Slog
News & ArtsTuesday, May 29, 2012
Chow / Religion Hand-Sliced Deli Is Only a Selling Point in the Right Hands
Posted by Goldy on Tue, May 29, 2012 at 12:48 PM
I finally got to Stopsky's Deli on Mercer Island yesterday, and despite all the good things I heard, I gotta say I was disappointed. Stopsky's menu claims its pastrami and corned beef are "hand-sliced," and maybe they are, but if so it's proving to be a disadvantage. Yesterday at least, the meat was cut thick in uniform rectangular slices, which made for an attractive presentation, but an unnecessarily chewy sandwich.
Hand-slicing meat and fish is an art, and something a menu should only boast about when it's done right. For example, the Pacific Northwest produces some of the best Nova-style smoked salmon I've ever tasted, and at great prices, but few people here seem to know (or care) how to slice it. The result is an experience that pales in comparison to the expertly hand-sliced lox I enjoy when I'm back East.
These days I eat a predominantly vegetarian diet, but as a culinary Jew I retain a soft spot for good authentic deli. Stopsky's alas, with its thick cut meat, simply isn't authentic. Perhaps it was just one bad day, so I'll have to give it another try. (The service yesterday was friendly, but extraordinarily slow. How long does it take to assemble a couple sandwiches?) But while I've got my gripes with Goldbergs' Deli too, next time I've got a hankering to clog my arteries with fatty/salty beef, I'm driving the extra 10 minutes to Factoria.
1
i've there twice and really liked it. i'm not east coast or jewish, so take it with a grain of kosher salt
2
I feel the same way about "house-cut" fries. They could be great, but it seems like an unnecessary gamble—especially in that hands of those that would actually print the word "house-cut" on a menu.
3
things in seattle that aren't quite up to snuff if you're east coasty:
1. the slicing of things at delis.
2. the subway.
3. how people don't emote when they talk, they don't cajole, they don't tell stories and they don't give many opinions.
4. people don't keep their little social commitments, the rule seems to be it's okay to not show up and not call. Remember, it's not rude, it's a different social custom!
5. you're supposed to express mild contentment at most things, the mildest displeasure with a dollop of faux concern, you're not supposed to actually criticize something directly, especially if the basis of it is "they do it better back East!"
6. the weather.
7. all the Early Motel, Faux Cannery Shed buildings they have out here.
8. There's no Central Park.
9. Things are too clean and safe, but that's changing.
10. Talking about where you're from and comparing and contrasting here, with there, is subtly frowned upon here. But with a smile!
Bottom line: instead of this carping, kvetching kind of talk, you're supposed to bottle it up and go hiking for a few days by yourself. This is the only way to stay sane here.
1. the slicing of things at delis.
2. the subway.
3. how people don't emote when they talk, they don't cajole, they don't tell stories and they don't give many opinions.
4. people don't keep their little social commitments, the rule seems to be it's okay to not show up and not call. Remember, it's not rude, it's a different social custom!
5. you're supposed to express mild contentment at most things, the mildest displeasure with a dollop of faux concern, you're not supposed to actually criticize something directly, especially if the basis of it is "they do it better back East!"
6. the weather.
7. all the Early Motel, Faux Cannery Shed buildings they have out here.
8. There's no Central Park.
9. Things are too clean and safe, but that's changing.
10. Talking about where you're from and comparing and contrasting here, with there, is subtly frowned upon here. But with a smile!
Bottom line: instead of this carping, kvetching kind of talk, you're supposed to bottle it up and go hiking for a few days by yourself. This is the only way to stay sane here.
6
I don't even remember when it was I had a thin sliced pile of pastrami on rye with melted swiss. It must have been Chicago more than thirty years ago. Sigh.
7
Next time you are in Portland - Kenny and Zuke's deli has EXCELLENT thin sliced pastrami. Check it out.
8
Goldy, it's Goldbergs' (plural) because there's apparently more than one Goldberg involved. That said, they could herd a whole synagogue of Goldbergs into that suburban parking lot, send them into the kitchen, and you'd still have a hard time finding anything that tasted like Noo Yawk. Kvetch, kvetch, kvetch.
9
@3, sweet list. I usually start my list with 'passive aggessive bullshit' and get stuck on that first point. A trip to Whole Foods on Roosevelt yesterday drove the point home. A store full of people in their self-importance bubbles who simply can't say 'excuse me.' A woman who came over four times to not say anything but poke around my refillable water jug. And to top it off, a couple people standing behind my car while I'm trying to back out of the spot. I guess I need a siren to accompany my backup lights in this town.
One of the only redeeming points (Greenlake and Seward are nothing compared to Central Park, and wtf is with the Arboretum?) is local brewing and refilling growlers.
One of the only redeeming points (Greenlake and Seward are nothing compared to Central Park, and wtf is with the Arboretum?) is local brewing and refilling growlers.
10
Forget this shit, Goldy. Like you, I come from Philadelphia. You want decent food in this genre, get on a FUCKING plane. Same way I had to do when I needed a decent doctor to deal with Lyme Borrellosis. You are not gonna get decent Jewish-ish food in Factoria, or Mercer Island, or anyplace west of Maplewood, New Jersey.
12
I used to live in Enatai/Bellevue, and tried Goldberg's' and Gilbert's on Main St. Pathetic. It was like a plastic pageant reenactment of real food. Plus, once you're on a plane, just head East, not down to fucking freewayworld.
13
Is that the reason people want meat sliced thin? Because it's too chewy if it's thick?
I could never figure out why people were so obsessive about slicing it thin. I always thought it would just be a pain in the ass to have to peel off dozens of onion-skin slices without tearing them to shreds.
I could never figure out why people were so obsessive about slicing it thin. I always thought it would just be a pain in the ass to have to peel off dozens of onion-skin slices without tearing them to shreds.
14
goldy, not buying it that you like the weather better here. Or, let's say that's how it is for you, but in fact, the locals DON'T PREFER RAIN because they don't go on vacation to seward AK nope they go to ARIZONA FOR THE MARINERS GAMES they go to HAWAII and no, go over to tokeland WA it's depresso man, beachfront property for only $90K not $900K like in your jersey shore back east? because of the depressing rain. so yes they bottle up about the rain and yes they SAY they like the rain -- tha'ts the faux polite way -- but in fact man as soon as a local northwesterner gets a million bucks to throw around it's a house in scotttsdale or a sweet studio in maui.
15
@14: Yes, it would be nice to have more sun. But Seattle's weather is mild year round, it rarely rains hard enough to get in your way, and I absolutely hate the hot humid summers back East.
So given the choice between the grayness here and the need to live 5 months of every year in air conditioning, I honestly prefer the grayness.
So given the choice between the grayness here and the need to live 5 months of every year in air conditioning, I honestly prefer the grayness.
17
@8: How right you are... but I swear it started out as Goldberg's. I will fix, as apparently Goldy is ignoring you. (To be fair, he probably got that misplaced comma from our listings, which I will fix too.)
19
@15, anyone who thinks New York's (or Boston's, or Philly's, or DC's) weather is better has never lived through a summer OR a winter there. Four-foot mounds of oily, black, pitted snow everywhere? Don't miss 'em. Oceans of melted runoff from the above topping the curbs, hiding unknown depths that may be two inches and may be two feet? Don't miss 'em. Having your shirt soak completely through and plaster itself to your skin the minute you step out of the AC? Don't miss it. Having the only AC be in the subway cars (but definitely not the platforms) or in the department stores, and having the humidity practically foam at your lips? Don't miss it.
I do miss the Jews and Italians though.
I do miss the Jews and Italians though.
21
I, personally, avoid hand-slicing delis because the blood from lacerated appendages makes the pastrami taste all coppery, like an old penny.
22
I was happy to try Stopsky's but I was surprised by the things about it that bugged me.
Yes, the meat was cut too thick. What's that about?
The mustard wasn't regular deli mustard. I liked their mustard, it was good, but it wasn't what it should have been.
The pickle slice is insultingly small.
I don't know how weird this is going to sound, but I unwrapped my sandwich and... it wasn't cut in half. I looked at it and asked myself "What are we, animals?" It struck me as intensely wrong that the sandwich wasn't cut in half.
On the other hand, I got a slice of bobka. That was nice. It's hard to get bobka in this town. And don't even talk to me about trying to get a bialy.
Yes, you can get good deli in L.A., but you'd have to go to L.A. and I hate to do that. Of course, if I had to be in L.A. for some other reason, I would definitely take the opportunity to get some deli. And some bialys.
Yes, the meat was cut too thick. What's that about?
The mustard wasn't regular deli mustard. I liked their mustard, it was good, but it wasn't what it should have been.
The pickle slice is insultingly small.
I don't know how weird this is going to sound, but I unwrapped my sandwich and... it wasn't cut in half. I looked at it and asked myself "What are we, animals?" It struck me as intensely wrong that the sandwich wasn't cut in half.
On the other hand, I got a slice of bobka. That was nice. It's hard to get bobka in this town. And don't even talk to me about trying to get a bialy.
Yes, you can get good deli in L.A., but you'd have to go to L.A. and I hate to do that. Of course, if I had to be in L.A. for some other reason, I would definitely take the opportunity to get some deli. And some bialys.
23
Alas, poor Goldbergs, even seven years ago, it wasn't all that hot. http://www.cornichon.org/2005/06/all-tha…
Better by far: Katz Deli in NYC http://www.cornichon.org/2009/10/we-had-…
Better by far: Katz Deli in NYC http://www.cornichon.org/2009/10/we-had-…
24
Charlie @22: If you're at all competent at baking yeast breads, bialys are ridiculously easy to make. Same dough as a bagel, but no boiling.
Haven't made them in years, but now you've put a bug in my ears.
Haven't made them in years, but now you've put a bug in my ears.
25
@15 Tried Chicago and Seattle weather. Ended up preferring Chicago's, mostly because I really like getting a full helping of summer. YMMV.
Food's mostly good here, though it's hard to find a good plate of teriyaki. I still save my deli outings for when I'm in NYC or LA.
Food's mostly good here, though it's hard to find a good plate of teriyaki. I still save my deli outings for when I'm in NYC or LA.
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
All You Motherfuckers Complaining That aPodments Are Too Small at 200 Square Feet by Dominic Holden
-
SL Letter of the Day: Did You Think I Was Going To Tell You Not To Come Out? (PLUS: Help Free Kate!) by Dan Savage
-
It's Spring! Who's Ready for Street Harassment? by Cienna Madrid
-
America's Epidemic of Toddler-on-Toddler Gun Violence Continues by Goldy
-
Dutch Artist Turns Dead Cat into Remote-Controlled Helicopter by Bethany Jean Clement
-
Slog Overnight by Dan Savage
-
Saint Genet Re-Creates "Shoot" by Brendan Kiley
-
New Gun Enthusiast... by Dan Savage
-
Slog Bible Study: Revelation 1:9 by Goldy
-
The City of Portland, Oregon Should Run for Washington Lieutenant Governor by Goldy
Stranger Personals
The Stranger
RSSSeattle Art & Performance Quarterly
A complete guide to Seattle's current art, film, dance, and theater season.
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (25) RSS