A Taste of Detroit in Chicago at Steve's Deli
Vernor’s Ginger Ale, the green labeled brew which once had a crazy bearded Viking gnome as its mascot, is pure elixir of liquid nostalgia. While I grew up in Detroit, it was the ubiquitous beverage that filled the basement fridge at my Polish grandparent’s house. I still remember peering over a glass of the stuff for the first time and getting knocked over by stinging carbonated ginger droplets that shot up my nose. This still applies. Try huffing a freshly poured glass of it today and it’ll kill your nostril hairs like Chinese mustard.
In addition to drinking Vernor's Ginger Ale all the time, every late November we’d head out to the annual Detroit Thanksgiving Day parade and eke out a spot on the curb across from the old Vernor’s factory on Woodward Avenue. Sweaty from my Michelin Man-puffy snowsuit and David Bowie Ziggy Stardust-period worthy moon boots, I’d stare at the Vernor’s logo and long for a draught.
The Vernor’s folks left Detroit years ago (much like me) and secured national distribution. And so, living in Chicago, it’s easy enough to find the stuff in the grocery store these days. Finding it in a restaurant, on the other hand is impossible—that is until Steve’s Deli opened a few weeks ago.
While Steve’s isn’t quite the classic Detroit deli, its origination in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a tiny suburb of Detroit, makes it authentic enough. Steve’s serves up all kinds of Detroit staples including the thick seeded rye of my youth and cold vanilla sundaes drizzled with kludgy, thick ribbons of Michigan’s own Sander’s hot fudge. One quibble is that they don’t serve Better Made potato chips, but you take what you can get.
Steve’s also brings a bit more of the deli spirit that—outside of Manny’s, Ashkenaz, and 11 City Diner—a big city like Chicago with a huge Jewish diaspora sorely lacks. Steve’s corned beef is lean, but tasty, their mozzarella balls are airy, and the salamis hanging from the ceiling are thick and ruddy. There’s plenty of formica and stainless in the diner style dining room, and while it’s not the best deli in town, it’s pretty damn good.
Steve's Deli
354 W Hubbard Street, Chicago, IL 60610 (b/n N Kingsbury Street and N Orleans Street; map)
312-467-6868
stevesdeli.com
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8 Comments:
Gotta love Vernor's. Oh and you haven't had a Boston Cooler until you've had it with Vernor's.
smile at 7:34PM on 11/13/08
Do you ever get out to the suburbs? I grew up on Schoop's hamburgers and egg salad, and can't imagine a better burger. In fairness, I haven't lived in Chicago, or for that matter, the US, for 10 years, so I don't know if the quality is the same as it was, but when I think of burgers, I think of Schoop's.
NotAmerican at 2:40AM on 11/14/08
Mmm, Reuben!
OneWallKitchen at 10:27AM on 11/14/08
I hadn't realized Vernor's was a rarity in Chicago. I see it fairly frequently, and it's available by the 12-pack in Jewel and Dominick's (or at least it was last time I went soda shopping).
me3dia at 11:46AM on 11/14/08
Yeah, like I said in the piece, it's not tough to find at the grocery, but rare in restaurants.
I ate at a Schoops in Warsaw, Indiana for the first time this year....and while I have no idea what it has to do with this deli piece, the burger was really good, proving that you can franchise without losing your culinary integrity.
Michael Nagrant at 12:18PM on 11/14/08
"mozzarella balls"? Do you mean "matzo balls"?
shirlee at 3:49PM on 11/14/08
Sure, do. Sorry about that, should be "matzo" balls.
Michael Nagrant at 1:09AM on 11/15/08
Sorry, got distracted by memories of Chicago food. When I go back, there's always a few things I need to have...pizza, a proper hot dog, etc., but there are always lots of things I almost never get a chance to have, like proper deli corned beef or a mortadella and provolone sub.
NotAmerican at 4:48AM on 11/17/08