I really loved that place, Don T. Just the other day, I made a post about the Veleska diner, a Ukrainian joint on E. 9th and Second Avenue, it's like five doors away from the old 2nd Avenue Deli. After the owner--Abe Lebewohl was murdered, the heart went out of the place. A real shame, too. He was a very sweet man.

Actually, not any more, TIS. When I was growing up, Jews constituted almost a third of residents of the five boroughs of NYC. In my old neighborhood, Brownsville Brooklyn, there was a kosher deli literally on every corner. Today the Jewish population has shifted elsewhere, and they've discovered Chinese and Italian food.
Meanwhile, the population as a whole has embraced Jewish deli (as seen in this thread). You can get decent "Kosher-style" corned beef, pastrami, tongue, brisket and matzoh ball soup in plenty of places, not all of them in Jewish-operated restaurants. But the hardest-to-get authentic Jewish soul food is really good derma (kishka). I'm talking about the derma that's grayish-brown, not bright orange; firm-textured, not mushy, and that comes with gravy that's actually viscous, not like spackle. Try finding that today.

My father LOVED Deli food and went crazy for stuffed Derma. That's how I learned how to eat it.

And you're so right Turnbull. The Stuffed Derma that you find today is nothing compared to how it was made years ago. Although Harold's Deli in Edison makes a pretty good Suffed Derma with excellent non "spakle like" gravy.


When I was growing up Kings Highway, from the lower west streets all the way up to the high east streets, seemed to have a Jewish Deli on every corner. And one was better than the next!

Is that Harold's Deli in Edison the same one that used to be in Parsippany? Last time I ate there I got deathly ill.

You're right about a deli on every corner in Brooklyn. Now there's a bodega on every corner.

The Harold's in Parsippany is NOT owned by the same Harold in Edison. We ate there once after seeing a show at the Meadowlands. Disgustingly horrible.

Yes, on Third Avenue! But, I understand that the name will remain the same. ("Da name stays like-a before!")

Heard this a few weeks ago on local radio.



Also, a new type of food shop has proliferated in Brooklyn - the "International Food" store. (International = Russian)

They are not sit-down restaurants. They are stores dealing in cold cuts, cheeses and (sometimes) fish, with canned goods and mysterious things in jars. Lots of Russian prepared stuff, and seldom anyone in the place who speaks English. These stores are all independent, but seem to invariably have the words "International Foods" on their signs. Signs in the windows are usually in Russian. Americans almost never go into these places.

Oh well...at least there's still Edelman's.

And, before I forget, there's another Kosher Jewish deli not far from the Kings Plaza Mall - the Mill Basin Deli & Art Gallery (yes, you read that right).

Signor V.

Jerry Seinfeld, when asked, "What's kishka?"

Seinfeld: "It's kind of a stuffed meat thing. Israeli soldiers carry it, in case they're captured behind enemy lines. They eat it, and it kills them."

One of the things I love best about Jewish delis is all the free goodies they put on the table.... pickles, cole slaw, etc.

How ironic that this topic was revised and on the top. Just came back from Golden's Deli and had 2 Hebrew Nationals with mustard and onions.

Were they blondes or brunettes?

From around 40 years ago, here's a classic from MAD Magazine:

(Sung to the tune of "Hello Dolly")

Hello, Deli,
This is Joe, Deli,
Would you please send up a nice corned beef on rye?

A box of Ritz, Deli,
And some Schlitz, Deli,
Some chopped liver and a sliver of your...apple pie.

Turkey legs, Deli,
Hard boiled eggs, Deli,
With tomatoes and potatoes you French fry.

Oh...

Please don't be late, Deli,
'Cause I can't wait, Deli,
Deli, without breakfast I will die!



Signor V.

OK, completely off topic, but years ago when I listened to Howard Stern, he had sent an intern out to do one of the show's famous "mock" interviews. The subject that day was Richard Gere, who is always crowing about his devotion to the Dali Lama.

The question asked of Gere? "Do you ever go up to him and say 'Hello, Dali!'"?

Redheads!

How were their buns?

Soft but firm.

No dimples huh?

My son and I went out for lunch today and we tried this New Jewish Style Deli that opened here on Staten Island about 6 months ago called VINTAGE DELI . It was out of this world delicious! Now some of you know that I love Harold's Deli over in Edison, but I have to say, while Harold's give you a ridiculously large amount of food, this place gives you pretty large portions also ( not like Harold's, but large enough), and the quality of their meats blows Harold's out of the water! Excellent.

And the dessert display looked awesome. They had what's called a 5th Ave Bar Cake that I will definitely try the next time that I go back. It looked delicious.

I love cake. I may go bake one now that you posted that.

Then you'll definitely have to make a trip out to Staten Island to try this new Deli. The quality of the meat was excellent. I know that you favor Pastrami, which my son had yesterday. He said that it was so juicy and tender. And my Brisket just fell apart everytime I bit into it. That's how tender and juicy it was.

The fries are home made hand cut and were fantastic.

They make these HUGE Chocolate Egg Creams, only using U-Bet Syrup ( they have a little placard on every table giving the history of the authentic Brooklyn Egg Cream). I'll definitiley have to try one of those the next time that I go there.

There are quite a few Jewish delis in Toronto although I have never actually been to one. From the description of the food in this thread I think I will be making a trip to one pretty soon.

DJ, did you ever eat at the KitKat Bar & Grill? We had a lovely meal there last time we were in Toronto. In Chinatown, we enjoyed Spadina Gardens, and Il Fornello, which was near our hotel, had good Italian food.

Haven't been to any of the restaurants you mentioned SB, for Italian I usually grab some premade pasta from a supermarket...yeah I know...for Chinese, Szechuan Gourmet near Bathurst/Steeles in North York is the best in the city in my opinion.

I'll have to keep that in mind for our next visit. Il Fornello was pretty good and not expensive at all. I don't remember the address, but it was near the Hilton.

That's a topless joint on Greenwich Street!


When we were in Toronto back in 1994, we had lunch one day at a place called Moe Pancer's Deli, and from what I remember it was very good.

Best in T.O.

Jewish Deli - don't really know.

Chinese - Szechuan Gourmet (which is really in Vaughan but I think of it as North York because it's so close).

Strip Joint - Whiskey A Go Go's in Vaughan, Zanzibar or The Brass Rail (say hi to A-Rod when you go there) downtown.

Shawarma - Farhat in Scarborough

Middle Eastern - Jerusalem in North York.

As far as Jewish delis go I'm sure Toronto has several but I think it may be more of a Montreal thing. Not saying that the ones in T.O. aren't just as good as their Montreal counterparts just that the ones in Quebec are probably more famous.

Of course the Shopsy's chain is quite famous but I don't know if it would qualify as a "Jewish Deli" per se. Good food though in any case.

Don't know about that, but the restaurant in Toronto was excellent. Here's their website: KitKat Bar & Grill

I ordered the fettucini in a four cheese and cream sauce and it was out of this world.

I love quattro formaggio cream sauce as well as quattro formaggio pizza!

Damn Guineas! Do we have to hijack every other thread with our Italian restaurants and food?

Guilty as charged.

And I as the accomplice!

I have to tell you that I am not that big on deli. I do love the rye bread, I adore matzoh ball soup, but I don't like pastrami, corned beef, tongue or any of those.