I'm coming Geoffy. Maybe Don T will drive across the state of Florida to meet us.

The Rascal House in Sunny Isles is still open, so let's go.

It's so hard to take pictures of food and capture the scale for some reason... but it's almost as tall as the soda can

Please take me with you.

Food photography is really an art. They're making a ton of money now, deservedly so.

An overstuffed sandwich is much like a beautiful woman... they're nice to look at but you don't necessarily want to eat one.

That sandwich (above) is TOO big... I understand thats part of its appeal and that you can easily make TWO sandwiches from it and thats what I'd probably do... I'm much more interested in the quality of the meat on it (rather than its size).

That said, Harold's (in Edison, where a group of us went a few years ago) was a very good deli! Rather than just rating it on the size of their sandwiches, the food itself was good and all the little extras (side dishes, pickles and condiments, etc.) were plentiful and decent.

Of course, the company there added just added to the enjoyment of the meal.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! That look so good!!!! I love pastrami.

Btw, is there any other way to have pastrami besides in a sandwich? Maybe a dumb question, but that's the only way I know of to eat it.

TIS

You can fry it up and serve it with vegetables.

Pastrami is really corned beef thats been spiced up... I suppose you could substitute it for corned beef in some other dishes also.

Ahh, I always thought corned beef and pastrami were quite similar. Years ago a co-worker would always make corned beef and cabbage on St Patrick's Day I think???? (is it Irish?) and bring it for all of us to share. It was relly good.



TIS

Corned beef and cabbage is an American-Irish dish.... they rarely use corned beef back in the old country (with the cabbage).

Ummm... If it didn't taste good you think I'd spend $16 on it? LOL But the size is definitely a plus. and yes, of course, it comes with a middle slice of bread, so i eat it in sections -- that "san" is eaten in 2 sittings (well, I actually stand for that one lol )

Yeah - especially if you shake the can before you open it!

My grandmother lived in Coney Island until she entered a nursing home around 1993. She always had the old-style seltzer bottles delivered, so I guess there was at least one company that still provided it back then. I'm not sure about nowadays, though. Maybe someone on the Boards knows more about this.

Sometimes those seltzer bottles had a lot of pressure in them. I'll always remember dinner at my aunt's place in Brooklyn one year - she also had the seltzer bottles delivered. I attempted to fill my glass with seltzer, and it shot out with such force that it ricocheted back out of my glass like Old Faithful and sprayed my grandmother in the face (she was sitting next to me). Everyone laughed hysterically - except my grandmother. She was a rather stern character, but it really was like a scene out of a Three Stooges film!



My Florida memories of Wolfie's were the ones in Miami Beach on Collins Ave., particularly Wolfie's 21. My late uncle was very well-known there and was a regular with his friends. I used to eat there with my parents when I was very young, and later when I would visit relatives. Miss that place - I understand it closed up only a couple of years ago.

I didn't know there was a Wolfie's in New Jersey - does it have a connection to the ones in Florida?

Signor V.

I kinda dought the current Toms River Wolfies has any connection to anything. Many years ago, they were at a different location, and the laughing stock of (at least) the teenagers my age... but they seemed to reverse it all in their new location... and damn, a mighty fine sandwich doesn't hurt!

I doubt there are more than a handful of guys still making seltzer deliveries in the City (if even that many).

My family moved to Sheepshead Bay in 1955; there was a regular seltzer guy who handled our co-op. There were 240 apartments there and almost everyone had seltzer delivered once a week (including my family)... he'd also deliver Fox's UBet syrup (the large bottles) and those heavy seltzer bottles (with the spritzer on top) made making an egg cream absolute joy. He delivered there until around 1970 or so, but by that time most of the kids had grown and I guess the parents didn't want the seltzer delivered anymore.

Still, it used to be funny to walk down the hallways (in the 50's) and see 5 or 6 seltzer bottles in front of everyone's door.

Exactly right SC. If I'm not mistaken, a brisket of beef is cured and spiced a certain way to become a corned beef, and then is cured and spiced up some more to become a pastrami.

They have pastrami here in CA of course, but not every place serves it and it's not as easily found as back East. We have a local chain here called "Farmer Boy" which is an eat-in/take-out place and close to my work. I must admit their pastrami is very good.

However, I've mentioned before, that the best pastrami I've had was while in NYC. I believe it was a "pound" of pastrami and it was absolutely fabulous. If I'm not mistaken, I got it from the Carnegie Deli. Like Geoff said it was about $13 or so, but well worth it.

TIS

When I was a kid my father used to take me to a great Jewish Deli that was on Avenue U and East 12th or 13th street.

They made the best Hungarian Goulash that I ever had.

I'm ashamed to admit that I don't remember that place. I guess because I had Adelman's Deli only half a block away, I wasn't really aware of many other places.

Can you remember the name?

This is going to be bugging me all day now!

Signor V.

The Carnegie Deli isn't as good as it used to be but I'd still recommend it to a tourist wanting to experience a New York style deli (the "ambience", the loud talking going on, the "rushing around" by waiters, etc.).

I used to work across the street from it and would get my lunch from them about once a week.... I'd order two extra slices of bread (they'd charge 50¢) and then divide the sandwich into two when I got back to the office.... so, two people could eat a treat for about $5 each then. I LOVED their pastrami and corned beef but you can get better now from other delis.

I took Beth E. there some years ago (it was her first time going) and she was amazed at the size of the sandwiches.... when they were brought to the table she exclaimed, "Its so big" .... I was about to say, "Thank you", but then realized she was talking about the sandwich.

Many years ago, when I was driving the cab, I got a job one late night requesting I pick up some food from there and deliver it to a printer (where law firm employees were working on an all-night rush job involving some prospectus). As I was waiting for the food a young guy ordered one of their truly SPECIAL sandwiches. I think the thing weighed about 4 pounds and had three different kinds of meat and other stuff on it. The counter guy was wrapping it up and announced that it cost $28 (and this was 1987 dollars). The guy freaked out and started yelling he didn't know it was that expensive and he couldn't pay for it. The counter guy started yelling back at him telling him all about the sandwich and WHY it cost so much. The customer freaked again and ran out of the place (without the sandwich)... the counterman started running after him, cursing him out at the same time.

Only in New York can you be entertained at 3 a.m. by what should be a normal, everyday thing.

Signor, I really don't remember the name. It was right on the corner.


Edit : I think is was something Zion or Zion something.

Not surprising. EVERY subway stop along the Brighton line (Avenue M, U, the Highway, Sheepshead Bay Rd, etc.) had a few good delis near the subway. And most of them had awesome food!

Sadly, they're almost all gone now.

There's a pretty good deli here on Staten Island called Golden's Deli.


The original owner bought an actual subway train car and had it placed in the middle of the deli! He refurbished the inside of it so that customers can actually sit inside the train and have lunch or dinner. The layout of the original train seating is still there only with tables placed in front of those seats. The food is pretty good and the french fries may be the closest thing to coney island Nathan's fries.

The subway finally made it to Staten Island!

Congratulations, pretty soon you'll have hot water and cable television.

This from somebody who's still living in Da Bronx.

I swear you guys have more delis than carter has pills. Sure, we have delis, but believe me, no where near as many as you guys do. They're a dime a dozen there. Here, you need to search them out. You'd probably be lost visiting here and not seeing a deli of some kind at every intersection.


TIS

Six and six, little brother. Okay, more like nine and three, if that . Whaddaya want from me, Florida's too fucking hot in the summer or I'd be there nine and three the other way.

Here TIS, I found one for you in Sacramento :

BOB'S KOSHER DELI

Wouldn't matter, you can take the guy out of the Bronx, but you can't take the Bronx out of the guy.

Thanks DC, but it's quite a drive to the State Capital just to get to a deli.

Just for the heck of it, I did a yellow page Yahoo search for Delis in my city: Came up with one called "Christi's Deli" :/and...about 25 Dominos Pizza. What the heck? Domino's is a Deli now?

Then I tried Jewish Deli and got "0" in my city, however there were a couple in the outer boundaries of my city. See, you guys got it made there.

I'm guessing L.A. probably has a larger number of delis though.

TIS

Aw, you always know just what to say.

Seriously, I guess it's true. I mean, you know I live in Country Club, near the water. You honestly would never know you were in the Bronx (the closest subway is the Pelham Bay Station #'s 4,5,6--over 3 miles from here) but I get in the car on a Saturday or Sunday morning and I'm in Manhattan in literally 15 minutes OR I'm just 20 minutes from the heart of Westchester County. It's really convenient for me.

The Second Avenue Deli was good, but it has closed. I hear, however they may re open at a new location.