For the past two years, Canadian journalist David Sax has been blogging about his adventures with Jewish deli meats. Now, he's written a book, which is hitting bookstores (and arteries) right now.
Naturally, Save the Deli pays homage to all things pickled, smoked and hand-carved. But in between his tales of brisket binges and eating so much pastrami he could plotz, Sax chronicles the lives of America's Jewish immigrants and the socioeconomic forces that have put the Jewish deli on the endangered-species list.
Here are four recommendations, from Sax's mouth to yours, on where to get your latke and schmaltz fix--before it's too late.
Art's "This sun-drenched museum to oversized sandwiches is the go-to spot for CBS execs and Steven Spielberg, who favor its lox, eggs and onion scramble. Art's secret? Onions are cooked for hours, turning them into edible caramel, then combined with lightly sautéed smoked salmon and fluffy eggs." 12224 Ventura Blvd., Los Angeles; 818-762-1221 or artsdeli.com
The Bagel "This traditional deli has been serving noshes and nibbles since 1950, but the house specialty is the Polish-style Whitefish: a whole, bone-in whitefish stuffed with sweet and peppery gefilte fish." 3107 N. Broadway, Chicago; 773-477-0300 or bagelrestaurant.com
Gottlieb's Kosher Delicatessen "Knishes are typically stuffed with potato, kasha and spinach, but in this old-school Hasidic eatery, the pastrami knish is the way to go: Its golden shell of fried potato reveals steaming hot pastrami just begging for a squirt of mustard." 352 Roebling St., Brooklyn; 718-384-6612
Zaidy's "This cozy living room of a deli is known for its Latke Reuben: A mess of corned beef covered in melted Swiss and sauerkraut sandwiched between two big, thin, crisp potato latkes." 121 Adams St. (at E. First Ave.), Denver; 303-333-5336 or zaidysdeli.com
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