Best Rye Loaf Downtown?

[tex.s.toast]

Im looking for some rye bread to pair with really excellent home made pastrami, id rather not travel above 23rd st for it, and have a slight preference for the east side to the west, but Ive got a bunch of errands to run that will take me all over so anywhere thats not a long haul uptown is fair game.

My pastrami isnt particularly "jewish deli traditional" so i'm not tied to a bread that screams tradition, if there was a more quirky rye out there id be interested in hearing.

[FoodDabbler]

tex.s.toast: Which rye did you get? How was it?

[tex.s.toast]

After much dithering i ended up short on time - i was going to buy a couple loaves of the "NYer Rye" from hot bread kitchen which I would have preferred to buy from their union square greenmarket stand but i wanted it sliced so went to the whole foods across 14th to get it there - 5.50 a loaf. Then I had one of those "defeated-by-ny" moments when i faced the line and could justify spending 11 bucks on two medium sized bread loaves, but not the 15 minutes of waiting that getting to the front of the register lines.

I ended up getting some Levy's real jewish rye at the grocery store near me in brooklyn - it was serviceable to adequate. The flavor is pretty good the texture is a little too close to wonder bread.

[FoodDabbler]

I don't think the ultradense very dark ryes, such as Black Rooster Baltic, pair well with pastrami. That's just my opinion. I like these breads plain, with a little sweet butter, or with some smoked, rich white fish such as sable.

Some of the other suggestions upthread will provide better companions to pastrami, I think. I haven't had the Nordic Finnish rye.

[Nancy S.]

I have had the Ruis bread, and, although it is quite excellent (especially with cheese), I don't think it's the ideal vehicle for pastrami.

[sgordon]

Second Nordic Breads, also there's usually a Scandinavian rye of some sort available at Vandaag, and their breads are pretty great.

For an ultra-dense rye, they have a couple at Russ & Daughters, also at Whole Foods.

-----
Russ & Daughters
179 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002

Vandaag
103 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

[small h]

My current favorite rye bread is from Pain D'Avignon in the Essex Market. Runner up is Our Daily Bread, which will be at the Union Square Greenmarket tomorrow.

-----
Union Square Greenmarket
Broadway and E 17th St, New York, NY 10003

Pain D'Avignon
120 Essex St, New York, NY 10002

[erica]

IN the quirky category might be the Finnish rye bread, RUIS, available now on Fridays at Union SQuare from Nordic Breads:

http://www.nordicbreads.com/

http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2010/1...

Not sure who bakes for the prime NYC delis now..perhaps Pechter's. You can probably buy that at some supermarkets..

[erica]

UPDATE: Nordic Breads are now at Union Square on Saturdays; on the east side of the market, near Park and 17th Street.

[kathryn]

Moishe's on 2nd Ave in the East Village should work.

-----
Moishe's Bake Shop
115 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

[tex.s.toast]

they'll be closed for schmini atzeret and simchas torah, right? i didnt specify but im looking to purchase my bread tonight or tomorrow.