I was back in New York last week for a very quick trip to take care of some business. It was mostly about seeing family as well as a brief visit to meet with my editor. Between catching up with sisters and discussing possible book covers , I didn’t get nearly enough time to work in things like deli, dumplings and hamburgers. The one jab I did make at a decidedly un-Italian New York dining experience was ordering take out from a coffee shop on the upper East Side. Greek-owned, my father warned me that I would be safer sticking to the tuna salad or turkey breast on toasted whole wheat. But no. I had to have my pastrami fix.
While it wasn’t horrible, and was certainly eons beyond anything I could get back in Rome, it wasn’t the slow cooked, slightly smoky, pastrami that I had in mind.
Sadly, I knew where to get that, and more, because during my previous trip to New York I did manage to work in a fabulous brunch at Mile End Deli. It was Evan’s idea to head there, since she had read a lot about this place while researching home curing and pickling. Mile End bills itself as a Montreal- inspired New York Deli. The owner, Noah Bernamoff wanted to recreate the deli traditions of his youth in Canada by starting from scratch. Curing his own meats and fish, baking his own breads, and pickling just about anything, his menu includes everything I dream about when I’m missing deli.
Evan and I went straight for the Appetizing Platter, which included heaping scoops of lox, whitefish salad, egg salad and all the makings to load our bialy: cream cheese, sliced onion and tomato. And because this was all about ‘research’ we also ordered a plate full of their mixed pickles: beets, celery,peppers and cucumbers all dilly, spicy and perfectly sour.
All delicious, but my favorite was our side of Smoked Meat Hash. A skillet full of chopped potatoes, brisket and onions, with edges appropriately browned and everything deliciously slathered in beefy fat. And just when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, a small platter of house made pastrami showed up at the table. Which immediately ruined me for life for anything less that this the luscious, slightly pink, fatty slabs of slow cooked, cured beef.
In comparison, my sad little pastrami take out from the coffee shop on Madison Avenue last week was, well, just sad. I shouldn’t complain, since it’s more than I can get back in Rome. But I think once you have the whole Mile End experience, nothing can come close.
Mile End Deli
53 Bond Street
New York
718.852.7510
on this we must disagree. I stopped by the other week and ordered takeout. I always go with the classics for a first visit. I ordered a pastrami on rye with mustard. “is a pickle included with that?” no…the answer came back. That’s $1.50 I declined. I did order coleslaw. Got back to my office and the entire order (for which I spent upwards of $20) was appaling. too fat slabs of overly salty pastrami (trust me, I know good pastrami – a lifelong treat in my family) and not a lot of it. a very small sandwich. a small container half filled with a mayonaissey mess of purple coleslaw (and I love purple cabbage coleslaw) that had no taste except for excess wet. no pickle. it was a hipster scam – not worth it at all. perhaps the most disappointing new takeout I’ve had in nyc in the past 10 years.
Sorry to hear about your bad experience there. We loved the pastrami, which was indeed very thickly cut and deliciously fatty. And yes, the pickles are pricey but at least in my humble opinion, well worth it.
I would make the trip just for that pickle plate !
The pickle plate was out of this world. I think Evan ended up taking them home in a doggie back, which she stuffed into her purse and then forgot about. Pickle juice everywhere!
That’s made this Boston gal thinking about a deli weekend in NY!!
E. your photography is always terrific!
Thank you for all your adventures!
Cynthia
No one orders pastrami from a Greek diner..go to Katz’s Deli for for that!
Lesson learned.
Appetizing is one of my favorite words…
I know, so apt!
Thanks for covering our favorite sandwich shop MILE END…Noah and his crew set up a pop up MILE END at The Armory Show this year…it was a great success!
The other pop up was Tel Aviv and NY bakery Breads…they make the best chocolate babka in NYC
And here is another new chocolate shop … you probably already know them…
That fine Italian hand is applied to chocolate by Cecilia Tessieri, the first female master chocolatier in the world, now at the newly opened NYC outpost of Amedei, 15 E. 18th [5th/Bway] 212.982.8113
Yes, I have heard great things about the new Amedei shop. Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to stop by the last time I was in nyc, but it’s on my list.