I miss a great corned beef and pastrami sandwich in Wine Country.
Yes, I miss my family from New Jersey. I miss my friends. But I really miss the ethnic food, especially a great Jewish deli, with large, overstuffed sandwiches, Russian dressing, half-sour pickles, and mouthwatering coleslaw.
I’ve seen “New York-style” or “Jewish-style” delis come and go near me, but once you’ve lived the East Coast deli experience, everything else seems to fall short. Berkeley has Saul’s Restaurant & Delicatessen, Burlingame has Max’s Opera Cafe, and San Francisco has Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen. All of them fall short of the Katz’s Delicatessen and Carnegie model.
They are “California-ized” delis. Some even weigh the amount of meat they use, which is insulting to the generations of Eastern European Jewish immigrants whose families worked 100 hours per week in New York restaurants, serving highly discriminating customers for more than a century.
With only a few real New York delis still around, and with food costs rising quickly, the number of people willing to spend $20 or more on a great sandwich is shrinking.
A Modern Jewish Deli in Sonoma Wine Country
So, to lower my standards just a bit, you can still find a good Jewish-style deli in Sonoma’s wine country, specifically in Santa Rosa.
I recommend Grossman’s Noshery & Bar.
Call it a modern Jewish deli. They serve solid pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, with generous portions of meat. You’ll also find matzo ball soup, latkes, good rye bread, and even a foot-long hot dog. Breakfast is strong as well.
For those visiting from the East Coast, there are enough familiar flavors here to remind you of old-world delis.
Jewish Delis in Napa Valley and Sonoma
There are a few other spots worth noting, even if they don’t fully deliver the classic experience.
In Healdsburg, Drewish Deli offers house-made pastrami in a more casual setting.
In downtown Napa, Loveski Deli is more of a quick stop, with good breakfast options and lighter fare. It works well between winery visits, but it’s not a full sit-down deli experience.
Anthony Bourdain on Why Food Tastes Better in New York
When it comes to ethnic food, I’m a fan of the real thing.
You’re not going to find mile-high sandwiches or that unmistakable deli smell that reminds you of your youth. You’re not sitting at an old-school counter, spinning on a stool while waiting for your number to be called.
That experience belongs somewhere else.
I had an interesting conversation once with the late Anthony Bourdain. He asked me a simple question. Why does Chinese food taste better in New York City than in Beijing, or Italian food taste better in NYC than Rome, or Hungarian food taste better in NYC than in Budapest? And I wasn’t allowed to answer that it’s the NYC water. Mr. Bourdain stumped me, and then he replied, “It’s because of the availability of all the amazing spices and herbs available in New York and because of the highly discriminating taste of New Yorkers. If you don’t put a good quality plate in front of New York City consumers, then you will be out of business within a year.”
And believe that he’s correct.
Final Thought
You can find good Jewish deli food in Wine Country. But you have to adjust your expectations.
Enjoy what’s here for what it is.
Just don’t walk in and order a ham and cheese on white bread with mayo.
Cheers,
Elliot
