Ben's Kosher Delicatessen in NYC, New York

I love delicatessen food and New York has quite few good places like Junior's or Second Avenue Deli, without forgetting the world renown Katz's (world renown for the movie When Harry Met Sally rather than for the food). So, I noticed Ben's deli on my way back from Bonchon Chicken and we decided to try that place. 

Interesting decor to say the least, resembling more to a place coming straight out of a comic book rather than a traditional deli with all these flashy colors. 

It started well: when the hostess sat us at a booth, she got yelled at by the waiter who told her in a nasty way that he had enough work. Not very professional for sure. So she apologized and sat us in a different section where at least the waiter was nice, but I hadn't that the service was overall slow. 

As we were looking at the menu, they brought us some pickles:

And some coleslaw. 

I love that and it was good that we got it because it took a while for our order to be taken. The good also took some time to come. Then, finally! 

Jodi ordered two dishes: the matzoh ball soup.

And the knish. 

Both were subpar compared to what you can eat in other restaurants. The soup lacked flavor and the outside of the knish was a bit tough. The inside however was delicious. 

On my side, I could not resist ordering the pastrami burger. 

It was a beef patty with some pastrami on top between a toasted challah bread. 

It was served with homemade fries that were skin on. The fries were unevenly cooked. However, the burger was pretty decent, the meat being cooked as ordered (medium) and it was juicy. The pastrami however was a bit tough because thin and overcooked. Not sure it was of the best quality anyway, but for sure a heart attack on a plate that I ate with Russian dressing...

This was definitely a disappointing dinner and clearly Ben's Kosher Delicatessen does not measure up with Junior's, Second Avenue Deli or Katz's.

Enjoy (...)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

My nephew culinary visit: day 4 / part 1: Katz's Deli in NYC, New York

I have never been a big fan of Katz's before, preferring Junior's for a better dining experience (and their cheesecake). But as Valentin never tried a deli, I proposed to go there and give it another chance, as this place remains an icon in New York 

We arrived around 1pm, received our tickets (not to be forgotten otherwise you pay the high price), and the place was packed. Not surprising though as it is in all the guides and it is not uncommon to see buses full of tourists make a stop there. 

At Katz's, you have two choices: wait for a table with full service or order some food at the counter, where you can observe (briefly) the staff preparing food and then, find a table to sit. 

We went for a waited table and probably waited 15 minutes before being seated. strangely, our waiter was nice...

We decided to order several dishes to share, after eating the traditional pickles they put on the table:

The Matzo ball soup:

The matzo ball was good, light and spongey, but the broth was just ok: I prefer the one at Junior's or 2nd Avenue Deli. 

Potato pancakes:

Served with apple sauce and sour cream. They were deliciously crispy and not too greasy. 

Pastrami Reuben:

It was served with sauerkraut, cheese and Russian dressing. The meat was literally melting in our mouth. I loved it, but it is clearly a heavy sandwich. 

Salami sandwich:

We picked the soft salami; they were very generous with the amount of salami for sure and it was delicious with mustard. 

The last dish was hot dog, ordered with sauerkraut:

It was a very good hot dog, the sausage having a nice texture and spices. 

We had a pleasant time at Katz's...surprisingly! The food was good and, for the first time, we got good service! So I guess I changed my mind about this place...

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

A trip to Montreal - Part 7: Schwartz's delicatessen!

On Sunday, after visiting the Fine Arts Museum, we decided to got eat Rue Saint-Laurent. We noticed some delicatessens the last time we walked there and decided to go there to have some good deli sandwiches. We ended up at Schwartz's, located boulevard Saint Laurent.

The place has been opened since 1928 and reminded me of Katz's in many ways, although Schwartz's is much smaller and the staff is courteous...

The place was packed and we had two choices: try to get a table at the restaurant or go to the takeout section. We tried the restaurant and got lucky to be seated right away! We had to share a table with other patrons. Over there, the menu is on the wall only. Interestingly, the menu is small and if you are vegetarian, your choices are limited to fries, slaw and pickles...

Contrary to most of the delis in New York, they do not bring you pickles or slaw: you pay for it! So did we...

We decided to order two sandwiches:

The salami sandwich:

The smoked meat sandwich:

Smoked meat is what we call pastrami in the US. You can order it lean, medium (our choice) or fatty. It was very good, tender, with just enough fat in it.

The salami sandwich was also delicious with a nice quantity of meat for sure! As people come and sometimes share, they impose a small fee:

With her meal, Jodi ordered a black cherry soda.

At the end, they gave us our bill and we had to pay at the cashier, cash. So no fear of losing a ticket like at Katz's!

It was good and comforting. The atmosphere definitely reminded us of Katz's, but I thought it was much better. 

Enjoy (I did)!

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And Remember: I Just Want To Eat!

Stage Deli in NYC, New York - CLOSED!

If there is one thing we do not have in France, it is Delicatessen or Deli. Each time I have family or friends visiting, I strongly suggest them to go to a deli and try a sandwich. But not a regular salami or turkey: rather pastrami or corned beef. In fact, the way I knew corned beef when I was a kid was totally different: my mom used to buy these cans that contained some fatty ground meat that in France we call corned beef. She was adding it to a tomato salad. It was delicious, but I am wondering if it was really made of corned beef! Well, sometimes it is better not knowing what you eat...

So, my friend Benny and I decided to go to Stage Deli, a deli that has been opened for more than 70 years. I guess we could say that they compete with the usual suspects: Katz, Junior's, 2nd Avenue Deli or Carnegie Deli, not far away.

The place looks like any deli that has been at the same location for years: old fashioned with old photos, most of the time tilted...
This always gives a certain charm and authenticity to the place.
Of course, at the entrance, there is the usual cake display:

To be honest, none of these cakes look appetizing...

The menu has the traditional deli items like matzoh ball soup, knishes or chopped liver. It also has some sandwiches with Celebrities names such as the Adam Sandler, Kathy Couric or Aretha Franklin. It all started in 1937 when the founder of the deli, Max Asnas, invited his famous patrons to the carving board to create their own sandwiches.

We decided with Benny to share an appetizer and a sandwich as, based on the prices, most of the sandwiches were big....

We started off with chopped liver.

It was served with pickles, a sliced onion and some rye bread. I really enjoyed it! The chopped liver was dense and very tasty and the bread delicious. 

We then went for the pastrami and corned beef reuben!

It was huge! So huge that they made it open face. They were nice enough to allow us to have two types of meat in it, the pastrami in the bottom and the corned beef on top.

The way they do it is put the bread in the bottom, then the meat, then some sauerkraut for some crunch and then some swiss cheese. For sure, they were generous with the portions! There is no way a single person can eat this alone (don't challenge me!)! Unfortunately, it was just ok for me: the corned beef was good, but the pastrami was not as fatty and tasty as it should. Also, I prefer a regular sandwich as it allows you to have all the flavors at once: bread, meat, sauerkraut and cheese. This was definitely not a reuben I would dream about; not like Junior's or Friedman's lunch in Chelsea Market!

So it was an ok lunch finally and I was not wowed by the food. Instead of going to Stage Deli, I would rather go to Junior's or Carnegie Deli close by. 

The last thing I would add about this place is that you also get the experience of the rude service! Similar to Katz. Except that I do not think it adds any charm to the whole experience!!!

Update: This post has been prepared few weeks ago and I just learnt today that Stage Deli closed due to a rent increase! So sad to see businesses opened for that long face such issues with rent!

Enjoy !

Rotondo's Liquor, deli and fine food in Clark, NJ

Recently I was in Clark and we decided to have a quick meal. So we went to Rotondo's that is a deli, a liquor and fine food store.

The place is big, but it is not surprising considering what they sell. I only went to the deli side of it and did not look anywhere else as we were in a hurry. The deli offers already made sandwiches, but you can also make your own. They have a pretty large selection that can satisfy any appetite. They also have bagels, already made salads (potato, macaroni...), chips, fruits, cookies...

I was clearly not on a light lunch mode when I picked the Sonoma sandwich...

It is a triple decker sandwich made with seedless rye, russian dressing, swiss cheese, Roast beef, turkey, ham and coleslaw. On the photo, you only see half of it! It was very good! Although, the roast beef part was quite thin...I loved the different layers. The only thing that I would have changed is probably the bread: I wish they were proposing different types like Italian or baguette.

We also ordered a cheese and mustard sandwich on a whole wheat bread.

This one was pretty straight forward, served with lettuce and tomato. Good, but they put a bit too much mustard.

At the end of the day, Rotondo's is not the best deli ever (in fact, in term of sandwiches, my reference is Sorento's Subs in Freehold, NJ - best subs ever!), but they have some good sandwiches at a very reasonable price!

Enjoy (I did)! 

Carnegie Deli Restaurant in NYC, New York

You cannot come to New York and not try a deli (short for delicatessen). Carnegie Deli is with Junior's and Second Avenue Deli, one of my favorites. Yes, I did not mention Katz's Deli because I do not like it, think it is overpriced and overrated.

The restaurant opened in 1937 and got its name from being close to the Carnegie Hall. It is still operated by the family of the founder: the Parkers. It is today one of the most visited restaurants in New York City, although the expansion of business has not been that successful, seeing most of the branches in California or Connecticut close. Today, there is a Carnegie Deli in the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.

The restaurant is pretty big and tables are cramped, making it uncomfortable when the restaurant is packed, especially during the week end. At the entrance, you cannot miss the desserts that are showcased, as well as all the autographed photos of celebrities who ate there. By the way, the Carnegie Deli was even mentioned by Adam Sandler in his song about Hanukkah (Saturday Night Live).

Concerning the menu, you may think that is is expensive (it is a bit). In fact, they serve family style portions. So be careful when you order!

We started with the Matzoh Ball soup. It comes with the soup in a cup that they will verse in the plate: nice way of serving. The balls are dense but not too much and perfectly seasoned. The broth is good and served with delicious pasta.

We then tried the potato pancake (there was one of a reasonable size). It was served with apple sauce (I am not sure it was homemade) and sour cream. I really liked it. It was tasty and not greasy at all.

But, the plat de resistance was the open face pastrami reuben. This was huge and we had to split it! We asked the waiter to split it for us, but he did not seem to be willing to (only disappointment in the service that was overall great).

The meat was delicious, lean and with just the necessary amount of fat. There was tons of Swiss cheese and some sauerkraut to give a bit of crunch. With the amount of meat and cheese, the bread was invisible. All of this was served with a very good Russian dressing. Definitely a great dish!

So, of course, we had to finish with desserts...

We tried the strawberry shortcake: not the best shortcake we had....

They also had coconut cream pie and banana cream pie.

I have to say that I was disappointed. It was light but a bit bland. Both cream pies are made with the same base and they just sprinkle the pie with almonds or toasted coconut. Definitely not as good as the banana or coconut cream pie from Billy's bakery in New York or at the Red Eye Grill.

The Carnegie Deli is one of my favorites, but not for dessert! If you go there, enjoy the reuben: it is so good!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Edison Quick shop: that was some experience!

One of my colleagues, Benny, used to talk about a “sandwich place” near Edison called Edison Quick Shop. He kept saying, “We should go there, you have to try it”! So one time, we decided to go.

From the outside, it looks like any small deli you would find, with “Try our cheese steak” written at the window (let me rephrase: that you could easily find at a gas station). We entered and I have to say that it looked pretty interesting. First of all, you cannot miss the different ways they display their menu: posters, but also paper plates. 

It Is all over the place and with all the choices they have, you could think that they have 20 cooks preparing the food. The menu was huge! Could be funny to see Gordon Ramsey go there to film an episode of Kitchen Nightmare!

Then, you see the tables: no, this is not a communal table you see on the photo! This is not the genre here! In fact I had the impression to be in somebody’s backyard.

So, as I was there, I went for the pastrami reuben. Benny asked, who I believe was the owner, to have some lean meat. He told us that he only serves his reuben with the leanest meat. The sandwich came few minutes after: it was served with some coleslaw that I think was homemade. The meat was definitely packaged slices that you would buy in the supermarket. Clearly, not cooked and cut at the Quick Shop. You could barely taste it, as it was very thin (of course there were several slices) and overpowered by the coleslaw.

According to the cashier (probably one of the owners), the pastrami reuben is, with the cheese steak their specialty. I cannot imagine what the cheese steak tastes like!

So, it was not the best food experience and I am not sure anybody would go there just for the food. This is more a Mom and Pop’s shop that serves quickly made and cheap food. At least the owners were very nice…

When I asked Benny why he brought us there, he said that it was because of my blog and because he wanted me to have some interesting experience. Well, mission accomplished.

Enjoy (meh)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

Katz's deli in NYC: I do not know what Meg Ryan had, but I did not get what she had!

Katz's deli is an institution in NYC. There is not one tourist guide that would not recommend this place. We went there last Sunday and it was crazy! Especially after two tourist buses arrived...

This place was opened in 1888 by a Russian emigrant and had, since then, been serving the standard dishes you would find in a deli. They survived hard times like the depression or World Wars. In fact, during World War II. they encouraged the parents to send a salami to their sons (the famous "Send a salami to your boy in the army" that you will see on their T-shirts). Today, you can still send a salami to soldiers.

Katz's deli has been the location of many movies:

• The most famous filmed there being When Harry met Sally with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal. If you sit at the same table they were, you will see a sign that says: "Where Harry met Sally...hope you have what she had!". 
• Donnie Brasco with Johnny Depp, in the scene where he is meeting with a FBI agent.
• We own the night with Joaquim Phoenix and Mark Wahlberg. In this movie, the place was supposed to be the Belmont Diner in Queens.

Other movies were shot there and you can find some videos on Youtube. But, when you look at it, you would think it is a nice and quiet place: it is not the case at all! This place is a mad house and you would not go there for a romantic dinner for sure!

Found on Yelp!

At the entrance, they will give you a ticket: do not lose it! If you do, they will charge you a minimum of $50. The restaurant introduced this fee several years ago to prevent people from either saying they lost the ticket to pay less and to force them to look after it. The ticket will be used by the staff to account for the food you ordered. You have two options:

• Table service, where a rude wait staff will serve you (thanks for throwing the pickles on the table!).
• Cafeteria, where you will queue up and go to the different counters to order your food and then will try (desperately) to find a table to sit (some tables are for table service only).

We got a seat at a table with another couple, but they left two empty seats between us. The space between tables was so narrow that it was a whole exercise to get seated. The waitress throw some pickles on the table, before asking for our order. I have to say that the pickles were pretty good (I love this deli tradition). I tried for the first time a pickled tomato and loved it!

We ordered: Matzoh all soup, potato pancakes and a Pastrami Reuben. The food was very slow to come. In fact it came one after the other; that is fine when you are sharing, but not when you order for yourself. At least, while waiting, you can look around at the hundreds of photos of celebrities who came to the restaurant (next to our table were photos of some cast members of The Sopranos).

Then came the Matzoh ball soup. The Matzoh ball was good, but I did not like the broth. It had a too strong taste and kind of greasy.

Several minutes later, we got our potato pancakes. They were good, but greasy too! Also, they do not give you that much of apple sauce, that I guarantee you is not homemade (otherwise, they should fire the chef). 

Then, came the Pastrami sandwich. Yes, sandwich. Not the reuben I ordered. At that point, I was thinking: "Forget it! if you tell the rude waitress that she screwed up, it will take forever for your reuben to come, considering the time it took for your sandwich to be prepared!". So I ate it, but could not finish it. The meat was way too greasy. I know that you cannot expect a Pastrami sandwich not to be greasy, but it was too much. Too much fat and the meat was not as tender as what I had in other restaurants. Surprisingly, I did not finish it. Yes, read again: I did not finish it. That is exceptional if you know me!

We then left the restaurant, disappointed by the experience. The only good surprise was that the cashier was polite...By the way, it was cash only and the waitress of course did not forget to mention that the tip had to remain on the table...

I think this restaurant is overrated! The food was not as good as the food they serve at Junior's or the 2nd Avenue deli, with a better service on top of that and better prices (imagine that: $2.85 for a can of soda???). If people visit and ask me where to go to get a taste of a good deli, I would certainly not recommend Katz's! ]

I did not enjoy (I didn't)!

Pastrami Reuben and cheesecake at Junior's in New York!

Who doesn't know Junior's? Well, I did not know it until, few years ago, my cousin Sandrine who came in New York for a visit, told me that she absolutely needed to go there. I remember that, at the time, the only cheesecake I tried were in various restaurants and I was just ok with that dessert. After going to Junior's, I was addicted!

What is Junior's? It all started in 1929, when the Rosen family opened a diner in Brooklyn. It is only in 1950, that they decided to change the name to Junior's, apparently referring to Rosen's two sons, Marvin and Walter. What I discovered is that in 1982, Governor Mario Cuomo declared May 27th Junior's restaurant day! I love this type of celebration!
I never went to the restaurant in Brooklyn or Grand Central, but I am sure the food is as good. I always went to the one in Time Square: it is like a beehive! Always crowded! Although, at the top of the Financial crisis in 2008, Junior saw a decrease in its number of customers and had to layoff 7 staff members. Based on what I saw yesterday, I guess they are doing well now!

I go to Junior's for two reasons: the deli and the cheesecake! I think that with Katz's, Carnegie Deli and 2nd Avenue Deli,  Junior's is at the top. They offer the traditional deli food as well as diner food. Their menu is quite big. Like any good deli, they will start by bringing pickles. I love the pickled beets!

Yesterday, we tried some classics:

Matzoh ball soup: one of the best we had. But note that the soup does not contain any vegetables like for instance at the 2nd Avenue Deli. 

Potato pancake: very good! Not overcooked, not greasy and served with a fantastic homemade apple sauce.

Pastrami Reuben: pastrami, grilled sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and Russian dressing (blend of mayonnaise and ketchup complemented with such additional ingredients as horseradish, pimentos, chives and spices) served in a toasted rye bread. You need a solid appetite to eat this, especially if you go for dessert after! This was awesome: the meat was very tender and the toasted rye bread and grilled sauerkraut added a bit of crunchiness to the sandwich. I love the layer of flavors between the bread, the cheese, the sauerkraut and the meat! Definitely one of my favorites!

They also have other great dishes:

• Tuna melt sandwich: they serve it open face on a big (trust me, big) English muffin. For those who do not know what it is, it is tuna salad on a piece of bread with melted cheese on top.
• Pastrami or salami sandwiches: classics!
• Grilled cheese made with thick Challah bread.
• Chopped liver served with lettuce and onions.

I also tried their roasted chicken, but did not really like it.

Some of the dishes are served with fries: know that these fries are thick cut (I prefer the thin and crispy ones!).

Yesterday, we saw some Mac & Cheese at the next table: they looked good...Maybe for the next time!

So, now, let's talk about dessert and of course the famous cheesecake! Yesterday, they had a special: red velvet cheesecake. As I already know the traditional one, I decided to try the special. It was made of several layers: cream cheese frosting, red velvet cake and traditional cheesecake. It was very good, not too sweet and kind of light (yeah, right). But my heart goes to the traditional one: dense and tasty.

Of course, they are smart: if you do not have time to eat at the restaurant, they have a place for take out. You can also order online...

Junior's is definitely a great place to go for deli and cheesecake, with good quality food that is not always easy to find when you are too close to Time Square!

Enjoy (I did)!

If you have any question, story or comment on Junior's, enter a comment below!

Lisa's Italian deli in Hoboken, NJ

Lisa's Italian deli is a great Italian deli in Hoboken. I have tried both their sandwiches and their pasta and was never disappointed! 

For sandwiches, the selection of cold or hot sandwiches is quite big! After you pick what you want, you can choose the bread: ciabatta, French baguette, soft Italian bread, wrap, roll...All the ingredients taste very fresh. Their baguette or soft Italian bread are delicious!

If you are vegetarian, there is a large choice for you: swiss cheese hero, ricotta hero, fresh mozzarella cold sandwich...

My favorite sandwich is the "Lisa's American Hero Boy" combo that is made with with turkey, roasted beef, pepperoni, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, roasted peppers, mustard or mayo. The sandwich is huge, but tasting so good that I could eat it at once! All the layers work so well together!

When ordering pasta, you can choose between ziti, penne or spaghetti. There too, they have a large choice: alfredo, a la vodka, with meatballs, with eggplant parmigiana, etc...My favorite is the Pasta gorgonzola that contains capers. This dish is incredibly good! I have never tried to mix gorgonzola with capers: very tasty! 

I am definitely a fan!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!

The feast at Second Avenue Deli in New York!

I love eating in a deli: they have simple and hearty food that can be so good! I never knew what a deli was before coming to this country as we do not have this in France. 

Deli comes from delikatessen (German) inherited from délicatesse in French and means delicates things to eat! It is typically stores where you will buy food by their weight. In some European countries, delicatessen are fine grocery stores. New York is well known for deli and outside the big apple, some deli will even call themselves New York deli! The most famous ones in New York are: Katz's (also famous because of the movie "when Harry met Sally" - I am sure they are fed up to be reminded), Carnegie Deli and Second Avenue Deli. I would personally add Junior's.

The Second Avenue Deli opened in 1954 on the second avenue, but had to close from its original location because of a rent increase and dispute. It reopened in 2007, after a two years hiatus, right below Murray Hill and has now a second location on the Upper East Side. Its history has been marked by the dramatic murder of its owner in 1996 during a robbery and they are still offering a reward for any information that would lead to the arrest of the murderer.

The menu offers traditional deli dishes like matzo ball soup, potato pancake, chopped liver, as well as new items such as smoked fishes.

So, we decided to go for a nice little lunch. The restaurant was not as packed as what I thought. Maybe because of its location. This place has a nice nostalgic atmosphere with the booths and the old photos on the wall. The service was courteous and efficient, although they were ready to clear the table before we finished eating!!! What I like in deli, is that they bring you pickles and cabbage in different forms (pickled or as a slaw) at the beginning! The pickles were sour pickles, very good but also very, very salty! We tried three of their specialties:

• The matzo ball soup: it was served with spaetzles (egg noodles from Eastern Europe), carrots and dill. The soup was good, but not as good as Junior's: the broth was not as tasty, same for the matzo ball.
• The potato pancake with apple sauce (you can pick sour cream). It was ok. The apple sauce was not that great and the potato pancake was kind of tasteless. Once again, Junior's is the best.
• Hot Pastrami sandwich: this was good. The meat was fatty enough and tasty. They serve it on rye bread only. I put some cabbage to add some crunchiness to the sandwich.

At the end of the meal, they offered us a Bosco chocolate soda shot: this was a nice touch. First time I tried and I liked it! Pretty interesting  to have a cold sparkling cocoa!

So, at the end, the food was not bad, but I definitely prefer Junior's or the incredible Pastrami Reuben at Friedman's in Chelsea Market!!!

Enjoy (I did)!

And remember: I just want to eat!