The New York Deli …
The New York Deli
Have you been there? The New York Deli on Sepulveda Boulevard in Torrance. Oh my. It is a must. With its corned beef or pastrami sandwiches on rye, creamy macaroni salad and tangy potato salad, it took me back to a time years ago. You see, I was raised in New York with subways and delicious delis, otherwise known as delicatessens.
Growing up in New York, it was a very special and unusual treat for me to go to a deli. First, they were expensive - or so, I thought- since I was a student on a student’s budget. But looking back, the pricing, if I compare it to today’s pricing with inflation, was right and worth it because the quality was outstanding. Sometimes we have to look back and compare things to get a full understanding.
Back to The New York Deli. The idea of going to a deli and introducing my California son to the New York food that was giving me cravings, was making my mouth water. Besides, after a long day at work (although I love my work), I just didn’t feel like cooking that night. I knew from past experience at other delis that the food would be generous. So that evening, I sat outside with my very hungry high school athlete of a son (those of you who have one at home can attest to the truckloads of food they eat!). We sat on the welcoming patio of the New York Deli. Safely sitting outside, we enjoyed the evening air filled with flowers, lights, latticework, tables and, chairs, waiting for our sandwiches and salads. The atmosphere was so homey.
Inside, the cooks were busy and their laughter and sounds of pots and pans could be heard. The main person there was busy taking orders on the phone with one hand, grabbing and packing up containers with the other, all the while checking to make sure the container contained the correct food. Once he hung up, people lined up outside in their Mercedes SUVs picking up their treasures and heading out. Then, back again to the phone to take more orders and handing out to go orders to the people waiting. And in the corner, an older man in his black apron, sitting there observing life going by before him. I find California more relaxed than New York, but this night, The New York Deli reminded me of New York. Remember Seinfeld and the deli the characters would visit? That’s what this was like. Hustling, bustling, and colorful.
As I looked around at the menu, I was pondering back at the history of the delicatessen. The definition of delicatessen is a store selling cold cuts, cheeses, and a variety of salads, as well as a selection of unusual or foreign prepared foods. It makes sense that were were so many delis in New York. We were and are a melting pot of people from all lands. Specialty and foreign food stores and restaurants abound there. And we walk everywhere so it’s easy to shed the weight afterwards :-)
The delicatessen originated in Germany in the 1800s (the ‘delikatessen’ - Essen, a city in West Germany in North Rhine-Westphalia, also means to eat). Delis later appeared in the United States in the 19th Century. According to Ted Merwin, in his book “Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Jewish Deli”, Kat’s Deli was the first Jewish American delicatessen to open in New York. This was in 1888.
Later on, in the 1920s, the deli became a place to gather in Jewish and American life. We know that eating together forms bonds among people. Just think of Thanksgiving or having friends over for dinner. Get togethers can be wonderful. So, sandwiches became a standard at the delis. Pastrami, still very popular today, was a delicacy.
Jewish delicatessens serve traditional dishes in Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine. They are typically known for their sandwiches such as pastrami on rye, as well as soups such as matzo ball soup.
According to Merwin, in between the wars, being able to purchase high priced delicacies symbolized a rise in economic class from poor to middle and upper class. The delis were something like the coffee houses of today - a place to get together and to commiserate.
New York’s theatre district housed may Jewish delis and became popular with celebrities. “These were places where Jews could not only rub shoulders with the stars of the stage and screen of the day, but places where they could actually feel like they were becoming almost like celebrities themselves,” says Merwin. “Sense of celebrity of importance of having finally arrived in America.” Of course, the latter was a somewhat joint experience of not only the Jewish people, but of people before and after them arriving in a new country to make a better life. Don’t we love going to Beverly Hills and ritzy restaurant to catch the occasional celebrity glimpse?
Some other delis in Los Angeles include Factor’s Famous Deli, Izzy’s Deli Restaurant, Greenblatt’s Deli & Fine Wines, and Canter’s Restaurant, Bakery, Deli and Bar.
I’ve been to Izzy’s and Canter’s. Slowly, I’ll be making my way through the deli list. Thankfully, the deli continues on and my son and I are very glad I found The New York Deli here in California.