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Meredith Riley Stewart and Bert Stewart, transplants from Alabama, have gotten me hooked on Twitter. I began tweeting last fall and found it a fine way to discover new restaurants.
One from several weeks ago tweeted the magic word “Delicatessen.” Michael Spector, a nice Jewish boy from Elkins Park, opened Delicatessen on the site of Kibbitz several weeks ago.
Since I was off to see “An Education,” I decided on Sunday brunch. The interior has tin-and-white-tiled walls, hanging lights and church pews serving as seats.
There’s a takeout counter, as well.
I slid onto a chair and my server, clad in a colorful T-shirt with the word “deli” done up like the LOVE sculpture, brought me a steaming cup of La Colombe ($2) along with complimentary garlic bagel chips and wasabi cream cheese, the “schmeer” of the day.
Sunday brunch means bagels and lox. My platter ($12) consisted of several thin slices of top-quality nova from Brooklyn, N.Y.-based smoked fish company Acme. Thinly sliced, sweet red onion rings, some cucumber, sliced ripe Roma tomatoes and a handful of capers were enjoyed on a toasted poppy seed bagel with cream cheese. A side of choice comes with brunch. The potato latkes were tops — hot, crisp, golden, free of grease.
I was itching to sample the corned beef and soups. A cup of vegan mushroom barley ($2.50) arrived piping-hot. Chef Nick Oswald used dry porcini, fresh button, portobello and shiitake mushrooms along with tiny dices of carrots, onions and bay leaves in this comforting masterpiece.
The Reuben ($11) was a triumph. It was fashioned with not-at-all salty corned beef, sauerkraut and melted Swiss. Some delis add Russian dressing, some do not. I asked for mine on the side.
A Reuben is messy since the rye is grilled. Spector buys his ryes from Kaplan’s in Northern Liberties. As I took each bite, the flavors melded in my mouth. This time my side of choice was waffle fries ($3). They were so hot, I had to wait a minute or so before picking one up. Like the latkes, they were golden, crisp and free of grease.
Another test of an authentic Jewish deli is its matzo ball soup. Oswald’s version ($3 for a cup) was the envy of every Jewish woman or man who has ever attempted to make it.
The broth was hot and glistening. Three matzo balls the size of a walnut were floaters, not sinkers. They were light, fluffy and melted in my mouth. Flecks of fresh minced parsley were used in the mixture, which is nothing more than beaten eggs, salt and matzo meal. Texture was key here. Shreds of chicken, diced carrots, onion and celery flavored the chicken soup to a “T.”
Chopped liver is another staple of a Jewish deli. Oswald’s is more French pate than Jewish pate, but this is a matter of taste. It was too smooth for me and I don’t think he used chopped hardboiled eggs. Still, the platter ($8) was good-sized and included a toss of field greens, iceberg lettuce and cucumbers with a choice of dressing. A complimentary slice of Jewish apple cake, as fine as my sister Sandy’s, ended my lunches.
Service on all visits was first-rate. Delicatessen is a family restaurant and highchairs are on hand.
I called Spector, 32, who lives in Northern Liberties, because I was curious about the recipes. He earned a degree in business from Temple University and has managed restaurants since he was 18.
“I’ve managed restaurants in Philadelphia, New York and Atlantic City,” he said. “I want to be true to our Jewish culture and tradition while pushing the envelope a bit. Food must evolve or it will die off.”
I wondered what church pews were doing in a Jewish deli.
“I called my rabbi and asked him to seek out synagogue pews,” Spector said. “He could not find any. I found old church pews and he said, ‘don’t worry, Michael, I will come into the restaurant and bless them.’”
Three tips of the toque to Delicatessen. SPR
Delicatessen
703 Chestnut St.
215-923-4560
www.delicatessenphilly.com
32468702
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