I am by upbringing, inclination, and in all other ways destined, programmed, and commited to loving the Jewish deli. I love the look, feel, and taste of them (the food, not the formica tables). They remind me of my dad more than any other kind of commercial establishment. My father made me eat tongue sandwiches well into my teens when I finally rebelled, and I still can’t go back, truth be told, to the tongue. But pastrami? corned beef? pastrami and corned beef maybe with a little chopped liver? Ambrosia. I grew up going to Gitlitz kosher deli on 77th and Broadway (now deceased, alas) with more than a few regular visits a year to the Carnegie (when it was slightly less of a tourist trap), Ratner’s, the Second Avenue Deli and so on.
Anyway, for those who share my love for this, the cult of the Jewish cured meats and all that goes with them (don’t forget matzo ball soup!) this NPR story will pierce even your pastrami-brined hearts. It’s tied to a book called Save the Deli coming out this month. I’ve ordered mine.
Update: A reader corrects me. Ratner’s was a Kosher dairy (they had awesome onion rolls!). As such it didn’t serve deli meats. I got overcome with nostalgia and remembered places I went with my Dad. Nearby Katz’s was the deli of choice on the Lower East Side.