Gottlieb's Restaurant - Williamsburg / BK

Finally made it to the last stop on my kosher deli tour of NYC... an old deli south of hipster/yuppie Williasmburg and on the edge of orthodox Williamsburg.  At this no-frills spot, you just order at the counter, grab a beverage, and sit down.  Went for the standard hot pastrami and a knish.  Sadly, the pastrami was bland, very bland.  Smooth consistency, but bland.  So that, unfortunately, puts it right near the bottom of hot pastrami sandwiches I've eaten.  The filling of the knish was great, but I wasn't the biggest fan of sesame seeds on the outside (see picture below).

Also, I'm pretty sure I was overcharged, but I was too lazy to figure it out, and the guy at the counter didn't speak English too well.

They do have a lot of other hot foods to eat there or take to go that look good, so maybe that's worth a try, but would definitely not have the pastrami here again.  A disappointing ending to the tour de 'strami!
           

Gottlieb's Restaurant
352 Roebling St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
 J   M   Z  train to "Marcy Av"

$12.00... I think.

Loeser's Kosher Deli - Kingsbridge / Bronx

After having an amazing meal here a few months ago, I took a friend here this past weekend... and couldn't have been more disappointed.  The pastrami, which was one of my favorites last time, tasted like someone just heated up some store-bought cold cuts.  And the sandwich wasn't even that stuffed... probably half of what was in the sandwich last time!  I was disappointed enough that I forgot to take a picture... The owner who was minding the shop last time wasn't there this time, so perhaps the other employees don't know how to prepare a sandwich?  What a shame, because it honestly doesn't seem worth the schlep up there if the sandwich quality is going to be hit or miss..

Loeser's Kosher Deli - Kingsbridge / Bronx

There's a lot of stops on that 1 train before you finally approach a piece of the Bronx of yesteryear, a day when, at least according to one of the newspaper clippings inside, there were delis all over the north Bronx. Those clippings, 50th anniversary proclamations (from 2011), photos of famous people who have eaten there, etc. adorn the walls of this small, unassuming space.  The owner, who works the front counter, is very proud of what he has established.

Alright, on to the meat and potatoes (quite literally) of this review...   I definitely made audible sounds of enjoyment upon biting into one of my favorite hot pastrami sandwiches of this tour.  Thinly sliced, juicy... and fattier than most of the pastrami I've eaten gave this a unique, almost greasy/fried flavor that I didn't get out of other pastrami.  It's not as spiced as, say, Second Ave, but damn if this isn't delicious!  [Signs inside and outside the deli point out The Daily News' rating of Best Pastrami in NYC.]  The sandwich was served on styrofoam plates with some full sour pickle spears (crispy, just how I like em!) and some of the best coleslaw I've eaten.

I ordered a potato knish, not knowing there was a choice between a square or round knish.  I received a square, which was basically your standard Gabilah square knish.  Next time, I'll have to get the homemade round knishes, the type unique to each deli.  Also to try next time are the homemade stuffed derma and stuffed cabbage sitting in the front deli counter.  And speaking of stuffed, there are also signs advertising the knishes stuffed with pastrami or hot dogs and sauerkraut.  In fact, while I was eating there, an elderly woman came in to order a knish stuffed with just mustard and sauerkraut.

If you're taking the train all the way up here, consider taking a stroll into Van Cortlandt Park before hopping back on the 1 train at its terminal point, 242st St!

[The other kosher deli up here (Liebman's) I reviewed a while back, and it was one of my least favorite spots.]

Shana Tova!

                

Loeser's Kosher Deli
214 West 231st St, Kingsbridge, Bronx
 1  train to "231st"
(just a few storefronts away from the subway stop!)

$13.95

Mendy's - Murray Hill

I once went to Mendy's and ordered the soup.  No, my name is not Kenny Banya.  (I think it's fair to say that if you're reading this very niche blog, you got the reference.)  Despite living so close to this deli, I had yet eaten a hot pastrami sandwich here, so I decided it was finally time!  (And then remembered a month later that I had yet to post about it!)

Not sure why, but I set my expectations low... perhaps it was the almost complete lack of any patrons during dinnertime!  But, boy, was I surprised at how delicious the pastrami was!  Despite the pastrami being fattier than others I've tried, it had a good soft and "creamy" consistency, along with what I can only describe as a bit of a smoky flavor that I hadn't noticed in other pastrami.  Perhaps that was reflected in its browner color.  I would've preferred the sandwich to be stuffed a bit more, but at $11.95, I'm not complaining!  It certainly was a meal!

One negative would be the matzah ball soup I had before the sandwich.  To me, it tasted worse than the kind I could make from a mix at home :(

Mendy's
61 East 34th St (between Park & Madison)
 6  train to "33 St"
 N   Q   R  trains to "34th St - Herald Sq"
 B   D   F   M  trains to "34th St - Herald Sq"
http://www.mendysdeli.com

$11.95

P.S.

Mr. Broadway Kosher - Midtown / Manhattan

Wow, it has been way too long since my last post!

I met a friend of mine for lunch at Mr. Broadway Kosher not far from his office in Midtown.  He was quite surprised at how nice the place looked since he was last there two years ago, saying renovations had transformed it from a typical dingy Midtown diner to a very clean, modern-looking restaurant.

Anyway, on to the reason you're here: the pastrami.  Upon first inspection, the color seemed way too light, more pinkish instead of the deeper reds I'm accustomed to. (The color is off in the picture below.)  And then I took a bite... holy cow!  It had the tenderness / "creaminess" of Second Ave Deli!  While it wasn't as spiced or as stuffed as Second Ave's, the texture of the pastrami was one of the best I've had thus far!  And as a side note, the past few times I've had Second Ave when friends were visiting, it has been a bit underwhelming.

My friend got the brisket sandwich, which, unfortunately was dry in spots, but did have plenty of meat and good flavor.  It did come with a huge portion of fries that we both devoured.  I don't think I've made a comment about the pickles at any of the delis, but these were the crispest full sours that I've had (that's a good thing)!

The service, unfortunately, was very slow, which was surprising for a Midtown eatery during lunch!

Mr. Broadway Kosher
1372 Broadway (between 37th and 38th)
 1   2   3  trains to "34th - Penn Station" or "Times Sq - 42nd St"
 N   Q   R  trains to "34th St - Herald Sq" or "Times Sq - 42nd St"
 B   D   F   M  trains to "34th St - Herald Sq" or "42nd St - Bryant Park"
 7  train to "Times Sq - 42nd St"
http://www.mrbroadwaykosher.com

$14.95

Liebman’s Kosher Delicatessen - Riverdale / Bronx

The plan yesterday was to make the hour-long trip to the north Bronx and visit two old-school delis.  The first stop was to be Loeser's Kosher Deli on West 231st right near the 1 train.  Unfortunately, that deli is closed on Sundays, despite being open on Saturdays... what!?  So, that review will have to wait for another time.  I then took the half-mile walk over to Liebman's, which included a picturesque fall stroll through Ewen Park (picture below).

A walk in to this deli transports you back to the 1950's (when this deli opened) with old music over the radio and a old-school look to the deli counter.  Unfortunately, my love of this place stopped there or at least shortly after biting into the tasty pickles on the table.  Liebman's served up one of my least favorite hot pastrami sandwiches so far.  Despite having an appropriate amount of fattiness to it, the pastrami was quite dry and chewy, far from the normal creamy/melty taste of the other sandwiches.  There was plenty of pastrami in the sandwich, but it just wasn't as enjoyable as many of the others I've eaten along the way.  I also had a round knish which was nothing special.  On the way out, I looked the hot dogs sizzling near the front window... I probably should've tried one of those because they smelled delicious!

Oh well, a better report from Loeser's next time!



Liebman’s Kosher Delicatessen
552 West 235th St, Riverdale, Bronx
 1  train to "231 St"
http://liebmansdeli.com/

$12.45

P.S.  I took a walk toward the Hudson River after my meal and was amazed at the gorgeous, suburban-looking homes on West 232th close to the river.

Essen New York Deli - Midwood / BK

Having only opened a couple years ago (probably to fill the void of kosher delis in Brooklyn), Essen definitely features more of an orthodox clientele than I've seen at any of the kosher delis to date, most obviously because of the very religious Midwood neighborhood in which it is located.  That being said, they cook up a great hot pastrami sandwich.  [The colors looks off in photo below, thanks to my new camera-phone.  I'm awaiting a software update that should fix it.]  Compared to other delis, this wasn't as spiced and didn't have that darker edge seen elsewhere.  And although it was a bit fattier than at some of the other delis, the pastrami is sliced very thin and practically melts in your mouth (thanks to the extra fat).  The sandwich is definitely appropriately stuffed, but the bread is lame... a very cheap, almost white-breadish consistency with a tough crust.

Now, we hit the exciting part.  We decided to try "The Grand Coney Knish," which is a square Coney Island-style knish cut open and covered in brisket and gravy.  Sure, this is a pastrami blog, but holy crap, this was delicious.  Tender, moist brisket in a delicious, thick gravy with plenty of extra gravy left for dipping the lame-o rye bread.  And the knish underneath, maybe because it had soaked up some gravy, might have been the best knish I've ever had.  So, yes, if nothing else, on the way back from a trip to the beach, get off at Avenue J and enjoy "The Grand Coney Knish."  Mmmmmmmm....




Essen New York Deli
1359 Coney Island Ave, Midwood, Brooklyn
 Q  train to "Avenue J"
http://www.essennydeli.com

$12.95

P.S.  This deli also has Chinese food.  That scared me because kosher restaurants that try to do too much, don't do anything well.  That being said, they did a good job on the deli.  Not sure I'm going to try their Chinese.