My quest for deli will never end but I feel like I should have titled this post, THE DEATH OF THE DELI…

I’ve previously written about my love for deli delights and sadly, I must report the closure of yet more opportunities for me to feed my nosh…

Two of my New York delis have closed – Blooms and Stage, which only leaves Second Avenue and Katz. Katz is really good but it’s such a tourist trap.  But if you’re in NYC, it’s the deli of choice. 

And Chicago deli in Cleveland shut its doors leaving only Slyman’s – the original location downtown only. The two taverns in the suburbs are basically sports bars not authentic delis. Stand in line downtown… It’s worth every bite…

But all is not lost. I have found a new favorite. Famous 4th Street Delicatessen in Philadelphia. I dedicate the remainder of this post to 4th street deli… (takes a deep breath preparing to extol)

First things first – it’s in South Philly so take your parking patience with you when you go – you’ll need that first. 

You’ve worked up an appetite because you’ve now walked BLOCKS to the location from where you found parking to find… the perfect Jewish deli!  I keep saying you but I do mean me…

You tell the person who greets you yesterday was your birthday and they give you a primo table in the window so you can people watch while you eat. Still mean me…

Whenever I try a new deli, I litmus test:

Half corned beef half pastrami with mustard on rye (no cheese)

Matzo ball soup

Latkas (potato pancakes)

French fries

Cucumber salad or potato salad (there’s never both)

Cheesecake

In an authentic Jewish deli, that’s a lot of food. But I’m going for it nonetheless…

The sandwich was spot on. Huge and brined correctly. Did not taste like bologna. Spot on…

Latkas had just the right seasoning to taste like more than just a hash brown and the matzo ball soup was better than chicken and dumplings. 

This is how you know the deli is authentic Jewish.  Compare like items to their American counterparts. If you can note a difference, A+. If not, just go eat at Denny’s.

Bad news:  the french fries and the potato salad were not so great. Too much vinegar in the potato salad and the fries appeared to be re-fried several times. Neither a deal breaker but duly noted.

Overall, 4th street deli is a winner. Very much reminds me of the delis I grew up with and that is a comforting feeling knowing how many of them have closed.

So if you’re in the Philadelphia area, 4th street deli is the place for authentic Jewish deli. L’chayim!