My Kingdom ComeCanter's had always had a special place in my heart as the beginning of this mystical, meaty journey started one late night at the famous 24 hour deli with an O' Malley's sandwich. It finally came full circle in my eyes on Halloween 2010, as I was lauded the Pastrami King with a round of applause from many hungry Halloween deli patrons.
As I was waiting for a seat the host came up and looked at my shirt. I <3 Canter's - it's the same shirt the waiters wear and he started cracking jokes "I need you to take those two tables and go in the back and check the orders for these tables." I promptly pulled out my card and the guy's attitude changed..."Oh, you're for real. Right this way, King." as I walked down the aisle the host shouted "All Hail the Pastrami King" - everyone turned their heads and there I was, in my glory with crown and cape - while doing a parade wave to the crowd. Priceless.
I also went to Langer's with my dad earlier in the week (stellar, as usual) and I picked up this awesome book at the counter. Sheryll Bellman covers many of the famous delis in the USA, the origin of the deli foods, and also gives you some recipes to make some of the items at home on your own time. I wanted this book about a year ago and was unable to get it from Amazon - as I think they were backlogged. I finally got it and wow! I'm going to have to make all these deli dishes and share them with friends and foodies. Stay tuned for some homemade posts!
