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33rd St-Park Ave (6)
Mon-Sun. 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 a.m.
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33rd and 3rd aka Toity-toid an' toid.
This is the home of Jewish Soul Food.
This is the pastrami samich to end all pastrami samiches.
This is the jump-off, the bee's knees, the bomb-dot-com, the shizzle-mah-nizzle, THE HOLY GRAIL OF PASTRAMI.
(JIZZ)
Yes, it's so sweet that they give you those delish gribbenes that remind you so much of buttery pork rinds (but of course; they're chicken), the slightly bland coleslaw and that mix of dill and new pickles when you sit down in one of the cozy booths.
But what you're really there for is the MEAT ORGASM. The corned beef falls apart in your mouth, and the pastrami is perfectly marbled and moist yet quite lean, so there are no icky hunks of fat or gristle to eschew. The spices on the hot pastrami are bold and that mustard...OH THAT MUSTARD!!! I want to slather this on everything I eat from now on.
(IN)
The matzo soup is rich with illness-curing shmaltz-y goodness, with a real chicken flavor all up in the broth, just like (someone else's) grandma used to make - jewish penicillin indeed.
An order of the potato latkes gets you 3 HUGE crispily fried pancakes with a side of spiced applesauce that you'll want to sprinkle with a bit of salt, then split with another person (unless you're a glutton, to which I wish you luck with your impending coronary.) One of these days, I'm going to order the "Instant Heart Attack", which is a fistful of pastrami housed between two of these latkes. And then I will go immediately into hibernation like the bear that I am.
(MY)
And who could resist the chocolate egg-cream shot when paying your decently priced bill? It's the perfectly sweet ending to a savory meal for this shiska.
(PANTS)
Bonus points for being kosher, albeit NOT shomer Shabbos (so you Orthodox ones might wanna look elsewhere.)
(!!!)
Read between the lines, and you'll see how good 2nd Avenue Deli is. Now I'll go home and change...
This place is the best Jewish deli in NYC.
I'm sorry, but Sarge's, Katz's, Carnegie, whatever, you name it. None of them compare. The only one that used to compare closed down a few years ago (Pastrami Factory).
Their meat is lean yet moist and warm. Their fries are good, their knishes are good (but only the square ones, of course).
Don't expect much from the waiters, they're not very friendly and generally pretty busy, but I never really cared because I was usually starving for some fresh, hot corned beef on rye.
I'm a 20-year-old girl and I can polish off one of their HUGE sandwiches, a few pickles, and a side of fries. I'm stuffed, sure, but it's totally worth it when you really, really need it.
Their matzoh ball soup isn't really remarkable, but then again, I haven't found a place that compares to my mother's.
The pastrami here is entirely too dry. The best pastrami sandwiches have just the right mix of lean and fatty pieces, all squeezed in between corn rye bread. Unfortunately, 2nd Ave's pastrami is entirely too lean and disintegrates into a dust at the slightest touch. I needed a full glass of water and a Dr. Brown Cream Soda to finish the sandwich -- it's that dry! This shouldn't happen! To add insult to injury, the prices here are sky high. Totally unacceptable.
On the upside, the pickles and half-sours were pretty good. The shot of chocolate soda at the end is a nice touch.
Love this place. This was our first jewish deli experience and it's a good thing we came here first ( before Katz deli). Ordered the chopped liver sandwhich. Brisket sandwhich, and matzo ball soup. The order comes with brined cucumbers some kind of slaw.
I loved the chopped liver sandwhich, a large scoop for each half...wish I had asked for extra bread, it could have made another two sandwhiches. The brisket was good also but chopped liver was my fave. The matzo ball soup was excellent. The broth had so much flavor and the matzo ball was very light. I also liked the cabbage slaw, reminds me of the salvadorean pickled cabbage that comes with pupusa's. We got the egg cream soda shots, so good. I want more.
Service was great, everyone was super nice...nicer than katz fa sho.
Holy crap. I'm staying in NYC for the weekend, and my buddy and I partied too hard the other night. We had plans for Katz's but were more interested in being lazy and getting delivery. You can get anything delivered in NYC, something I wish would happen in SF.
Anyway, my buddy found this place online as it's close to his flat, and we decided to run with it. I even like the Hebrew-style type on their site. I saw that and I was sold! HOLY SANDWICH. I got the #4 triple decker and fries. One of the best mountains of meat I've ever ingested. I'm one happy little Jew.
This is definitely on my top deli's in NYC list.
I'm a native of San Diego, and let me say that I've had better deli food back home, at a place called D-Z Akins (check it out if you're in town!!). I ordered a pastrami on rye w/ sauerkraut, and the way I mainly judge a pastrami on rye is on the quantity of meat. I confess that I do take the quality for granted, but in a place like New York, how could they charge that much and not serve good meat? I must add though, that it wasn't anything great, and was quite dry. However, what really disappointed me was the sheer lack of meat. I was about a cm away from fitting the sandwich into my mouth. At a place like Carnegie, that's simply impossible. And the price for the food merited that much meat.
On the upside, the pickles were some of the best I've ever had. The chocolate sodas were great, and the slaw was solid enough. But I don't pay $14 for the fixings, I pay that for the meat, and when I'm in NYC I expect better. I didn't get my money's worth.
Pretty sure this is the best Jewish deli I've ever been to... and I've been to A LOT of them (up and down the east coast).
The matzo ball soup was fantastic, it was as if the the matzo ball itself was made of air. So light and fluffy, went down like buttah.
The chopped liver was great, which was refreshing as good chopped liver is increasingly hard to find these days. They don't skimp on the order either, they give you a nice and hearty scoop of it, seved with rye bread slices to spread it on.
Pastrami Sammich. Hello. I've missed you. I haven't had one like you since I went to Katz's last time I was in the city. Is 2nd Ave Deli better than Katz's? I dont really know, I guess it depends on what youre looking for... I like the handsliced method better at Katz's, but the flavor of the pastrami here is just as good as Katz's. You can't go wrong at either establishment.
NYC, youre lucky to have such an establishment in your city.
Over $14 dollars for matza ball soup? What's in there, bits of a Picasso?
That surly service is a nice feature too.
Worst "NY deli" experience ever. Avoid.
Second Avenue is the best Kosher Deli I have had in NYC. Love the Matzo ball soup and the other soups including split pea and beef barley. Love the corned beef and tongue. The "free" health salad, pickles, and sour tomatoes as starters and the shot of egg cream ( I believe) at the end is a nice touch.
My wife and I came up with a way to save when we dine at 2nd ave. Order 1 soup and share and one sandwich with a few extra slices of bread. With the pickles and health salad, it should be more than enough for two. if you are still hungry, order a Knish or grab a slice at Pizza 33 across the street.
The service is abrupt but efficient. I always like the "old school" waitresses.
I think they would have been better off investing in a larger place when they moved up to 33 & 3.
OMG. I love this place. Even my healthy, non-red-meat-eating relatives choose the three-meat sandwich, along with a giant potato pancake, and matzoh ball soup, and a huge piece of the most amazing babka eff-ver. And did I mention the amazing chocolate fountain soda? If the after-meal shot isn't enough, it's only $1.95 for a huge glass full of it!
A very good deli. The pastrami is out of this world. It's so moist and tender, and the portions are gigantic. I understand that 15 dollars for a sandwich is high, but you must take into account several things: you get unlimited pickles, cole slaw for free. And the sandwich is huge, and it's kosher meat, which is significantly more expensive. All in all, I think price-wise, it's fair.
The only reason why I won't give it five stars is because you will feel out of place there if you aren't a geriatric. This place caters to old people apparently.
A true dining experience. Walking past the glass enclosed array of salads and delicious deli delights, your eyes will automatically be drawn to the artistic expressions... yes... we're still talking about the food that was on display. It's amazing how first impressions really last and the positive effect aesthetics have on even the taste of food.
I'm a huge fan of salami, uncooked. Thus, the Salami omelet was not my favorite. It was big enough to share. Imagine a medium sized omelet pizza covered with salami.
We also ordered the 3 Decker sandwich which is nearly impossible to eat because it's as big as your face, albeit a great way to sample the meats. Thumbs up on the pastrami and corned beef.
I don't like rye bread.
I don't like yellow mustard.
I don't like pastrami.
I don't like coleslaw.
But woah - Hot pastrami with yellow mustard on rye from 2nd Ave Deli is truly an amazing sandwich. And the coleslaw is so good, I looked up the recipe online. The prices on the menu had me pretty skeptical. $15 for a sandwich seems like a red flag for a tourist trap, but honestly, it would probably cost more if they were charging by the pound. These things are huuuuuuuge!!! This past time I went, I shared a matzoh ball soup and a sandwich with someone else, and I was still full at the end. The soup was good, but the potato soup which my friend ordered was awesome.
On top of all that, the bathrooms are notably nice & clean, and I love the walls covered with names of Jewish dishes. Oh, and a chocolate soda cheers at the end? Love it.
Dude, get on seamless web. Pronto. Food is good, prices are outrageous, and the service for delivery is god-awful. Placing an order the phone isn't easy when the person taking the order isn't speaking decent English. My most recent order this weekend failed: didn't get my address right, didn't get my credit card info right, didn't get my order right.
NYC has the best pastrami/corned beef in the U.S. Fortunately there are only 4 deli's in the top tier. They are, alphabetically: Carnegie, Katz's, 2nd Avenue & Stage. (Second tier would include places like Sarge's and Pastrami Queen among others.) There's an endless argument over which of the four is the best, that I'm not going to get into, as I think they're all very good from a food standpoint, but each has it's own little quirks.
Carnegie and Stage, being in the Theater district, tend to draw the most tourists. Carnegie has mile-high sandwiches. Stage has the most inventive menu. 2nd Avenue is the only one of the four that's Kosher, and has not to be missed things on the menu such as their Matzoh Ball soup, Chopped Liver and some of the best Rugelach in the city. Then there's Katz's (Where Harry Met Sally), which is the only one that cuts their meat by hand and gives out samples. The place has an old world feel, and don't loose your ticket! (NOTE! Cash only)
I just recently ate at the new 2nd Avenue Deli in NYC. I used to get delivery from their old location when I lived in Manhattan. I love the chicken in the pot (Jewish chicken soup with a big matzo ball, chicken, carrots, and noodles that comes in a glass jar) whenever I was under the weather. They would deliver it right to my door without a delivery fee. Now, they have a delivery fee plus I live in Brooklyn so I couldn't have it delivered anyway. I was in the hood and decided to check out the new place. The chicken in the pot was just as good as I remembered it (although it is always more memorable when it arrives at your door in that glass jar) and the potato pancakes were to die for. My husband had a pastrami sandwich which he declared just ok but I thought it was quite tasty. It was fun to eat there but the old place was well....the old place. Really a shame they had to move.
I really wanted to give a definitive statement on which was the better deli, Katz's or 2nd Avenue. Really, I did; but I don't think that I can choose. They're both so wonderful.
I had corned beef at both. Both were phenomenal as far as the taste and texture of the meat were concerned. I liked that Katz's sliced it a little thicker, but I liked that 2nd Ave piled a little more on. I just don't know which deli was better, but they're both worth the trip.
Also, I had the matzo ball soup at 2nd Ave and it was absolutely delicious.
The service was also excellent.
Okay, I correct my previous review. Apparently all pastrami sandwiches have this dry, crumbly consistency. So, I guess they do a pretty good job here!
Maybe I don't know what a pastrami sandwich is, but the meat on mine was dry and in crumbly pieces.… Read more »
AMAZING
Just go.
I know it's not much of a bragging right to say that I've been here.
But my LUGGAGE on the other hand, has also been graced to be within the presence of this awesome place.
Already checked out of our hotel, dragging our luggage around, and due on an airplane out of NYC within 5 hours, we just HAD to make a stop here. In our past 2+ years together my S.O. had banned me from trying any Jewish deli in San Francisco, saying they could just not compare. I was so glad my wait was finally over and I could try all the unique comfort foods he would always talk about that so colored his memories of childhood.
Staff were kind and efficient, they showed us a side area where we could put our luggage. Free samples of chopped liver on toast while we waited, and when we spoke of our dilemma, they were quick to bring out the food. And it was all absolutely delicious. Smooth and soft matzo balls bigger than tennis balls and delicate in a clear chicken broth lightly seasoned with fresh dill, lightly sugared puffy noodle kugels, there was so much on the menu that we wanted to order. The S.O.'s content and happy munching noises said it all.
...but our stomachs could only hold so much and we knew our flight wouldn't wait for us. So satisfied and yet still yearning for more, we sadly left. It was a deeply satisfying last experience to have before leaving NYC.
Thank you for everything. Now can you PLEASE PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE open an outpost on the west coast???
Great food, great service, and friendly host.
Nothing but great from the moment I walked in. I got there a bit early, so while I was waiting for my friend to show up, I was offered water by both the host and from the deli guy (perfect since I had just come from the gym). Then, after asking about certain menu items, I was given some samples to help my decision.
I have heard many great things about the matzo ball soup and it did not disappoint. We got it with kasha that gave it nice texture as opposed to noodles or rice.
And of course the sandwiches - we got the double twin and triple decker with pastrami, corned beef, and salami. Both were phenomenal. Warm, melt-in-your-mouth meat, perfectly salted, and just delicious. Eating it with the slaw, pickles, and pickled tomato just topped it off.
I have a few more delis to try in the city, but this is definitely the best so far.
2nd avenue deli is THE best Jewish delicatessen that I've experienced in New York. Now full disclosure, I'm an Irish guy from Westchester so take my opinion for what it's worth, but my Jewish wife from Long Island was also blown away by the meal we had at 2nd avenue deli.
The portions are huge and we totally over ordered, but it was all amazing. The free pickles and cole slaw, the knishes and latkas and ginormous over stacked sandwiches made with fresh meat... everything was delicious. It kind of felt like the gorging that usually goes down at a barbeque joint (minus the ribs and mac and cheese).
The night we were there, we only waited for a couple of minutes but I hear there can be long waits and it is pricey for a deli, but I still think it's well worth it. Mazel tov!!
Came all the way from Maryland and it was worth the trip. A real deli just like I remember growing up in Brooklyn. Thought I was in heaven with eir pastrami on rye and a Celray soda.
Don't love the new location, but glad this place survived. Smaller- could be claustrophobic when busy. Looks like the prices have gone up by $1-2 too.
I thought $6.95 was expensive for a bowl of matzoh ball soup (how about a cup, guys?). The matzoh ball is esp. good because of the schmaltz- chicken fat- in the middle. Ate in but didn't get a bowl of crisped chicken fat like another reviewer did.
$11.95 seems a bit much for a single piece of gefilte fish. Is the extra dollar for the spring greens you put on the side? Just give me the fish, and save me a buck.
Not sure I'm going back again.
I don't think this is an authentic Jewish deli:
1. Staff is friendly, prompt, and efficient. They seem happy.
2. Interior is tasteful, clean, and inviting
3. Bathrooms are especially clean
4. They bring you so many free things on little plates you think it's a Korean barbecue.
5. A host greets you and seems to genuinely care that you have a good time.
6. Food is tasty and not much salt
7. 3 bean salad?
On the other hand:
A. The table next door was speaking Hebrew
B. Matzoh ball the size of an orange
C. Dr. Brown's soda
D. Pickles are exactly how grandma made them
Pastrami was super good, mustard was great, kugel, kishke, all good. Prices seem medium but when you consider the portion size it's a bargain. If I lived nearby I would be here three times a week.
3.5 stars
There isn't much that hasn't been said about this place so I'll keep this short. There's a lot of good stuff on the menu - the matzah ball soup is some of the best I've had. If you dine in you get a little bowl of fried chicken skin! And the pickles are excellent.
I usually stick with the corned beef here. It is so light it feels like you're biting into corned beef flavored air. Part of this lightness comes from the fact that they score the meat so when you take a bite it crumbles into mini cubes your mouth. I did a taste test with corned beef from Katz's Deli and 2nd Ave Deli was the winner. (I posted full report here: http://tinyurl.com/pq4lwc )
After a night of clubbing on 10th avenue with a friend, he asks me a serious question, "where can we get some food". I had a simple and eloquent response for him, "follow me".
3 miles later we arrive at the 2nd Avenue Deli, we sit down, I order both of us Matzoh ball soups and Latkas..
He's never been here before, so naturally when he dug into the soup I saw a smile run across his face, the same went for the pancakes. At the end we received chocolate soda shots...they didn't stand a chance, lol.
After we are done eating, we pay for our bill, step outside and prepare to walk to the train. He stops me and says "you know I didn't say anything after the first mile and a half because I knew at that point we were going to be eating at some place good",
I responded in kind, "My friend, the only way you could wrap up an evening like this is to eat at 2nd, there are no substitutes".
Damn straight ;-)
Had dinner here opening day, December 17th, 2007)
Had the "Instant Heart Attack" sandwich (the bread…
Read more »
Peter and I sit in a booth at the Second Avenue Deli, picking at the half-sour pickles, cole slaw and gribenes on the table. We order matzoball soup and corned beef sandwiches with fries and prepare for an onslaught.
It's our day off, but conversation eventually turns back to the magazine, to the industry, to colleagues.
I make Peter try the kasha sinking on the bottom of my chicken consumé. I show him the best way to dip challah in the soup to get it good and soggy.
He's never had deli with a real Jew before, he admits, and I dole out the basics of kosher. No dairy with meat. No shellfish. No pork. Lot's of rich, heavy, bland food.
No matter--it is delicious.
We dip the lean corned beef on rye in a tiny dab of spicy mustard and finish off the meal with a sip of chocolate soda.
That's breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Peter laughs afterward.
I agree, but I'm not kidding. It's 4pm and I'm done for the day.
This place is aaaawesome.
After a two week vacation in Peru, I was looking forward to eating food that didn't involve alpaca or guinea pig, and I couldn't have been happier with going to 2nd Ave Deli with a friend.
I'll stick to the food first. The Matzoh ball soup was delicious (the best I've had in my limited Jewish deli experiences), and I would recommend getting it with the kasha which gave it a bit of texture.
Oh and then the sandwiches... where to start. First off, they were MASSIVE, piled high with corned beef (and in my case corned beef, pastrami and something else I forgot). I don't even know why they bother with putting the toothpick in because the toothpick doesn't make it through the sandwich anyway. The whole thing is just quality, and I was just in food heaven when munching on my triple decker.
Plus, they give you some great coleslaw and delicious pickled vegetables to start your dinner off.
And on top of all of this, the service was great. The host was incredibly kind to my friend while she was waiting for me to run over from the F train, and he let her sample some stuff while she waited. Our waiter was equally prompt and helpful, and at the end of it all, they even gave us these "chocolate syrup" which were basically carbonated chocolate milk shots on the house.
If you want an awesome sandwich/deli experience, look no further.
PS - I also go three meals out of that one sandwich so it's a pretty good deal on top of everything else.
Not really into Jewish deli treats but this is goooood and super convenient for me since I live in Murray Hill! It is a must! Staff are nice too~!
I never went to the original, but I discovered the new one when it opened and have been a regular customer ever since. This is one of the best (if not the best) Jewish deli's in the city. They are kosher too, which is an absolute requisite for my approval on this. Be prepared to wait if you are going for dinner on a busy night. I usually go with a party of 4 and get seated within 30 minutes of us getting there. They also sample chopped liver on rye for those that are waiting! Yum!
They give you pickles, slaw, and gribenes when you're seated. We never finish the pickles. And they give you chocolate soda after the meal! The waiters are generally awesome; they have the right mixture of attitude and care.
I always get the following:
+Hot Pastrami/Chopped Liver on Rye
+French Fries
And it never disappoints. Sometimes to spice it up I'll get the matzoh ball soup. Portions are huge, but I force myself to eat it all because it's that good.
Side note: I went to Katz a few months ago and got their Hot Pastrami/Chopped Liver sandwich, and it paled in comparison. 2nd Ave is the way to go if you want a real (and kosher) sandwich.
Why are Jewish delis so expensive? It's such a painful reality for frugal moi, who -may- have to start forfeiting the DailyCandy deal log in order to more frequently patronize 2nd Avenue Deli, on 3rd.
We were ushered out of the cold by the gregarious proprietors, who amuse-bouched us with pate. We were seated within 15 minutes of arriving (though the joint looked busy as hell) in a cozy corner booth. After much deliberation, we ordered a combination of sandwich, matzoh-ball soup, and a hush-puppy.
Matzoh-ball soup, by nature of its butter stock, is delicious. Theirs was no different, and arrived instantaneously, and in charming presentation. The hush-puppy, essentially a hot dog-filled-blintz (for you dirty, dirty Shiksas out there), was a cholesterol-saturated hit. The briny pickle plate and cole slaw provided a nice reprieve between bites.
The question of import, is, of course, how the red meat (energetically prepared Hebrew National) stacks up against Katz's famous conclavesque preparation process. Our table split vote; my companions preferred Katz's smaller-portioned pastrami, while I maintained (and here I threaten my own credibility) that it was equally delicious, and that I wasn't sure if I tell the difference in a blind taste-test. We left many alluring menu items unchecked - I'll be sure to return for the brisket, the borscht, and the stuffed cabbage - but we were too glutted to ingest anything beyond the apricot rugalagh we picked up for dessert. Everything was delicious, and I preferred the more intimate atmosphere and warm service to Katz's.
And, as if we weren't both delighted and satiated enough, the complimentary chocolate soda digestifs served as the perfect post script.
If you liked this. . .
. . .more than Katz's and live near Murray Hill, let's go grab a bite sometime, aiight?
Again, I find myself down and out and under the weather. Maybe its my repeat appearances at Southside the past two weekends, maybe I'm just working too hard, but regardless of the root cause of my illness, there is only one place to go...the 2nd Ave Deli.
I entered the 2nd Ave Deli last Tuesday night around 6PM. I immediately order up a quart of the matzo ball soup. $14 + tax and a few blocks later, I find myself at home. I down the quart, the only remedy for a cold I know. While this is probably twice the cost of NyQuil, the 2nd Ave Deli's soup is just inrivaled in this town. So, whether its the cold/flu, a craving, or just plain on Jewish guilt thats driving you towards the 2nd Ave Deli, make sure your order includes matzo ball soup. Period. End of story.
Some people might try and put me in a lock-down facility for spending $14 on a quart of soup, but I… Read more »
Never again. After fond memories of the former location this was a huge disappointment.
We waited 2 hours to get in despite the fact that they were letting in much larger parties (we were only 2) who had gotten on the list long after we did. We finally got in and the new owner made a snide comment about our having finally asked why we hadn't been seated yet.
2 and a half hours into this hellish experience our waitress gives us a carafe of ice water (no food yet) and two glasses. I pour the water into the glasses and they smash into bits as they were fresh from the hot dishwasher. Covered in ice water and glass shards I meekly ask the waitress for paper towels and she begins to berate me for not having checked the temperature of the glass and will not even give me napkins. When was the last time you checked the temperature of a glass??
Eventually I dry off and we get our over $20 sandwiches. It was OK but nothing to shout about. Lunch for 2 was over $50. The most disturbing part of this entire experience was that every five minutes you would hear someone say "this is ok but it's no katz's" Yeah, I think I'll stick with Katz's.
The food was so old it looked like it had mold on it. Service HORRIBLE.
I love you. I love you madly! HUGE PORTIONS. Like pickles? This is for you. The corned beef sandwich was amazing.
I've been here about 4 times and can't get enough. Don't forget to take home. I know it's difficult to stop eating when each bite is so good. The soup was good, but I didn't particularly like the cole slaw. This place isn't inexpensive, but the portion size makes up for most of it.
I got an older fella as a waiter here a few times. He was pretty funny and interesting to talk to. Wish I recalled his name.
I just went to the 2nd ave deli and. honestly, this place has gone downhill...the service is horrible..they gave me the wrong order and when I signed the bill it was for someone else's order. When I called them, they were sooooo rude!
They did say they give me a credit but blamed me for signing for the wrong bil.....what nerve.
MJ's Star : 3
Price : Chopped Liver 9.95, Matzoh Ball Soup with Carrots 6.95, Hot Corned Beef 13.75, Hot Pastrami 14.25, Hot Brisket 13.75 (excluding tip & tax)
I've been a huge fan since the restaurant was actually located on 2nd Ave, and I was very excited to hear that they opened up at a new location after their months-long hiatus from the deli world. It's extremely crowded, all the time. But they do bring out chopped liver on crackers/bread for people who are waiting for a table, which is a nice touch. The wait is so worth it! Their matzo ball soup is delish, and their gefilte fish is SO AMAZING. The sandwiches are ginormous (as they should be) and will be enough food to fill you up for the next 2 meals. Mmm. They cure their own meats, which is also why they're so good. I always have to have them bring extra bread to the table, because there's just too much meat. ;)
The service is great, too, despite the number of people they have in the restaurant at all times. Their wait staff will make you feel right at home with the free chocolate soda shots, unlimited pickles, and their love. Yeah 2nd ave deli!!!
I love meat. I feel about meat the same way that born-again Christians feel about Jesus. I just can't believe that there ever was a time that I didn't accept it into my heart (or my stomach, in my case). Lately, I've been thinking a lot about corned beef sandwiches. I've recently come around to accepting rye bread (I used to hate the taste), so it's opened up a lot of metaphorical sandwich doors. So far, the quintessential corned beef sandwich comes from Katz's Delicatessen (at least, that's my opinion....which is pretty much all you get reading this), but I wanted to give the new 2nd Avenue Deli a try.
I hadn't been there since my dad took me and my crazy college roommate (who eventually tried to stab me with a butter knife - true story) several years ago. We sat in the Molly Picon room and thought about how Jewish we felt (which is what people do when they find themselves in rooms named after Molly Picon). I thought it was time to give it another try.
Rita and I, after a few failed attempts, finally made it over to 33rd St between Lexington and 3rd Ave (no, the 2nd Avenue Deli is not on 2nd Avenue anymore. It's weird). We both ordered the corned beef sandwich on rye with mustard. It comes with these neat little packages of Russian dressing and mustard and of course, pickles.
Personally, I don't like anything but mustard on my corned beef. I'm a purist. So I skipped the Russian dressing. I liked the pickles a lot. They were good and crunchy.
The bread was a little soggy for me, but what can you do. It's a take out sandwich. Can't expect perfection. It didn't beat Katz's, but it was still very good and it has the benefit (for me) of being around the corner from my office - unlike Katz's which is way downtown.
A side note - Rita thought it was too much meat - she actually picked out half the meat and then ate the whole sandwich, which to me seemed crazy. I'd rather eat half the sandwich piled high and then save the other half for later. Then she complained that it was too much meat for her and she was breaking out in meat sweats. So, a warning - this is not a sandwich for the faint of heart. If you're not used to eating huge stacks of meat, maybe you should steer clear. Or work your way up to it with smaller sandwiches first.
Neighborhood: Murray Hill
Category: Delis
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Category: Delis
Neighborhood: Murray Hill
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Some random favorites when we are visiting the UWS…
I have people visiting me every couple weeks -…
More like brine it up, spice it, smoke it down,…
