Any good deli in San Diego?

[Josh]

I've been to Elijah, DZ Akins, City Deli, and sorry but none of them are really that good.

Does anyone know of a decent, honest-to-goodness Jewish deli in San Diego?

[afinkle]

Growing up in the Northeastern US I've given up on deli out here. City deli is as good as I found in my short time here - one good sign is the bucket of pickles on the table. The corned beef and pastrami are quite good (I think they make it themselves) but the weak link is the lack of good rye bread.

I have heard of a place in LA that supposedly has better pastrami than any deli in NYC. I'll have to check that one out.

[cgfan]

I believe you must be referring to Langer's, and yes, it's extraordinarily good. In fact it was the New York Times themselves that put Langer's on the top of their map when reviewing Pastrami sandwhiches available outside of Gotham.

One of the unique things about Langer's is that they hand-cut all of their pastrami. Now that's dedication! It's great since the meat doesn't dry out underneath the punishment of a rotary blade, and the irregularily in thickness modulates the taste experience.

I sure hope they still do that, since it's been a long time since I've been there. They've been through both good and bad times over the years, as it's in an area that has it's share of crime issues. They even have gotten to the point where if you call in they'll deliver the goods to your car so you don't have to be on foot.

One thing that has helped them recently, though, is the proximity of a Metro stop right next to Langer's. Everytime I'm in the area I seem to catch them when they're closed. Perhaps lunch time is the time to catch them, which caters to the downtown office crowd poppping out of the Metro station for a quick lunch.

[NYtoSanDiego]

i hate to say it there are no true east coast kosher delis in san diego especially when they add cheese and lettuce and tomato on a pastrami sandwich. DZ Akins, City Deli or Herschels in Encinitas.

my wife and i go every two months to Canter deli in LA in north fairfax area. it is the closest to east cost pastrami or kosher deli you will get in California. i grew up on Katz pastrami in ludlow and east houston in NYC and Bens Best in Bayside Queens and Canters is a good medium. the best of Katz and Ben's. in fact we will be going to Santa Barbara this weekend and when we head back we're stopping at Canters for a sandwich to stay and to go.

first time i took a bite my wife said she saw a tear in my eye. living in SD for 6 years now it took us that long to find great pastrami and it was in LA. been to Langers but its hard to find parking. also, the pastrami was too salty for me.

if your looking for pizza in SD then there's Bronx on Washington and true NY style italian there's Volares on Barnett ave. great eggplant and chicken parm dinners and sandwiches.

[normalheightsfoodie]

My family likes DZ AKINS, they also have the pickles on the table and an extensive menu of ethnic dishes and desserts. They bake their own rye and also like to take one home with us. It is also great for kids.

[Josh]

DZ Akins isn't very good, IMO. Their tableside pickles aren't sour, and their food is overpriced and mediocre. I feel exactly the same way about City Deli. I was hoping someone might know of an undiscovered gem, but sounds like there aren't any.

[DiningDiva]

The meats - i.e. pastrami, corned beef, etc. - are Vienna Beef products; yes, the same folks that make really great, all beef made from bull meat, hot dogs.

My beef with DZ Akins is that the portion sizes are obsurdly huge. And America wonders why it's got a weight problem! Do we REALLY need to eat that much food.

[MVNYC]

The portion sizes are what make Jewish deli's Jewish deli's. you cant have a wimpy pastrami/tongue/corned beef sandwich. What i do is order extra bread and take home what i dont eat, then you get two sandwiches for the price of one.

[DiningDiva]

Yeah, I know portion size is one of the things that makes a Jewish deli a Jewish deli and that providing a good value (i.e. a lot of food) for a small or very reasonable price was a very good thing. It's still a lot of food and our lifestyles have since changed. I do, however, really like your idea of ordering extra bread and making a second or third meal out of the first :-)

[Josh]

Funny, I've never considered portion sizes as being relevant to the quality of the deli, which is not to say that's what I think you and MVNYC are saying at all.

Certainly we Jews do tend to like larger portions, but that's not the aspect that I lament. DZ Akins gives plenty of food, it's just plenty of mediocre food.

If I could just find a decent whitefish salad sandwich I'd be happy.

[MVNYC]

Replying to Josh below-I didnt mean portion sizes equated good quality, it was just a common theme in all good Jewish Delis i have been to that the sandwiches were large.

[MVNYC]

I have not found anything good out here. The above mentioned ones arent very good in my opinion. I usually just wait unitl i visit my family back in NYC.

[phee]

I was encouraged by The Place on El Cajon Blvd. when it first opened, but haven't been up that way in some time. Anyone else been there recently?

[daantaat]

there are no good delis in SD--that is IF you've had good deli in NYC, LA and elsewhere. we save our sheckels and waists for Brent's Deli in Northridge. EVERYTHING is good there!

[kitchenhag]

Brent's Deli is so worth the trip / traffic. Unfortunately, the only deli closer that is remotely worth trying is Jerry's in Costa Mesa. It's across the street from South Coast Plaza.

[Alice Q]

DZ Akins is where most of my Jewish friends like to go for the foods they grew up with, but I agree that it's pretty mediocre and certainly not cheap. Nothing here compares to NY and LA. There are a few outposts of some of the major delis in Las Vegas - don't know how those compare to the originals.

[honkman]

Does anybody have any experience with Hershel's Deli in Encinitas and how it compares to the other delis mentioned ?

http://www.hershelsdeli.com/

[Green_Turtle]

Hershel's abruptly closed last weekend. Even the employees didn't know until they showed up for work and found the locks changed and the restaurant completely cleaned out inside.

[NYtoSanDiego]

they suck! it looks like they heat up the pastrami before they serve because pastrami will shrivel when its heated, but when its freshly sliced it doesn't.

[Captain Jack]

Give Milton's in Del Mar a try. Its no Katz's but its not bad.

[daantaat]

Milton's falls far below a good deli, plus more expensive to boot. Rye bread was not fresh, pastrami was dry. Not satisfying from a meal or a deli standpoint.

That said, we just found out that Brent's Deli will deliver to San Diego. :-) Didn't ask about the delivery charge though!

[Divamac]

Agreed about Milton's. I went once, got a tuna melt and hated it. The tuna was weirdly sweet. Also got some hammentashen fron there that was also not too great. On the other hand, the tuna melt and the hammentashen from City Deli are decent when I am having a craving.

Is here anywhere at all in SD to ge whitefish?

[Alice Q]

Crest Cafe in Hillcrest used to have a killer tuna melt. I haven't been there in ages, but I would bet it's still on the menu. They are also open late.

[SIMIHOUND]

If Brent's delivers to SD you better grab it. I live near there, I go often and love it. If any of you CH's are making a trip to Agoura/Westlake Village (on the border of LA and Ventura County) Brent's is opening up a second place soon. It's been postponed month after month but they should be getting close now.

http://www.brentsdeli.com/

[daantaat]

Brent's Deli in Westlake Village is supposed to be opening this week. We took a peek this weekend and it's a really beautiful space. They did a nice job of keeping some of the "old" elements of the Northridge decor (ie: hunter green, gold) and updating it. Has a bar area and outdoor seating as well. They will keep all the catering out of the Northridge one for now until they get things going in Westlake. Half the staff from Northridge will be at the Westlake location.

[El Chevere]

If you are from NY and comparing it to NY deli's, you will be very disappointed with the Jewish deli offerings here in San Diego. Your best bet is to save your NY deli appetite for when you visit Vegas or Beverly Hills/Fairfax.

[hungrylawyer]

If you are looking for a good Jewish deli in San Diego...fogedabodit!!I have searched for 30 years and found zip. About 6 months ago, I posted a question on this board about where to find decent lox in this town -- not "good" because experience was taught me to lower my expectations, just decent -- (I gave up on bagels long ago). I swear to God that the very first reply said, "What is lox?" (The Chowhound Webmaster removed that to another board) Another poster suggested the Marine Room brunch (oy vey) and then some others got upset because I suggested that DZ Akins was awful and that no serious hound would go there.

As far as pastrami goes, the best that I have been able to find is at "The Place" about 67th and El Cajon. The deli is in the back of a small kosher grocery and consists of about 4 tables. There are lots of Orthodox, Chabad (Chabadies?) and foreign-born Jews (I can't tell where they are from) who go there. (They are very nice, but seem confused when someone comes in off the street) Anyway, the pastrami is decent, but its about $9 for a small sandwich, no deli atmosphere, Dr. Brown's, Reuben's, pickles or other items that you might expect from a NY Jewish Deli.

I have been to many of the Beverly Hill places that people rave about and while they are definitely better than the SD fare, they still are not very good. I really miss the old pastrami burrito that I used to be able to get by the federal courthouse in downtown LA-- don't laugh at the burrito part--it was not traditional, but it was awesome!

So if you find anything remotely like a NY deli, please let us know. GOOD LUCK.

[Josh]

Hilarious post. A couple of years ago, my g/f and I went to NYC and we had some great lox at this place called Barney Greengrass, on Amsterdam Ave. in the UWS. I tried going to The Place once, but it was Shabbat (I'm non-observant, obviously).

I'm actually kind of curious to check out their sister dairy restaurant across the street. Have you been there?

[hungrylawyer]

Barney Greengrass is wonderful.
I have not been to The Place dairy restaurant but have been to their bakery in University City. Nothing to get excited about. (If either of us were observant we would not be having this email exchange on Rosh Hashanah morning!)

Happy eating...

[mph323]

What's the general consensus on Elijah's Deli in La Jolla? Pickles on the table and good size sandwiches!

[hungrylawyer]

The palce is generally weak. The breads have a stale quality to them and their bagels are awful - oversized and underflavored. Sometimes, the whitefish salad is not offensive; you can take it home and fix it up.

[Captain Jack]

Elijah's was much better when it was Sampson's. The new owners ruined it.

[daantaat]

Pickles on the table and large sandwiches do not necessarily make a good deli. I thought their pastrami was oily, bread too soft and pickles not fresh enough. Latkes were ok but nothing great. Save your $$ and waistline for the LA and NYC delis.

[Divamac]

You are all just making me shed a tear in remembrance of good whitefish. When I get back east, i's always on the top of my list. I can't believe I used to take good deli for granted.

[Josh]

I love (LOVE) good whitefish salad. I've been to Elijah's - I disagree with Cpt. Jack, I think it's a hair better than Samsons, which isn't saying much.

As for pickles on the table, that doesn't mean anything. DZ Akins and City Deli both do the same, and they're bad news.

In NYC, the pickles on the table are FULL SOUR (for the most part anyway), and are actually good.

I thought the whitefish salad at Elijah's was decent. However, they don't make it themselves and buy it premade. You can see the containers in the deli case up front. Also, their rye bread sucks and they don't have pumpernickel!

[Captain Jack]

I agree with Josh that Sampson's was nothing special either. I just liked it better than Elijah's, just my opinion. I will be in NYC next month and smoked whitefish at Barney Greengrass is a given.

[Josh]

I am sufficiently jealous. I'm trying to get the girl to agree to a NYC jaunt in spring - if so, Barney's is on the list and this time I'll be bringing some home.

[daantaat]

Brent's Deli has good whitefish salad! Swing by the next time you're in Northridge or Westlake Village! Good chopped liver too!

[kitchenhag]

I buy Lasco smoked white fish and make my own. When back in Philly Famous Deli made my favorite.

[sandiegosara]

Try Milton's in Del Mar...
http://www.miltonsbaking.com/deli_tra...