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Today Serious Eats Is One!
mazel tov Ed! And on Chanukah no less?
The Best Jewish Delis: What's Your Favorite?
the whole kosher thing is a morass.
Glatt Kosher: the highly certified, closed on sabbath and all holy days, watermark of orthodox eating. If you're frum, this is where you eat. Noah's Ark on Clinton is one.
Plain old Kosher: uses certified kosher products, though not necessarily glatt (Hebrew Ntl), open on sabbath, but no milk and meat, treyf. Kosher people will eat there, but not Orthodox. 2nd Ave Deli is prime example.
Kosher style: an outdated term. Once meant "hey, our meat may not be kosher, but we don't put cheese on our sandwiches, and no bacon will enter this store". Then kosher style places started serving treyf, and now it basically is a euphemism for Jewish Style.
Deli: any of the above, providing they serve steamed pastrami, corned beef, and other jewish specialties. They can be glatt kosher (Essex on Coney), or completely treyf (Carnegie), but you only know it when you visit. If the smell of salt and steamed meat doesn't knock you over, it ain't a deli.
The Best Jewish Delis: What's Your Favorite?
my correction: Kenny and Ziggy's is in Houston
Kenny and ZUKES is the new one in Portland.
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Canadian Cuisine?
aside from what's specifically French Canadian in Quebec, not much really. It's basically the same as American...a foundation of continental, mixed with international (mainly Asian), paired with local ingredients.
Today Serious Eats Is One!
mazel tov Ed! And on Chanukah no less?
The Best Jewish Delis: What's Your Favorite?
the whole kosher thing is a morass.
Glatt Kosher: the highly certified, closed on sabbath and all holy days, watermark of orthodox eating. If you're frum, this is where you eat. Noah's Ark on Clinton is one.
Plain old Kosher: uses certified kosher products, though not necessarily glatt (Hebrew Ntl), open on sabbath, but no milk and meat, treyf. Kosher people will eat there, but not Orthodox. 2nd Ave Deli is prime example.
Kosher style: an outdated term. Once meant "hey, our meat may not be kosher, but we don't put cheese on our sandwiches, and no bacon will enter this store". Then kosher style places started serving treyf, and now it basically is a euphemism for Jewish Style.
Deli: any of the above, providing they serve steamed pastrami, corned beef, and other jewish specialties. They can be glatt kosher (Essex on Coney), or completely treyf (Carnegie), but you only know it when you visit. If the smell of salt and steamed meat doesn't knock you over, it ain't a deli.
The Best Jewish Delis: What's Your Favorite?
my correction: Kenny and Ziggy's is in Houston
Kenny and ZUKES is the new one in Portland.
The Best Jewish Delis: What's Your Favorite?
Goldenberg's is actually a distant branch of the great Stage Door Deli of Detroit area, so it's roughly the same deal.
Kenny and Ziggy's just opened today in Portland. House cured and smoked pastrami, hand cut, on freshly baked bread. Head down that gorgeous coastal highway and check it out Stushi.
The Best Jewish Delis: What's Your Favorite?
I agree. though I love fries, and their quality can greatly enhance a deli experience (see Schwartz's), they aren't in the lexicon of Ashkenazi cooking. Let's say latkes for compromise.
The Best Jewish Delis: What's Your Favorite?
Hey Ed,
David Sax here of http://www.savethedeli.com Having eaten hundreds of deli meals in the past year (still alive!), here's the emmis on what I've found to be tops.
In NY:
-Great surprises from Pastrami Queen on Lex and 78th, which has excellent dry cured pastrami with the recipe from ex Pastrami King of Queens.
-agree on Liebman's, Katz's, Carnegie. Only Artie's experience was with you. Good local deli, but not tops in city or nation in my opinion.
-Essex on Coney, in Brooklyn, is the best glatt kosher offering, and the best atmosphere, cholent and chicken soup has to be Gottlieb's in Williamsburg, a hassidic place where everyone speaks Yiddish.
-For a chain, Ben's Kosher is a winner, with a wonderful house cured corned beef and tongue, not to mention golden kreplach with carmelized onions
-Katz's still rules the roost in Manhattan overall, despite the fries, or other cooked foods. It's a pastrami place, and if they just served that I couldn't fault them.
As for the rest of the nation/world, I'll include some of the tops
Detroit: no other city seves finer rye bread. It'll make the stuff in NY seem like pop tarts.
Stage Door Deli is the biggest and most popular overall
Zingerman's is a haven of fresh everything, made from the finest ingredients money can buy. I hope it's the model for future delis.
Chicago: Manny's is the Katz's of the windy city, and their corned beef is pink silk. Obama eats there...
Kaufman's, in Skokie, makes a killer reuben strudel, which is to die for.
Boulder: The best noodle kugel and house smoked fish I've had was at a new place called Jimmy and Drew's 28th St. Deli in Boulder, Colorado. they make everything in house, including meats and fish, which is rarely seen these days. Their kugel is so dense, sweet, and custardy, it slows the heart with joy.
LA: I know you're a New Yorker, and conceding anything to LA is tantamount to treason, but let me say as an objective observer, that LA is close to surpassing New York in deli quality per capita.
Langer's has the finest pastrami anywhere. Period. Better than Katz's. Hands down.
Nate n' Al serves up the finest matzo ball soup, and corned beef made from certified angus beef...so rich it melts on the tongue like iced cream
Factor's, Junior's, Art's are all top grade delis that can stand toe to toe with anything on 7th Ave, at a fraction of the price, plus you can get a movie deal just eating there.
Brent's, in the Valley, is the mother of them all...a place of such fine tuned perfection even their kishke tastes of crispy gold.
Say what you will about LA...until you eat their deli it's just words.
Houston: Kenny and Ziggy's is one of the best all round New York delis. It just happens to be in cow country. Ziggy Gruber is a deli man the likes of Abe Lebewohl or Leo Steiner. When he returns to New York one day, the city will take some serious notice. Kugels light as air, cabbage rolls that taste like fluffy veal.
Florida: a wasteland. The Rascal House will soon be torn down, and with it, the joy of Jewish Florida. That said, 3G's in DelRay Beach offers a glimmer of hope, with sandwiches on double baked rye and schmaltz filled matzo balls.
I've heard great things about Attman's in Baltimore and 4th St. Deli in Philly, plus Harold's in NJ, but can't comment from experience.
I will say that Montreal is the town to beat. Schwartz's is the king, but attention must be paid to Lester's, Snowdon Deli, Abie's, and Smoked Meat Pete. The grilled salami sandwiches at Wilensky's are the ambrosia of my youth.
The Health Dept. vs. the Jewish Deli
Glad to know I've been vindicated by the saussage king of chicago.
David Sax
The Future of the Jewish Deli
I recommend all true deli fiends to check out my site http://www.savethedeli.com which is specifically dedicated to this most important cause. Ess Gezunt!
The Best Jewish Delis: What's Your Favorite?
Oh man, I think I am going to plan a Deli tour of NYC. I am from Vancouver, BC and we have Kaplans which has been around since the 50's I believe, but it is not so good, not anymore. Other than that we have NOTHING here. As for the comment about Montreal, I don't agree that Montreal bagels are the best, I don't like them chewy I like them the way I grew up with them which are more doughy. Also we don't have smoked meat in Vancouver, but rather corned beef.
Anyway I did go to Artie's when I was in NY three years ago as well as Katz' and preferred Artie's by a longshot.
I am sad that I have missed out on all the great deli's from a bygone era, I may never get to experience the atmosphere and tastes that I grew up yearning for.
The Best Jewish Delis: What's Your Favorite?
I live in Jersey and so far the best Jewish Deli is in Cherry Hill. It's called the Kibitz Room. The Matzo ball soup is to die for, the liver knish is one of the best I have ever tasted. When I need a Kibbitz "fix" I go for the pastrami sandwich with chopped liver on pumpernickle, a liver knish and matzo ball soup and their pickles and green tomatoes. The matzo ball soup and the knish get eaten later for dinner. The sandwiches come half or whole and they also have a humongous sandwich called the g.b.m.f. It is insane. It took four of us to eat it. Next time anyone is in Jersey and close proximity to Cherry Hill, try them. The deli guys are a riot and they do kibitz with you and the waitresses are funny.
The Best Jewish Delis: What's Your Favorite?
I have to disagree about Artie's. I've only eaten there once and the fries, hot dogs, and pastrami were all mediocre. It's nice to know the place is up on the UWS if necessary, but I'm definitely not putting it in the same category as Ben's Best, Sarge's, or Katz's. \
Canadian Cuisine?
Torontonians are not the most well-liked people in Canada. I grew up in central Ontario and moved to the GTA a few years ago. They are very snobby and rude, I guess they are the American equivalent of New Yorkers. Must be because its city life.
As for cuisine, most people have touched on it. Wild game, seafood, poutine, maple syrup, beavertails (but I grew up with them being called Moosetongues), peameal bacon etc.
The prepared foods in Canada are unique, such as dill pickle chips, coffee crisp, crispy crunch, kraft dinner, and Tim Hortons. Other than that, I think our cuisine is very similar to American.
Canadian Cuisine?
@2muchfood, slightly OT, but I have heard that Torontians (sp?) are so uptight and rude - what gives?
Canadian Cuisine?
Geez, there's a lot of comments here! Okay, my step-mother and step-sister are Canadian, and one of the things I remember most is breakfast, which was a bird-in-a-nest and some real pea meal bacon. Bird in a nest is basically an egg fried into the center (or, in Canada, "the centre") of a piece of toast. That bit you removed is also toasted in the pan, for dipping. This can be done on any side of the border where a slice of bread and an egg can be found, but what about the bacon? Believe it or not, it can be had (for a price!) here in the good ol' U-S-of-A, at a place called ...
You can get it sliced or in roasts. If you're well heeled enough, you can get it by the gross, if you want. I find it's not too far off of the "real" stuff, but with a lot of extra water added that cooks out. What I've not done (and should) is a whole roast, THEN sliced.
Anyway, chips-n-gravy, chips-n-curds, amazing steaks served with butter on top, and great game. That, along with some good produce in the summer puts off the "I can't be bothered with you" attitude you sometimes get in Toronto.
Canadian Cuisine?
@tasteful - thanks so much for breaking it down for me.
Canadian Cuisine?
I live in Nwe York state just 5 minutes from Niagara Falls, when it was easy to cross the bridge into Canada without waiting a hour like it is now I would go there for groceries, my mom grew up in Toronto and we love to cook. There are some things we buy there that I can't get in the US. It was always good to go when the US dollar was worth more. Now all the Canadians are flocking across to the US because most places take the Canadian$ at par. Whenever I go anywhere shopping there are more Canadian cars in the parking lot than New York ones. It has even gotten to where the Canadian shoppers don't want to declare thier purchases at the boarder so they wear old clothing to the US and toss them anywehre they feel like (in our malls & parking lots) and wear the new clothing & shoes home. On a Sunday afternoon when the mall closes we are left with a huge mess! ANd they are SO RUDE!!!!!
Canadian Cuisine?
Canada has a strong culinary identity which is distinguished by local ingredients, and many different cultures. The same as any other country in the world there are several regions.
They love blueberry wine in the east.
Newfoundland is similar to English food. Peas pudding, salt meat, jigs dinner, bubble and squeak. There aren't many fruits and vegetables around, because Newfoundland is a giant rock. So its mostly root veg, preserved meats, and seafood.
Nova Scotia has lots of sea food. They have saltwater Taffy, which is a highly addictive chewy candy.
Quebec is extremely french. You will find tons of local cheese and charcuterie. Cheese curd and great foie. They also have sugar pie, and maple syrup soup (which I've seen with and without rhubarb.) Poutine and Montreal smoked meat are some of the more famous ones.
You can find beaver tails throughout Canada which are actually fried dough, coated in various toppings in the shape of a beaver tail.
In Toronto, it is one of the most multi cultural places in the world. There is good Greek food, Jamaican food, Indian food, Chinese food, Japanese food...you get the picture. If you want it you got it. The cuisine of Toronto sprouts from this inspiration. There are great farms in Ontario with great local products.
In Alberta they have tons of beef. As a result, they eat tons of beef.
Throughout Canada there are many varieties of game animals. Its not unusual to see a bison burger, or have venison on the menu at a nice place.
Fiddle heads are extremely Canadian. We also have wild mushrooms in the West of canada.
On a whole, we have good beer, lots of doughnuts, and some flannel. There are even Native Canadian Chefs that are innovating traditional Native Canadian food.
Canadian Cuisine?
I'm another Canadian Serious Eater, but I don't have much to add in the way of defining Canadian cuisine. We seem to have a hard time defining Canadian culture, so cuisine tends to follow I guess. I know when people have visited us from elsewhere (US, Asia, Europe) they have enjoyed the butter tarts, nanaimo bars, tortiere, and various types of candy that aren't available in the US (i.e., Smarties-kind of like plain M & Ms, but better!)-those seem to be the things they hadn't heard of before coming. My Belgian cousins are also fascinated by Tim Horton's and all things maple. That said, I've eaten many yummy things here, from the traditional British roast beef dinner, to a broad variety of ethnic cuisines. There are many culinary adventures to be had in the various regions as others have pointed out.
Canadian Cuisine?
Bitter and PerkyMac - you should have the Nanaimo Bar recipe now. Anyone else who wants it - ping me!
Canadian Cuisine?
@Maureen........did you get my email? I'd love to see that recipe also. I'm surprised I never heard of it.
Canadian Cuisine?
I agree with littokrazie regarding portions. Canadian restaurants tend to serve more reasonable portions. Also the food in general tends to be less sweet including pop (aka soda in the US), peanut butter, fruit yogourts etc... Most items are also more lightly dressed (salads) and sauced. Overall a healthier, more European approach. It might exlpain why we have lower obesity rates...
I'm French Canadian and enjoy foods from my culture as well as many others from our "cultural mosaic". And always vinegar on fries...
Canadian Cuisine?
one thing i have noticed as a vancouverite who travels to long beach/seattle a lot is that canadian restaurants tend not to serve massive portions of food.
Canadian Cuisine?
I lived in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia (my father's home town) until I was 10. My mother used to make "Newfoundland Turkey" which is nothing more than a hash made from dried salt cod fish, onions, potatos, all fried up in butter. It was delicious. The culture in that part of Canada is Scottish.
Canadian Cuisine?
Transplanted Vancouverite now living in Washington DC here. Nothing says "Canada" more than butter tarts, financier cakes, and smoked BC salmon.
Canadian Cuisine?
@Maureen - I just sent you an e-mail. Can hardly wait.
Canadian Cuisine?
@gnomatic, Beavertails in Canada are similar to if not the same as Elephant Ears in the U.S., a staple in food trailers at carnivals and fairs. I have pics posted from an Elephant Ear trailer at a county fair in Michigan this past summer ... they're here if you want to see the similarities.
Canadian Cuisine?
I'm a Canadian. First generation Canadian. I agree that Canadian food is very regional. But I also think that every person's definition of Canadian food is quite personal. My parents are British so I grew up basically eating British food in Canada. I also grew up in Saskatchewan - so along with the British food, I got my share of cabbage rolls, perogies, saskatoon berries, etc. My husband's family is Acadian. So he grew up eating Acadian food. Two very different Canadian food experiences. I get a kick out of restaurants that advertise cuisine such as: Chinese and Canadian food, Italian and Canadian food. We don't visit such restaurants - the Canadian food component kind of scares us. Anyway, my two cents on the Canadian food thing.
Canadian Cuisine?
Are Beavertails unique to Ottawa (and associated with skating on the Rideau canal)? I never heard of it until I lived in Ottawa for 16 months, and I think I only saw it available at the huts next to the canal. I think it ought be more popular..what's not to love about sugar covered deep fried dough?
Canada's immigrants are alot more integrated then the US. Also the immigration policy (excluding refugees) is skill base, not like the random bureaucratic crap shoot that is the US policy. It has nothing to do with compassion.
The immigrant population tend to be more educated and/or skilled . Language skills usually less of a barrier (you get more points for knowing english or french), thus faster integration to the society. I think that's how "ethnic" food integrated into mainstream "Canadian" cuisine faster. My mom learned to make an amazing Spanakopita (learned from her Greek boss..and they say she makes it better than they do), and my dad loves Panettone (got one from his boss every Christmas). We would get Jamaican beef patties for lunch, and go out for Pho after a day out in the cold Canadian winter. I think our stomach integrated fastest.
But all that was when I was kid...I see alot less integration now (I started noticing when I was in highschool). Part of the reason I don't like to visit much anymore. Various ethnic groups tend to stay in a certain area, just like the US. People don't mingle with other groups as much anymore. It's sad.
Canadian Cuisine?
Bitter - send an email - mauscott@hotmail.com - to get the naniamo bar recipe.
Canadian Cuisine?
Phauxtoe--I do know the meaning of the word trendy, which you used with approbation, something I would never do in regard to food.
Canadian Cuisine?
Maureen--Anything maple being definitively Canadian will come as a great shock to Vermonters and upstate New Yorkers. Canada does not have a monopoly on maple, its beautiful flag notwithstanding.
Canadian Cuisine?
BaHa
Trendy - of, in, or pertaining to the latest trend or style, being up-to-date or chic.
The word "trendy" is not a referent to Quality!
Canadian Cuisine?
Naniamo is a town in BC. Not sure of the background on these suckers, but rest assured they are good.
They are a layered bar with a chocolate coconut base, a creamy middle and chocolate on top. I have variations with a mint middle and Grand Marnier based middle.
I'll post once I get through lunch. I think my man and I are going out for smoked meat. See what you did!
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aside from what's specifically French Canadian in Quebec, not much really. It's basically the same as American...a foundation of continental, mixed with international (mainly Asian), paired with local ingredients.