Originally Posted by CO FF
IMHO:
-- the best kosher deli in NYC now is 2nd Avenue.
-- if you restrict yourself to those places that are not open on shabbat, pastrami king (in queens) is very good. A hidden gem is a place called Mazur's (in Little Neck, right near Great Neck, Long Island) - the deli/restaurant adjacent to the butcher shop/grocery.
-- in Los Angeles, Pico Kosher Deli is as good as it gets, but it wouldn't make the top 10 in NY.
-- trivia question: which disgraced Washington politico was the financial backer for Stacks?
-- Shmulke Bernstein's was the most overrated place out there. The deli was ok, not great; the Chinese was dreck.
My grandfather, who ran a kosher delicatessen in Brooklyn as far back as the 20s, always said that he would never eat at Bernsteins because he was offended by what he saw in the kitchen when we worked there during the depression (he lost his own place for a few years). When I pressed him, he said that the mashgiach (kosher supervisor) would nosh without washing his hands before touching the food...
-- trivia answer: Jack Abramoff.
Sorry but I have to disagree with you, I Never had a better sandwich then Smulkas. thats at a place that is Closed on Shabbat. Also I dont know of another Kosher Deli that Smoked and Pickled their own meats. I sure do miss 'em!!
As for being clean well even the best of the 5*s gets hit with Violations and big ones at that. Ive worked in kitchens in many a capacity and yrs ago no one washed as they do today.
whats the problem with the Mashgiach, hes Not a Religious Health Inspector, hes there to make sure that everything food-wise is Kosher. Eating without washing ones hands has Nothing to do with being Kosher.
And just cause a place is spotless up front its whats going on in the kitchen that counts.
As for SBs Chinese thats all there was for a very long time if one was Kosher. Moshe Peking opened and set a very high standard, but you cant compare Kosher Chinese to Non-Kosher. So it was Dreck compared to what?