Pastrami, Corned Beef And Matzo Ball Soup From Uptown Deli In Bethesda

While this city has many rooted culinary traditions, delis have never been a Washington fixture.

But Bethesda's new Uptown Deli aims to change things with a Manhattan-style menu of blintzes, bagels and nosh-worthy sandwiches offered from breakfast through dinner.

Start the day with a menu of cured and smoked fish platters, including lox ($12.50) and kippered salmon ($13.50), along with omelets and challah French toast ($5).

Sandwiches come on the iconic deli breads like rye, challah or onion rolls. Owner Howard Wasserman assembles classics like bologna ($6) and hot pastrami (pictured; $9), along with an inspired menu of towering signature sandwiches.

The Jets 'n' the Mets ($9) stuffs hot corned beef and pastrami into twin onion rolls with mustard. The Fenway Pahhk ($9) combines house-roasted turkey with cranberry sauce and scallion cream cheese on multigrain bread.

For days when only a grease bomb will do, try the hulking, hangover-busting Nish Nosh ($9), a deep-fried potato knish stuffed with tender pastrami and spicy mustard.

Take home containers of whitefish salad ($15 per pound), chopped liver ($8 per pound) and tuna ($11 per pound), or a package of rugelach cookies ($5).

The fridge is filled with Dr. Brown's sodas, but we prefer the New York egg cream ($3), which patrons mix themselves to achieve maximum froth.

Uptown Deli, 7905 Norfolk Ave., Bethesda; 301-961-5787 or uptowndelibethesda.com

Editor's Note: Uptown Deli has closed.