The American Deli- when did they drop out of fashion? I can remember so well going downtown at lunch and going to the deli for a sandwich, a soda and to people watch. They were the neighborhood meeting place. Parents with kids in and out grabbing lunches in-between Little League games, mom's ordering party platters for a birthday, and the dads sneaking in for a sandwich that their own Cardiologist would make them do laps for if they ever were caught with it in their hands!
My family can be linked back to the early delicatessen. My great-grandfather was a butcher in Midtown East, NY, a few blocks from St. Patricks Cathedral, and the Waldorf. His old name plate from his butcher shop hangs in the family room, and will soon be in my home. It is something that I hold very close in my identity, not just because I now have a food blog, but because the GK name goes back many generations. Food, and socialization runs deep in my blood its no wonder I love to cook, entertain and eat!
I have had the pleasure of living in various parts of the Northeast. Growing up outside of NYC I was spoiled with food that I thought was everywhere, the deli being one of them. As I spread my wings and left New York, I quickly learned that deli's were not as plentiful outside the Lower Hudson Valley. I soon began to miss my thick roast beef with lettuce, tomato, pickle and mayo on a Kaiser roll (again, the NY carbs are second-to-none!) and became sad...and hungry!
What happened to the by-gone era of the neighborhood street corner where kids would met up to hang out? No longer is "going downtown" a thing. Now our one-stop grocery stores have their own "deli departments" where your pre-cut "meat" is waiting for you. We no longer appreciate what the deli is- a place to meet & greet. To learn about the food in which we eat. To appreciate the food that we put into our bodies, and talk to the butcher who throws us a great cut of meat, when we pay for mid-grade. When Main Street, USA died it took the corner drug store, delicatessen, and Five & Dime with it leaving us with Super Stores where you can buy underwear along with your lettuce, 5W-30 with your sandwich meat, and garden gnomes with our cereal.
If you are lucky enough to have a deli in your town, for the love of all things Kosher, go eat there! If you do not, but get the chance to eat at one, go and order yourself a hand-made sandwich, grab a drink, and sit and people watch. There is something in sitting and noshing on freshly sliced cold-cuts, tasting the flavors of the meat and bread while watching neighbors say hello to one another. I say we bring back Downtown, USA, the corner drug store, and the neighborhood delicatessen. That, my darlings, is how we bring back the feeling of connection to our towns, our neighbors, and more importantly, ourselves.
Eat Well, My Darlings!
How Cool Is This?
Original Name Plate and Business Card of My Great-Grandfather's Butcher Shop in NYC
I honestly love a sandwich! There are endless possibilities.