Deli-cious!
After a year of takeout, the joy of dining inside at Canter's and Brent's!
“Let’s go to Canter’s.”
It was afternoon on the last day of Passover and my husband Jeff wanted to add some footage to his upcoming video about L.A. Jewish delis.
I’d eaten enough matzo for one holiday (see my last post!) and was ready for—what? More Jewish food? Well, why not? Can you ever have too much of a good thing?
Even though both Jeff and I have now been fully vaccinated, CDC guidelines still suggest eating outside if possible when dining out. Canter’s, the landmark delicatessen on Fairfax, had no outside seating. But inside we found a cozy booth in a corner of an all-but-deserted second dining room, adjacent to the Kibitz Room, Canter’s storied cocktail lounge.
Leaning back in a booth that might have seated six, interacting only with our waiter, David, who was well protected behind a mask and face shield, we felt pretty safe, even when we removed our masks to eat and drink.
“This place is so roomy, I don’t feel like I’m on top of anybody,” Jeff said, working his way through a grilled cheese on rye, french fries and, finally, for dessert, a chocolate egg cream (see below for recipe) and a Jewish almond cookie, also known as a Chinese cookie.
Since it was still Passover and I wanted to see how the Canter’s version of matzo brei compared with mine, that’s what I ordered. It was delicious, a generous portion served with applesauce and sour cream.
Our friend Bob Boden, whom we met with his wife Marla at Brent’s Delicatessen in Northridge the next day, is a deli devotee extraordinaire (as well as being a walking encyclopedia on game shows and living up to his well-earned moniker, TV Bob).
“Nobody knowns delis like Bob Boden,” Jeff said. But when Jeff, pursuing more material for his video, posted a question on Facebook asking people to weigh in on their favorite L.A. deli, his friend side-stepped the question:
“I plead Switzerland as I’ve never met a deli I didn’t like.”
Then he proceeded to select his favorite things at the many local delis he frequented. At Canter’s, he picked the pickles. For Bob, only “old” pickles will do—these are the classic Jewish lacto-fermented pickles made with dill and garlic, not the “new” pickles, or half-sours that ferment in the salt brine for much less time. Cantor’s “olds” had the perfect crunch and tang, I thought. The kind of pickles you crave.
For matzo ball soup, Bob picked Brent’s and Uncle Bernie’s. The soup is truly a wonder at Brent’s—a mammoth matzo ball, with oodles of noodles, veggies and chicken. I haven’t tried it at Uncle Bernie’s—yet.
When Bob suggested the black pastrami sandwich from Brent’s, I thought, “Why not?” I would eat one half, share the other with Jeff (he had ordered a hefty sandwich of his own—turkey French dip au jus), and take some home for later.
But when the sandwich arrived, my willpower evaporated. I ate the whole thing! Perhaps it was the black pepper seasoning that coats the beef and makes it the deli’s most popular cut of meat. Or maybe it was the double-baked rye bread. Or more likely, it was simple greed—and the sheer deliciousness of the sandwich.
It was kind of a carpe diem moment—I just went for it! And no ill after effects—except for a few extra pounds!
And the verdict on eating out? Well, granted I haven’t tried all Bob’s L.A. deli picks, though I’d like to—perhaps after fasting for a couple of weeks!
In addition to his Cantor’s and Brent’s selections, Bob’s recommendations include: Factor’s Famous Deli and Fromin’s for menu and service; Art’s for sandwiches—except for one in particular, the famous #19 at Langer’s; Nate ‘n Al’s for matzo brei (after eating the Cantor’s version, I might disagree); Greenblatt’s for takeout; and Mort’s for having a great next-door bakery, Bea’s.
I know there are others Bob didn’t mention, but my arteries probably won’t take any more deli excursions for a while.
Meanwhile, aside from the food, the experience of eating inside a deli instead of taking the food to go was the most satisfying part of the adventure. Just being served by friendly waiters who seemed so happy to be back and to have customers again was worth the trip.
Yet, after a year of avoiding pleasures that we used to take for granted, it’s somewhat unsettling to get the go-ahead to dine with other fully vaccinated people inside a restaurant. Even, taking precautions—sitting as far away as possible, wearing a mask when not eating, querying the restaurant’s sanitation protocols—it feels a little transgressive, as though we might just get arrested as we dig into those sandwiches.
Of course no paddy wagons showed up to cart us away—and it was the most delightful kind of freedom to lean back in the comfy booths, especially in the company of good friends and enjoy the simple pleasure of eating out again.
Jeff, whose idea it was to go deli-hopping when I was reluctant, agreed.
“I’m sorry, Ruth,” he said. “Nothing beats eating in a restaurant.”
And who knew there were so many great choices in Jewish delis in L.A.? We keep hearing that delis are an endangered species in New York City, with the closure of such icons as the Carnegie Deli in 2016 and the Stage Deli in 2012. (Ditto: Junior’s and Jerry’s in L.A., and, more recently, I just learned, Label’s Table.)
Perhaps they are under threat, but there are still a whole lot worth visiting in our neighborhood. And, if you aren’t ready or don’t feel safe to go in person, pickup and delivery are great options too—and some delis, including Langer’s and Greenblatt’s, aren’t offering anything else right now.
Do you have a favorite Jewish deli in L.A., New York, or anywhere? Or perhaps, like Bob, you find something to love in all of them. Please let me know!
A Chocolate Egg Cream Recipe:
As we left Canter’s, I stopped to purchase a bottle of Fox’s U-bet Chocolate Flavored Syrup from Carmen at the deli counter. When I asked him how to make a chocolate egg cream, a deli classic, I discovered that neither eggs nor cream were involved.
Demonstrating with his fingers, Carmen said you pour in equal amounts of milk and seltzer water, allow the mixture to foam up, then dribble chocolate syrup down the side of the glass so that it pools at the bottom. When you’re ready to drink the concoction, carefully stir the chocolate up from the base so as to maintain the foamy head.
Canter’s uses Hershey’s chocolate syrup rather than U-bet, but the results are the same, Carmen said.
Ina Garten offers an alternate method and recipe on the Food Network. Either way, it’s a delicious fizzy chocolate drink that may just bring up a memory or two as you sip.
Thanks for reading this edition of Ruthtalksfood! If you like it, please leave a comment and share it with a friend. And if you haven’t yet subscribed, please do—and thanks!
We usually go to Canter's since it's closest to the South Bay but when I worked in Long Beach, I often hit up Katella Deli, which also has a fantastic bakery. Maybe that doesn't count as an LA deli? Meanwhile...who has the best tuna melts??? My favorite, but it's one of those dishes that can be awful at the wrong restaurant.
Loved the deli article Ruth, but gained a few pounds just reading it. 😂 I think the best deli I ever had was at my Aunt Pola and Uncle Sam's house. About once a month we would drive from Forest Hills in Queens to Teaneck, New Jersey to visit my father's younger brother and his family. Dinner was always a decadent display of deli food. The presentation and quality was amazing and the variety of choices was show stopping. Who knew or cared about cholesterol?