What the Deli Yo or Jesse's Deli Feature; A Fugue in 8 parts

As a Sandwich blogger a few questions come up often in conversation.

"Why a blog about sandwiches?"
"So you must eat a lot of sandwiches eh?"
"What is the largest manufacturer of potassium permanganate in World?"

Ok, maybe the last one not as much (and besides all of my friends should know that it is Chongqing Changyuan Chemical Products Limited). But of all sandwich-related inquiries, the one I most often here is "What is your favourite Sandwich".

My answer is Deli.

I love Deli. I read books and blogs about deli, I played for a North Toronto Baseball Team sponsored by a deli, I have even tried to advocate for a private members bill legalizing Sandwich Blogger - Deli Sandwich civil unions, to no avail.

For the next couple of days, I will be reviewing a number of deli's inside and outside of the GTA in search of Toronto's Best Deli Sandwich.

Jesse Todres' on Deli:

Few Deli's in Toronto these days actually smoke, pickle or dry-age their own deli meats. The lengthy, complicated and unwiledy practice is only for the truly committed. As such, many deli make their bones from re-steaming industrially cured briskets (Montreal's Lesters and Toronto's Chicago 58 being two of the main producers). While these meats tend to lose the zing of hand-cured meats, they still serve an important role in Toronto's pyramid of delis and will be duly noted.

Montreal deli is and will always be the yardstick by which I measure all Deli Sandwiches.


Entry #1 - Zuppa's Restaurant & Deli - 342 Adelaide St W

(Source: Picture from whynotdine.com)

Zuppa's while considered a go-to for greasy diner fare is by no means a classic deli.

Featured re-steamed Lester's, Zuppa's managed to capture the oversized nature of the Classic NY deli sandwich without any of the requisite flavor. Unfortunately, the dominant taste pallet was that off Industrial brine injected into mechanically rubberized meat. B

The Rye bread was soft with a little bit of snap to it, though I felt it was lacking a way Caraway Seeds. Good Mustard selection was NOT sufficient to overcome the more obvious deficiencies of this Sandwich:



Overall: 5.5/10 Opa's

Entry # 2 - Mutual Street Deli - 103 Mutual Street



Similar to Zupa's, Mutual Street Deli is a primarily a Diner, serving up greasy spoon breakfasts and distinct form of diner-banter that only Greek owner/operators can provide. Again, it offers re-steamed and machine-sliced Lester's stacked EXTREMELY high:



The folks @ Mutual Street seem to have done a better job of recapturing some of the smoked meat flavor during the re-steaming process - I was able to taste more subtle tones of spicing, and the meat was more moist and tender but still fell on the bland side of the Sandwich road.




Conclusion: not bad in pinch, especially if you need a good quality, quick Sandwich near Yonge & Dundas 6.5/10 Opa's




Entry # 3 - Snowdon Deli - 5265 Decarie Blvd - Montreal, Qc

While not possessing the same International Fame and pop cultural cache of Schwartz's, Snowdon Deli has slowly been creeping up my list of favorite delis in the world, here's why:

• It features an extremely expansive menu of Ashkenazi non-sandwich delights from Kashka Vernishkes, Chopped Liver, Potato Knishes (another possible discretionary Sandwich)
  
• It lacks the requisite lineups of Schwartz's
  
• Selection of Regular or Old-Fashioned (with regards to spicing) allows you that extra element of choice (not just how fatty)
  
• It has a classic element of the Jewish Deli - A pushy waitress who will spar, kibbitz and generally make you feel like you are being served by a surly 2nd cousin that you've never met.
  

I always order the Medium-Fat, Old- Fashioned w/ Chopped Liver and 1/2 sour Pickle.




The first bite generates a burst of flavor from the fatty, pickled meats - followed by an immediate rush of peppery spicing, and closing with the tanginess of the yellow mustard. The rye was had a nice crust with sponginess and a bit of flavor, without overpowering the meat.

I also award special points for not concentrating on the mere size of the deli sandwich but the delicate balancing of flavors. The only thing this humble Sandwich-ite could ask for is for a more distinct smoky flavor but hey if it ain't broken (after 50 some years) then why fix it.

This is the kind of Deli that makes me feel more religio-spiritual @ a deli than at a synagogue:


Conclusion: 9.0/10 Opa's


The next stop on our whirlwind deli tour will feature:

The New Yorker Deli
Caplansky's
Centre Street Deli.