Romanian Pastrami

[Bluebird]

Posting for a friend who wants to find Romanian Pastrami like she use to get at Stan Slaters in Brookline. Any suggestions?

[gini]

Places that have it on their menu:
Rubin's
Zaftig's
Boston Kebab House
Sandwich Express

I find this hard to believe though cause I always thought Romanian Pastrami was pork, no?

[gourmaniac]

michael's in coolidge corner. roumanian pastrami is also beef brisket not pork.

[gini]

Ah, beef brisket. Interesting.

[MOREKASHA]

Don't know what gives in Boston, but here in NYC Rumanian Pastrami is sort of redundant. While Pastrami may not have been invented in Rumania, the Rumanian/Bessarabian Jews made it popular.

[gini]

True enough, but Romanians also have a knack for pastrami-ing several cuts of meat including sheep and pork. When I see Romanian Pastrami on Rubin's and Zaftig's menus, I have to assume redundancy also.

[9lives]

Best pastrami; Rumanian or otherwise that I've found in Boston is at Sam LaGrassa's Deli on Province St..off downtown xing..weekdays..lunch only

[Ralphie_in_Boston]

I second Sam LaGrassa's. I head there for Pastrami whenever I'm in that area during weekday lunchtime, which isn't often enough.

[croutonweb]

Hole in the Wall deli at 125 Summer Street had delectable juicy Romanian pastrami, but it was only available on certain days. Note: this was ~7 years ago. I don't even know if the place exists anymore.

[9lives]

I was a regular at Hole in the Wall at the previous location. They were literally a hole in the wall on the street west of Devonshire..where the back of Elepahant and Castle is now. I used to get a pastrami and a corned beef sandwich..and go halfsies with a coworker.

Hole in the Wall was very good; but I think they've been gone for a while.

[edgewater]

Joan and Ed's on Route 9 in Natick in the shopping center where The Christmas Tree Shop is across from the Natick Mall.....oh, excuse me, I mean the Natick Collection.

[Ralphie_in_Boston]

Yes, and while waiting for your sandwich to arrive you can read the paper placemat's description of what constitutes Roumanian pastrami vs. regular pastrami, according to their definitions anyway.

[9lives]

All this talk about pastrami..:)

http://flickr.com/photos/61246842@N00/sets/72157600260539074/

http://www.samlagrassas.com/

[hoplover]

In my opinion there is no such thing as good and delicious pastrami in this town. I have eaten at everywhere and more when it comes to deli. I was raised on it. Have the Carneige deli ship it to you. I have done it and it is delicious. It so sad that there is nothing like it here and please do not say Barry's deli because it is just not the same.

[9lives]

Sorry, but I don't agree with that opinion. Is LaGrassa's as good as Katz's? No..but it was "good and delicious."

BTW, I see plenty of posts on the NY board and other sites complaining that the Carnegie stinks..and is for tourists..:) Go figure.

Katz's is still king..and it's slated to close for a while.

[hoplover]

I know, I heard that about katz's. That is too bad. Carneige does have delicious pastrami sandwiches and it's what I always get. Their chopped liver is terrible. I heard that LaGrraasa's is very good from my dad and he would know. I just wish there was really good jewish deli here and there is not and I know this because I grew up here.

[9lives]

Sadly, the Jewish deli biz is a dying art. Great's like the 2nd Ave Deli closed last year. Now Katz's..and Stage and Carnegie are shells of their former selves.

In Boston, Stage (theater district) and Alan Dershowitz's Mavens in Harvard SQ closed in short time.

Katz's and 2nd Ave..economics..it's a lot easier to sell your building or convert to 10 or more $2mm condos..than sell 50 tons of corned beef and pastrami.

I take it you haven't eaten at LaGrassa's but your dad did.

Here's a deal you can't refuse..:)..next public CH event; you show up and I'll bring a pastrami sandwich for you from La Grassa...maybe 1/2..:) then we'll talk.

[Rubee]

Hey - even though I'm already a fan of LG, I want that offer too! ; )

[Dr.Jimbob]

I tend to agree with 9lives -- as an expat New Yorker, I used to parrot the mantra that there was no comparing Boston pastrami with NYC. While I do adore the Carnegie Deli (and have yet to make it out to Katz's), I do have to say that if you don't want to order delivery or schlep round trip to New York, that Sam La Grassa's will do right honorably in a pinch. And they actually do have what they call "Romanian pastrami" (though I think I like the traveler pastrami sandwich marginally better). Portion control is also closer to existent at Sam's.

[heathermb]

I have yet to try Sam La Grassa's, but do enjoy the pastrami at Michael's in Coolidge Corner...is SLG better?

[BobB]

Michael's flies their pastrami and corned beef in daily from New York. How is that different from having it shipped direct to your home?

[SmokeDawg]

First: why would one have to get deliveries on pastrami daily when the point of curing and smoking meat is to preserve it? Pastrami has a shelf live measured in months.
Second: flied in? As opposed to pony express? If it was trucked in from New York it would get here pretty much as fast.

[9lives]

I've never had the pastrami at Michael's.

I get the corned beef there. I think it is very comparable to SLG.

[Karl S]

Costco sells CD pastrami in double-packs.

[gltsoi]

yes, and it used to be great, but just recently they are selling it in new packaging advertising a "new leaner cut". Such sadness as the fat is what makes it tasty. I tried the new stuff and nowhere near as good. I won't be buying it again.

[phatchris]

Washington Deli and Arthurs both in Chelsea are pretty good and better then most other places IMO.

[Karl S]

Ach! What pastrami maven wants "lean" pastrami?...

[STEVIEG]

try fressners deli in randolph on tuesdays

[yumyum]

True dat. I was lucky enough to eat this last summer in Montreal. BUT, if you factor in the cost of gas, that takes the sandwich to a little over $100. I think Sam La Grassa's or Micheal's might be more reasonable for people. :-p

[grant.cook]

How about Berezka Deli in Allston/Brighton.. I love their pickles, and everybody seems to talk in Slavic languages..

[Bellacoolaman]

This is joining in very late but I was just searching for Boston area pastrami and several comments got me reminiscing about another lost deli that no one had mentioned - Provizer's. It was out along Commonwealth Avenue well towards Newton Corner and just a tiny place in an old fashioned mini-mall. But the pastrami was supreb as was the chopped liver and, of course, the pickles. After many years absence from Boston I returned in 2006 and was heart-broken to see that Provizer's had disappeared. So too had Pick-a-Chick bagels and Jack & Marion's both of Coolidge Corner fame. Too darn many Gordon Ramsey Wannabees running the restaurants of beantown for my taste!