Any information on new deli in Dallas?

[mjtx]

I heard that a new deli has gone into the old Ed's Deli location. Does anyone know anything about it?

[cafm1408]

I visited today, for the first time, Gio's New York Deli. I was greeted immediately and seated at a banquette table. Fresh flowers on the table. Restaurant was about 1/3 full at 2pm. The waitress, Tina, came over right away and provided a menu and took my drink order. I told her it was my first time and wanted extra time to look over the menu. Very polite and personable. Looked like a typical deli menu. I chose the 1/2 & 1/2, with a pastrami on rye, spicy mustard, and a cup of matzo ball soup. Three spears of 1/2 sour pickles and some bagel chips were placed on my table. The soup came out within five minutes or less. The matzo ball was perfect, not too heavy or too light. Consistent throughout, good flavor. The broth was flavorful and rich. Thankfully, no extraneous bits of vegetable floating in the bowl. Some delis load up their broth with carrot coins. It was salted to my preference, no need to add more. I can see where others might think it oversalted, but perfect for me. I hate bland food. Just as I was finishing my soup, the sandwich arrived. It was bountiful and attractive. I picked it up and took a bite. The pastrami was the best pastrami I have ever tasted. It was moist, succulent, slight bit of fat, just right for me. When I bit into the sandwich, no shreds of stringy, dry meat. It seemed like it melted into my mouth. The mustard was a perfect compliment and the rye bread, while very fresh, held up all the way through the sandwich. I will go back again and again. I will take my family and friends. This is a find for me.

[twinwillow]

I guess they must have heard and read about all the complaints concerning the pastrami being as dry as cardboard and decided to make things right.
Thanks for your post. I'll give it one more try, now.

[DallasDude]

Went back to Gio's again this evening when I found myself hankering for pastrami. I ordered a half soup/ sandwich option. I chose the matzo ball and of course the pastrami on rye and mustard.

The pastrami was ever so tender, moist and and juicy. Very good quality, but the edges weren't burnt and crisp like you might see at Deli News, but it was dark. The rye was very fresh as they bake their own, fairly tender which is not necessarily good for this type of sandwich, and lacking a noticable amount of rye. The bread did hold together well. All-in-all a good sandwich and would order this again.

The soup on the other hand was bland and the matzo ball lacked flavor. Edible but hohum.

The manager was Jeff Hartman, and you will remember him from the original Deli News off Hillcrest and a stint at Gilbert's. He tossed me a little lagniappe (I was there before closing) in the way of a handful of bagels and a few kreplach. I might be inclined to order the kreplach over the matzo ball, but you would still be left with the weak broth.

Jeff mentioned that (Alan) Gilbert could still be found in the Dallas area... at Cindi's off of Central.

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Deli News
17062 Preston Rd Ste 100, Dallas, TX 75248

[twinwillow]

The pastrami sandwich you've pictured here doesn't resemble anything like the horrible, dry pastrami sandwich I had at Gio's.

Sorry, but I see no reason whatsoever to return to Gio's.

Are you sure it's (Alan) Gilbert working at Cindi's? I know his father is.

[DallasDude]

Could be (about Gilbert), just going off what they said. I don't do Cindy's anymore. It is not at all the same as it once was. I actually didn't post the best photo and CH doesn't allow for corrections on pics. My sandwich did indeed have a nice bit of fat and was very succulent.

If it seems hit and miss the thing to do is ask for a sample of anything you get. They appear to be accomodating.

[CocoaNut]

When I was in, they also bagged up 2 bags of extras - one for my friend and one of me. Each came home with a plain bagel and a roll with sautee'd onion inside. They were both ok. The very management gets plusses for personality and PR ----- but that's not what I'm paying for.

[twinwillow]

I finally got to eat lunch at Gio's today. Had 1/2 pastrami on rye, cole slaw and a cup of chicken soup. Considering some of the above positive comments, I was stunned at how BAD the pastrami was. Too lean, too dry and, too tasteless! the (machine cut) slices actually looked like they were cut with the grain rather than against it. A big no-no. Hell, even Zinsky's had better pastrami! The chicken soup was so salty, I couldn't eat it. And the cole slaw was, meh. Both, Deli-News and Cindy's are far better at the previous mentioned items.
However, that said, I'll go back and again and try some of the "home cooked" style meals and some of the smoked fish selections.

[irodguy]

That was in fact my take on the Corned Beef. I find that their fish is very good. I like their baked goods as well. I was not impressed with the corned beef overall. They are importing from Carnegie Deli but just not impressed.

[twinwillow]

That's funny because I actually asked the waiter if he had accidently served me corned beef instead of pastrami.

I will go back and try some other of their food items so as not to miss anything good.

[CocoaNut]

Agree on the lean, dry, flavorless pastrami. Was surprised when one of the (non-owning) very personable partners was bragging over it being shipped from Carnegie Deli. Also shipped are the pickles, but they were cut into limp, super-thin-spears - very disappointing. RE the "salty chicken soup"..... mine was like dill infused, warm water. For the few times a month I come to Dallas, I won't be trying Gio again. Adding to the bad, the service was far from stellar and there were only about 3 tables of people eating. I finally walked over to the hostess to ask for bagel chips. With the exception of one server (who looked very familiar - Zinski's?) the others were having a social hour back by the kitchen. So went my experience about 3 weeks ago.

[DallasDude]

I saw that server. Not Zinsky's, but rather Ed's. Gimme back Gilbert's. Gio is not bad at all, you just need to take it for the good stuff and get the rest at our old familiar Deli News.

Don't make me post that pastrami photo again.

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Deli News
17062 Preston Rd Ste 100, Dallas, TX 75248

[twinwillow]

If you're talking about the female server with the black hair, you're right. I saw her and she remembered me and threw me a nice smile. She used to wait on us at Ed's. She's good, too.
I had the young Russian kid. He was fine.

[snatex]

I tried breakfast this morning and was very impressed. The corned beef hash was as good as any I've had in town. Eggs were cooked perfectly. Lox spread had nice chunks of nova in it. The bagels are made fresh in house. They are boiled and then baked like they do it in NY. The bagel had great flavor and was very fresh but lacked the weight of a NY bagel. I'm guessing it is the difference in the water of NY and Dallas. Either way it was a good bagel. I even preferred it to the imported from NY par baked bagels that Deli News offers. The coffee was NY standby Chock Full o'Nuts and it was outstanding.

I also scoped out the other items too. The corned beef and pastrami is brought in from the famous Carnegie Deli in NY. Hebrew National hot dogs are used. They serve 3 types of knishes. The salads (whitefish, tuna, cole slaw, chopped liver, etc.) all looked fantastic. It all looked very promising. I can't wait to try more.

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Deli News
17062 Preston Rd Ste 100, Dallas, TX 75248

[irodguy]

Uh oh I see rabid wife until I take her there. Carnegie Deli......

[snatex]

I went back for dessert tonight. Oh my. The cheesecake and many of the other pastries are also brought in from the Carnegie. I think I have a new home away from home.

[air]

Definitely with you on the belly lox and the pastrami lox; it's really what they do the best there (believe those are actually done in house). To everyone that's dismissing them just because of the pastrami: did you try any of the lox?

[DallasDude]

I will go back a few more times, but if the pastrami was as good as the last time I went (and yes that is the photo I published from my last venture in) then their pastrami is very good.

[twinwillow]

From a thread in today's SideDish blog....

http://sidedish.dmagazine.com/2010/12...

[Scagnetti]

I hope before I go to my grave that a Kenny & Ziggy's Deli opens in Dallas.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfai...

[twinwillow]

Ala vi! From your mouth to God's ears. (in Yiddish).

[JonFromTJs]

on NYC bagels..i've heard that its the NYC TAP WATER that makes NYC bagels different. you can take the same recipe and it won't have the same bagel.

check out this link:

http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2010/...

[twinwillow]

Jon, the same go's for everything from pizza dough to pastrami to "dirty water" hot dogs. NYC water is so soft, it's like having Fuji Water from the tap.

[twinwillow]

Are they open?

[mjtx]

Yes, they have been open several days. We haven't eaten there we -just bought some bagels (haven't tried them yet)..

[twinwillow]

From my experience with properly made NYC style bagels, you don't want to wait too long to eat them. A proper NYC style bagel is usually stale by the evening of the day you've bought it. By the next day, it's hard as a rock!
But then again, this isn't NYC and I'm sure they're not making "proper" NYC style bagels.

[mjtx]

We freeze the bagels the same day that we buy them. Thaw them in the micorwave when we want one and toast. them. Not the same as eating them the same day that we buy them, but ............

[twinwillow]

Sounds like a good plan.

[mjtx]

Found out it is called Gio's Cafe & New York Style Deli. We haven't tried it yet.