Langer's Indignation

[TomSwift]

This morning on the way back from court I stopped off at Langer's to get (1) a whole hand cut pastrami brisket, (2) a quart of cole slaw, (3) a jar of new pickles, (4) 30 slices of double-baked rye and, at the request of Mrs. Swift, a half pound of turkey pastrami. When I asked for the turkey pastrami the counter guy I always use looked at me with scorn and said "Tom, this is Langer's. There is no such thing as "turkey pastrami" here. You should know better than that." Mrs. Swift ended up with machine sliced turkey. This struck me as outrageously funny which is why I pass it along. He must have read the LA Times Food Section article this past Wednesday.

[rapmapcap]

Forgot how much I miss working near Langers!!

[ns1]

How much was the whole brisket? $/lb?

[TomSwift]

I don't know the price of the brisket specifically, but they do sell it by the per pound price. Tht total price fot the pickle jar, the coleslaw, the turkey, the bread and the brisket was $85.

[wilafur]

how many sandwiches were you able to make?

[TomSwift]

Only 10, but the bread makes excellent toast for breakfast. Think about the economics - Not even counting the pickles, slaw and turkey, it works out to a little ove $8 per sandwich, compared to about $11 at the deli. Still, at the deli the bread is hot and the pastrami is sappy, two qualities mostly lost when you take it home.

[wilafur]

thanks tom. that's why i asked.......i wanted to work out the per sandwich cost. but as you mentioned, there are certain things lost when the sandwich is not eaten at langers.

[JudiAU]

I suggest getting your pastrami as a single piece, rather than sliced. That way you can gently reheat by steam, which was recommended to us by the counterman of Katz a few years ago. Makes a huge difference in quality. The bread can also be reheated in the oven. It warms the bread and toasts the exterior.

It isn't a cost calculation-- seriously, if you are eating pastrami often enough to do a cost calculation you are going to die soon. I is all about convenience. Langers is too far from my house to get pastrami as often as I should. Nice to follow up a visit with a dinner a few days later.

[wilafur]

also nice to know that i can buy the pastrami and condiments in bulk for parties. =)

[JudiAU]

Ate their yesterday. Business is up, of course, which is good for everyone.

It was so fine.

[J.L.]

So tragically hip, AFTER the LA Times article came out.

Of course, we Hounds who have known the facts long before the article was published will now have to wait a tad longer for our beloved pastrami at Langer's now, for at least the next 4 weeks...

[FED]

this probably was not the first time the la times wrote about langers.

[odub]

Ah - I went there for lunch last Friday and it was SLAMMED which I had never seen before. Didn't realize the LAT just wrote about it; that probably explains it.

My wife insists the Godmother is the better sandwich but I can't cosign. Langers or bust!

[JudiAU]

Share the love. One is always closer.

[tenxtone76]

shoot, Godmother and Langer's aren't even apples and oranges. more like apples and aliens. which both kill.

[JAB]

What time is dinner?

[JudiAU]

I love Langer's.