The Absolute Best Pastrami in New YorkThe most essential (and contentious) New York City dish of all is served not only in delis but also in butcher shops and newfangled barbecues.
The New York ‘Post’ Distorted My 2nd Avenue Deli Review!Dear Grub Street,
In the midst of a moral quandary, I’m appealing to you. The Post’s Sunday magazine, Page Six, asked me to have brunch at the 2nd Ave Deli and send them my opinions and rating of the restaurant. I had a really nice time and the food was very good, as was the service. So I gave the place four and a half stars. The piece was published last Sunday (it’s called “Let’s Do Brunch”) and they changed my rating to two and a half stars, and also put in a lot of things that didn’t really happen, including one pastrami sandwich that I didn’t even order!
I know a little piece like this isn’t considered a real review, but I hate the thought that the Deli has to have a bad rating written by people who weren’t even there.
Annie Newman
Annie’s New York Eats
The Orange Line
Riding the V Line: Ben’s Best, the Pride of Rego ParkWe’re riding the B and V from Coney Island all the way to Forest Hills, jumping off frequently to rave about our favorite restaurants along the way.
Katz’s, the Carnegie, and the 2nd Avenue Deli are the pride of Manhattan, but Ben’s Best still belongs to Rego Park. Get off the V at 63rd Drive, walk past Wiggles strip club, and there you are.
NewsFeed
A Sneak Preview of the 2nd Avenue Deli
There’s been plenty of coverage of the new 2nd Avenue Deli, but our feeling on Grub Street is that there just can’t be enough. Into the Box TV, a real-estate video site, has an advanced tour of the deli. We like the finished interior, especially a mural depicting the old restaurant in its heyday that’s an instant classic. And while there’s a good video of owner Jeremy Lebewhol, we suggest reading Rob and Robin’s more detailed one in this week’s magazine.
Having Seconds at The Second Avenue Deli [Into The Box]
Related: You Can Take the Deli Out of Second Avenue [NYM]
Mediavore
Two ‘Iron Chef’ Contestants Eliminated; Michelin-Zagat Wars Rage OnAfter all the woman got canned from The Next Iron Chef, Aaron Sanchez was overheard warning Morou Ouattara, “Next they’ll be going after the brown people.” [Ruhlman] And last night Morou was one of two chefs booted. [Serious Eats]
Related: Who Will Be Cut Next on ‘The Next Iron Chef’?
One classic New York deli is fighting the good fight against history, the Zeitgeist, and its own storied past. 2nd Avenue Deli reopens next month with the same name and a new location on East 33rd Street near Lexington Avenue. [NYT]
Now that his guides are competing with Zagat in New York, Michelin Guide director Jean-Luc Naret says he’s also eyeing Boston, Miami, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.[AP]
Related: Michelin’s Madness Drives Ed Levine (and Us) Up a Wall
NewsFeed
Uzbek Filmmaker Fights to Commemorate Katz’s
With Katz’s future hanging by a thread, the time is right for a full-out documentary effort. And only one man is stepping up: the Uzbek-born filmmaker Yura Dashevsky, a Brooklyn resident who is trying to complete Katz’s: That’s All! A Documentary Project, a film record of the place and what it means to people.
Mediavore
The State of the Deli Is Not Good; ‘Secret’ Spots RevealedA panel of Jewish food luminaries gathered recently to discuss the state of the deli. They didn’t paint a very sunny picture. [Serious Eats]
Related: Mother of Mercy! Is This the End of Katz’s?
Don’t blame the government for not letting great Chinese chefs into the country: It’s our fault for not wanting better Chinese cuisine. [NYT]
Manhattan’s secret spots range from sushi in a midtown basement to the bar across the street from the Corner Bistro. [NYP]
Mediavore
Delis Are Dying, But Not Katz’s; Per Se Staff Is on the ClockThe classic New York deli is on the way out, thanks to aging owners, waistline-conscious eaters, and general apathy — but, we learn, Katz’s should stick around. An owner, as we predicted he might, goes on record saying, “If we did sell, we’d want to somehow tie in keeping the place — they could literally build on top of us.” [TONY]
Related: Mother of Mercy! Is This the End of Katz’s?
Per Se’s notoriously high-pressure kitchen apparently works under the shadow of a clock with Paul Bocuse’s name on its center and the words “Sense of Urgency” underneath. [Gawker]
Coney Island has its own beer, and while we’ve never tasted a bottle, it has what may be the greatest label of all time. [NYDN]
Back of the House
Don’t Delay — Save the Deli!We’re glad that the Second Avenue Deli will be making a comeback, even if it is on Third Avenue. But there’s no getting away from the fact that — between cultural assimilation and the continued ascendancy of corporate chains — old-time Jewish delis are an endangered species. That’s why David Sax launched Save the Deli, a Website that he promises will include “essays on deli culture, a growing database of Jewish delis around the world, podcasts, video, [and] photos.” (Sax has previously contributed to Daily Intelligencer.) Not only that, but he’ll be hawking merchandise — shirts, hats, and even thongs with the site’s logo on them — gotta pay for all that chopped liver one way or another. Sax will travel across the U.S. and Canada, documenting the delis as they disappear like sour tomatoes from a jar. David, we salute you. Our complimentary thong can be sent care of New York Magazine.
Save the Deli [Official site]
