Frankel’s Delicatessen & Appetizing

It would be easy to write off this combination delicatessen and appetizing shop as a bandwagon-jumping, hipster-­infested exploitation of a current food-nostalgia trend. But, truth be told, we’re downright impressed. The young brothers Frankel seem to take their ancestral cuisine (Zabarsian, a.k.a. Upper West Side Jewish) quite seriously. In a tiny retail space inspired by places like Russ & Daughters, they make a smartly streamlined selection of deli classics from good ingredients. The pastrami, prepared to the brothers’ specifications at a nearby facility under a characteristic veil of deli secrecy, is terrific, and can be had on classic rye or as a fiendish pastrami-egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwich. Even better are homemade items like a savory, almost buttery matzo-ball soup, and a hot brisket that’s sweet and lush and based on a Frankel-family recipe. It’s available on Amy’s challah as a sandwich, or as a platter with latkes and cucumber salad. You can’t go wrong either way.