Any good San Diego delis?
I'd love to find a great NY-style deli in San Diego. Anyone with a good tip? I could use and great corned beef sandwich. Can anyone recommend something close at least? I'm not a fan of D.Z. Akins. I like the Cheese Shop, but don't consider it a traditional deli.




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Not gonna happen, Overnight express from Katz's, Yonah Schimmel, and Barney Greengrass.
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You're SOL, I'm afraid. Los Angeles is your closest option.
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There is always Milton's in Del Mar which can be passable. You have to ask for the bread and pickles. They corned beef can be good and not so good.
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Is that the place that took over for Sam's Sons?
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No Samson's was replaced by Elijah's.
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Samsons/Elijahs is in La Jolla VIllage Square- the one with the Whole Foods and Peets...
Miltons is on Via De La Valle- Del Mar...Last time I went there they were adding a surcharge of $1.50 per person for electricity. (OK-it's been a while) I just never bothered going back: the food wasn't that good.
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good Jewish deli in SD? doesn't exist. Milton's is barely passable, I'd rank it lower than DZ Akins. Order from Brent's Deli in Northridge--they deliver to San Diego.
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How does that delivery from Brent's work?
What is the cost? Do you know? Anyone?
Darn it! Why, oh why did I just look at their menu? I want a potato pancake and chopped liver and corned beef and pickles
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I like your list. Only things missing are whitefish salad and pumpernickel bread.
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yum!
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Can't tell you how or the cost of delivery from Brent's b/c we eat there when we're in the Valley. However, it's worth a call to them. Their chopped liver, corned beef, whitefish salad and smoked cod are absolutely delicious! I am not a fan of chopped liver but converted after I had theirs. Corned beef is flavorful and lean, not greasy at all.
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My favorite deli is SD is in Santee in the middle of a gritty little industrial area. It's on Magnolia between Bradley and Fletcher Pkwy. It's called Antonelli's Deli. Excellent Pastrami althought I've never had their Corned Beef.
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For some reason, I'm thinking Antonelli's is not a Jewish deli.
LOL
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I know you don't consider Cheese Shop a NY style deli, but having eaten at various delis including DZ Akins and Miltons I'd say that's as good as you'll get. Maybe I've just given up on finding delis when I can easily get a much better sandwitch at the Cheese shop. I usually get their center cut pork sandwitch or New York sandwich. The main problem is Cheese Shop closes at 5pm so it's mainly for lunch or early dinners. But you get your food without an obscene wait and other hassles like with DZ Akins. There's probably other places like Cheese Shop but that's the closest one to me in UTC.
The only con for Cheese shop is it's not a NY deli - as in it's a con if you actually want to experience waiting for a table, waiting for your waiter, get bad service, pay twice as much, and get a sandwitch that's sometimes good and sometimes mediocre.
Cheese Shop is much better than DZ Akins, much cheaper, and faster with no tip and straightforward service. You can eat your sandwitch at the tables outside, and even split a sandwitch if you or your friends just want a snack. After you're done, you're in La Jolla and have places to take a walk and enjoy the sun.
The one thing I like about DZ Akins is their pickles, and their sandwitches would be alright if they were below Cheese Shop's price point rather than well above.
Did I mention the obscene wait at DZ Akins? Even after getting seated I've had issues, but this was years ago. Friends have gone since and had similar issues too. As far as I know, people go to DZ because they have no alternative and want nostalgia. Milton's is better but overpriced. That said, Cheese shop is more for locals near La Jolla who don't mind super casual in exchange for better faster cheaper. You seem to like it too and all I'm saying is stick with it.
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I agree the Cheese Shop is not a NY deli but has great, fresh, made to order, huge sandwiches, many with house-roasted meats and turkey cooked off early each morning. They also have a downtown location on Fourth in the Gaslamp, conveninent for the downtown office crowd. I have known the owners for almost 20 years. Although this may not be a sit-down, full-service restaurant let me assure you that tips are greatly appreciated. They bust their you know what to get those sandwiches out (especially during the lunch rush), not to mention the rising food costs and the obscene cost of their lease (we know their landlord as well, used to be ours). So on their behalf and others, I urge you to leave a little something-something in the tip jar.
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You're right, they deserve it more than many sit-down places and ordering is as easy as it gets. I was just contrasting it to other places where tipping is basically obligatory unless they really do something wrong.
I'll be sure to try out their other sandwitches - it's always hard to tell if you picked their best and should stick with it or if it's safe to experiment. =)
Portions-wise the sandwitches are big as you say, and for a snack half a sandwitch will satisfy you.
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