Deli closed recently and Etta's sold out to someone else and it's not the same.

quote:

Originally posted by harriet1954

Well, philmaestro, without going into particulars, I'd be interested if you think the Kibitz Room in Cherry Hill has gone downhill (I'm serious; I want to know your opinion) - it's been awhile since the current owner took over. I don't have anything to compare it to, owner-wise, as I never ate there before he took ownership. I can't say more about it on here; as I said, I tried to email you and couldn't.

Harriet,
I just emailed you.
I haven't been to the Kibitz Room in Cherry Hill. I live in Center City without a car and am rarely in Jersey unless I'm on a train or bus on my way up to NYC.