Langer's Deli

We've been trying to visit Langer's for quite some time.  However, every time we have been in L.A., it just hasn't happened.  This time around, it was only Viv and I, without the kids.  Hence, we did a bit more exploring into neighborhoods that may be a bit sketch.  To be fair, we didn't feel that we were in danger anytime, even though we had to walk 4 blocks to Langer's.  I guess we could've just parked in their lot and get validated, but like most times, it was full.

We didn't have to wait long as there wasn't much of a lineup on the day we went.  We were seated right by the door, which was interesting.  The first thing we had was the Matzo Ball Soup which was fantastic.  Really enjoyed the chicken broth as it was definitely chicken-flavored and the sweetness really came through.  I could also taste the mirepoix with the celery being prominent.  The matzo balls were ever-so-fluffy and texturally-pleasing.

So I know everyone will tell you to order #19 which is the a pastrami sandwich with coleslaw, Russian dressing and Swiss.  However, Viv didn't want that and heck she wasn't going to be a lemming.  So she just wanted a basic Hot Pastrami Sandwich on rye.  Well, there was nothing wrong with that choice as the meat was super tender and literally fell-apart.  It had a smoky saltiness to it that was accented by the fattiness of the meat.  Add a bit of mustard and it was delicious.  Bread was good too being a light rye that wasn't too soft either.

For myself, I went for the #12 as in the Mixed Delicatessen with Corned Beef, Pastrami and Beef Tongue.  This also came with 2 slices of rye bread, pickles, veggies and olives.  So essentially, I could make my own custom sandwich with the supplied meats.  But I just ate the meats and bread separately.  I thought the corned beef was buttery, tender and a balanced saltiness with pickling spice vibes.  As for the beef tongue, we had a similar flavor profile except since it was fattier, there was a silkiness to it.

This also included a plate of Fries.  These krinkle-cut potatoes were fried until golden brown.  Beyond the aesthetics, they were hot and super crispy.  Inside, the steaming potato center was delicate and soft.  Really good fries.  In general, this was worth the visit, even if the area is a bit colorful.  Just mind your own business and you'll be fine.  I thought the pastrami was very good and brought back memories of Katz's except being more tender and less smoky.  Whatever the case, I enjoyed it and would come back again for more.

The Good:
- Super tender Pastrami
- Loved the light rye bread
- The fries are crispy

The Bad:
- Parking is validated but the lot gets full fast
- Neighborhood isn't pretty, but you'll be find during the day  

Schwartz's Deli

Okay, we've been to Schwartz's Deli before on our last visit to Montreal, but we didn't dine in due to the long lineup.  Hence, we didn't get the "true" experience and to give it a fair shake, we returned to do it right.  Fortunately for us, there was not much of a lineup (as you can see in the picture).  I've always held the thought that Snowden Deli is better but we ate in there and this was the way to settle the comparison.

So without further ado, let's get straight to the Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich.  It was fairly good size with enough meat to satisfy without being a monstrosity.  It was a combination of fatty brisket and the flat.  There was a background level of smokiness and the meat was just salty enough.  It ate tender and didn't require much chewing.  As for the rye bread, it was pretty robust and held things together nicely.  Definitely solid and is still one of the best.

This time around, I had to get something different, so we went for the Smoked Chicken and Montreal Smoked Meat Combo.  It also included fries on the side.  Well, I regret ordering the chicken because it was super dry and not all that fun to eat.  I mean the flavour was good with smoky pepperiness, but the meat, especially the breast, was practically inedible.  As for the sliced smoked meat, it was excellent.  Tender, moist and flavourful. 

About those Fries, they were fresh cut and fried up beautifully.  They really piled it onto the plate and in reality, it is hard to finish by yourself.  Best to share with a friend (or the random stranger sitting beside you).  They were uniformly crispy and had a nice attractive colour.  Inside, the creamy potato was warm and appealing. These were definitely delicious but they would be better served in a poutine...

Yes, we did get the Smoked Meat Poutine too (same as last time) and it was fantastic.  Unlike last time, we ate this fresh and it made a huge difference as the fries were still crispy in some spots.  The hot gravy had a nice viscosity and was not overly salty.  That was a good thing as the ample amount of chopped smoke meat added all the flavour this dish needed.  Underneath, we found a bevy of cheese curds that were partly melted.  We still had some whole pieces that were at their squeaky best.  Well, I gotta say that Schwartz's still has game and their smoked meat is good as well as their poutine.  Can't say the same for the chicken, but that isn't the main draw here.  There are other places to get smoked meat in Montreal and some of them maybe arguably better, but if you are looking for an iconic place, Schwartz's is it.

The Good:

- Excellent smoked meat

- That poutine!

- It has history and the name

The Bad:

- You'll have to lineup for it

- Seating isn't the most comfortable (part of the charm right?)

Cochon Butcher

So far, the weather in New Orleans was exactly as expected - hot, humid and some thunderstorms here and there.  We got a bit sunburned, drank lots of water, ate lots and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  Up until our brunch at Commander's Palace, the rain pretty much held off except for a brief one while we were at August.  However, we ended up spending our afternoon before our flight back home at Riverwalk since it was absolutely dumping.  This was no passing storm and really, we were lucky it came on our last day.  Prior to our flight, we decided to hit up something close to your hotel in Cochon Butcher.

We already had a wonderful dinner at Cochon next door, but at the butcher they are known for their sandwiches, in particular their version of the Muffaletta.  At first glance, the sandwich was medium in size, yet definitely generous with the meats.  I enjoyed that this was served warm with the oils of the meats activated giving off a salty aroma.  The bread was on point being toasted crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  There was just enough olive condiment to give the sandwich some zing and fermented saltiness.  This was pretty tasty in my books.

Viv ended up with something lighter in the Smoked Turkey with avocado, sprouts, tomatoes and mayo.  This was all served between 2 slices of aggressively toasted and charred whole wheat bread.  Hence, there was a smoky and nutty crunchy that gave way to soft ripe avocado and fresh veggies.  The star of the show was the turkey though as it was moist, tender and plentiful.  Best of all, the smokiness really came through.  After the initial bite, the smoke flavor was impactful and lingered to the end.  We liked how it was as advertised since some smoked meats are not that strong.  Despite this, we didn't find it overwhelming as we could still taste the sprouts.

Lastly, we shared the Marinated Brussels Sprouts which were also very good.  They were fried just enough to give them a meaty texture while retaining a bite.  They were aggressively tossed in a spicy, savory and almost meaty dressing.  All the flavors were heard as the seasoning got in between the leaves of the sprouts.  There was also a nice smokiness from the deep fry as well.  After it was all said and done, we could see why this place is so popular.  Too bad we didn't have the appetite to try more sammies!

The Good:
- Loaded big sandwiches
- Well-priced
- On point meats

The Bad:
- Can get busy and seats will be at a premium

Snowdon Deli

Okay, I admit it.  During this trip, I've been guilty of playing tourist and have been to some less-than-stellar places to eat due to it.  However, I don't make any apologies as it is my trip and really, I can do whatever I want!  But it is true that the visit to Carnegie (now closed) yielded predictably sub-par results for far too much money.  Also, in Montreal, we've been to Dunn's and Schwartz's which are both popular with the tourists.  So on our last day before returning home, Viv and I decided to trek all-the-way-out to Snowdon Deli, which is more of a local eatery.

Some have argued that it is the place for smoked meat, even better than Schwartz's, Lester's and Rueben's.  Well, we were going to be the judges of that starting with the hot Smoked Meat Sandwich.  I asked for medium and it was tender, fatty and aromatic.  I found that it was soft, but still retained a meatiness while being not overly salted or peppery.  For me, this was better than any smoked meat I've had so far.  As part of my combo, I also had a bowl of Matzo Ball Soup which was also very good.  The chicken soup portion was pretty typical, but I enjoyed how it was not overseasoned where I could taste actual chicken.  However, the best part was the matzo ball as it was fluffy and soft with a springiness.  It was so good, I had to get another just for my son.

Of course he couldn't subsist on soup alone, so he got the Hot Beef Brisket with gravy and a side of fries.  Okay, I hate to compare, especially since Carnegie is in NYC and Snowdon is in Montreal (and this one was hot as opposed to cold), but this was far superior.  The meat was moist (due to the salty onion gravy) and melt-in-his-mouth tender.  He loved every bite, which were few because he completely devoured.  The side of fries was absolutely massive where it was practically falling off the plate.  These were on point being crispy while still retaining some tender potato texture inside.  We got an order of Latkas as well which were served with sour cream and apple sauce.  As much as I enjoyed the golden brown crispiness of the outside, they were a bit denser than what I generally enjoy.

Viv ended up sharing a Smoked Turkey Sandwich with our daughter and although it wasn't the sexiest thing to order, it was solid.  The meat was sliced thin being slightly smoky, tender and lightly salty. There was enough of it to achieve balance with the medium-firm rye.  I ended up getting one last item with the Full Strip of Karnatzel.  For those who are unfamiliar, this dried beef sausage is as much of a Jewish deli experience as smoked meat.  I found this one to be really good with an appealing firmness and packed with enough flavour to warrant the slices of rye.  There was a light pepperiness and definite saltiness that was on point. As much as everything food is subjective, for me at least, Snowdon was my best deli experience of the trip by a long shot.  Totally worth the trip out there.

The Good:
- Not that touristy
- Solid eats
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Service gets very sparse as it gets busier
- Need to make a trip out there if you are a tourist  

Schwartz's Deli & Rotisserie Romados

So far for this trip, certain lineups at popular restaurants have eaten up much of our time.  For instance, we wasted almost 2 hours in the ridiculous lineup at Carnegie Deli in NYC for mediocre food (yes, this wasn't lost upon me, but whatever).  Then we waited and waited at Momofuku as well (also not as good as we imagined).  Let's not forget the almost 3 hour wait at Neptune Oyster in Boston too (but that was tasty).  So we were not willing to stand in the Schwartz's lineup in Montreal.  Rather, we got take-away and went around the block to Romados and did the same.

What we ended up with was the classic Smoked Meat Sandwich that was modest in side, yet at the same time, modest in price (under $10.00).  I found the rye bread to be on point for the sandwich as it was soft, yet still stood up completely to the mustard and meat.  Since it was a leaner cut, the smoked meat was a bit chewier and drier.  As for the flavour, it was really good with many different layers including a noticeable pepperiness.  I also decided to get the Smoked Meat Poutine as well.  This was a large portion of crispy fries (with a soft potato centre) smothered in a saltish gravy with a modest amount of squeaky cheese curds.  It was topped with plenty of smoked meat that featured a lot of the bark which meat it was even chewier and more peppery.

As for Romados, I got the 1/2 Chicken Combo that was completely stuffed with a large and meaty 1/2 chicken, salad, rice and a tonne of fries.  I got the peri sauce in mild as the kiddies were sharing the food.  I thought the chicken itself was nicely marinated and completely tender including the white meat.  The sauce added a nice sweet saltiness as well as a mild spice.  The fries were also very good, being even better than the one from Schwartz's with a crispier exterior.  Lastly, I had a Portuguese Tart which sported a crispy and thin shell where the custard in the middle was on the thicker side, but still smooth and creamy with a purposefully amount of sweetness.  Even though there were 4 adults and 4 kiddies, there was still a ridiculous amount of food (2 chicken combos, 2 smoked meat sammies and the poutine).  Good value eats with the only negative being the lineups.

The Good:
- Lots of food for the money (both places)
- Chicken was tender and flavourful
- Fries were on point (both places)

The Bad:
- Stupid lineups
- The lean smoked meat was rather chewy (should've asked for medium)  

Carnegie Deli

You'd think after eating so many different things, I wouldn't go back to a tourist trap of sorts right?  Well, there were 2 reasons we made our way back to Carnegie Deli on our recent visit to NYC.  First, we were travelling with Elaine and Costanza (yes, we visited Tom's Restaurant too...) and they've never been to the place before.  Second, I never blogged about it.  This visit almost never happened because Carnegie Deli was closed for a year due to the "gas stealing" fiasco.  In fact, Carnegie is scheduled to close at the end of this year, for good.

Just like last time, we waited stupidly in line for about an hour to pay large amounts of money for sandwiches with far too much meat in them.  Yup, we had the Woody Allen again with equal portions of corned beef and pastrami.  However, it seemed smaller than we remembered it.  Don't get me wrong, it was still a lot of meat!  I liked the pastrami more as it was buttery and nicely peppery on the outside.  The corned beef was pretty dry and rather bland.  Was the sammie worth $29.99?  Certainly not, but I guess it is the touristy thing to do.  To relive every moment, I once again, got a Tongue Sandwich (no, not from Viv...  LOL) and it was good. The slices of tongue were tender and buttery with a nice rebound.  It was also well-salted also (and went well with the mustard).

To round out the meat sammies, we got the Beef Brisket which was definitely meaty.  However, we found it to be incredibly dry and bland.  Sure, that is what the mustard was for and it certainly made a difference.  This was our least preferred of the sammies.  My daughter went for the Tuna Melt and nearly dusted off one of the 2 really enormous mounds.  The tuna was lightly dressed, hence it was on the drier side.  However, that also meant it wasn't overly wet nor greasy.  There was a considerable amount of melted cheese on top which added the necessary flavour as the tuna itself was rather plain.

For my son, he just had to get something boring like the Burger with American cheese.  Nothing really interesting, but decent nonetheless.  The burger patty was large and fairly moist while nicely seared on the outside. There was enough melted cheese on top to hide the entire patty. Costanza's youngest son went for his standby being the Mac n' Cheese.  It was actually not bad being creamy and Velvetta-like.  The pasta was not overdone, but again, nothing to write home about either.

For dessert, we once again got a slice of NY-Style Cheesecake with strawberries.  I can see how many people wouldn't like this as it was super heavy and rich.  For me, this was just right since a cheesecake is not a cheesecake unless every bite is cheesy, rich, creamy and thick.  Since Costanza likes his desserts lighter, he got the Banana Cream Pie.  I'm not sure if this was exactly less rich, but it certainly was airier and creamy.  I thought it was okay, but nothing particularly special.  Sadly, Carnegie is really a tourist trap and I've had better deli-meat sandwiches elsewhere.  It's sad to see it go, but at the same time, not really either.

The Good:
- The touristy thing to do
- Large sandwiches that you can take an IG photo of and brag about it
- Efficient service

The Bad:
- The sandwiches are actually sub-par
- Expensive
- The lineup is ridiculous

Rocco's Deli

Usually, I am pretty up-to-date on new movies and generally their story line. However, I had no clue whatsoever as to what Zootopia was about.  It was a kid movie and I vaguely remembered a trailer with animals walking upright and a bunny shooting a fox with a tranquilizer gun.  That was good enough for me as I dragged the kiddies and Viv out to Silvercity.  But it was also a great excuse to grab some quick eats prior to the movie at the nearby Rocco's Deli (and grocery store too).

After a quick scan of the display case, we settled on 3 sammies including the Roast Beef with provolone, roasted onions and horseradish.  As you can clearly see, the thinly shaved beef was house-made which meant the texture was meaty while still super tender.  The onions added a sweet sharpness to the sandwich, but the horseradish was not very apparent.  So much so, my son didn't even notice it!  For my daughter, she quickly picked out the Turkey with spinach, brie, cranberry and mayo (on cranberry bread).  This featured plenty of creamy melted brie and the tartness (and sweet hits) of the cranberries.  We found the turkey on the drier side, but the sammie ate well nonetheless.

For myself, I opted for the spicy Cappicollo with chipotle mayo, roasted red peppers, tomato, arugula and provolone (on ciabatta).  This was my favourite of the bunch as it was spicy and zesty.  There was enough filling that was impactful and varied so that all the different tastes were present.  I felt the choice of bread was spot on too being substantial enough to stand up to the ingredients while not being too dense either.  We also got a side of Penne Pasta with chicken just to change things up.  It turned out to be a bad decision.  As with any pasta that has been sitting in a chaffing tray, it was overdone and a bit hard in spots.  The sauce had been soaked up by the pasta which meant there was some flavour, but it didn't eat very nicely either.  Well, that really didn't matter as the sammies were good and the service was friendly.

The Good:
- Solid sammies
- Lotsa filling
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Didn't like the pre-prepared pasta   

Dunn's Famous

With Dunn's first foray into BC back in 2011, I was pretty stoked to sink my teeth into their buttery smoked meat.  Ultimately, it was pretty good, but something was just not right.  It was partly due to their other menu items, which were pretty mediocre.  But the biggest reason for their downfall was the restaurant itself - it did not look like a deli and really didn't have anything in common with the Montreal locations other than the smoked meat.  Fast forward to the present, we now see a relaunch focusing in offering a true deli experience.

I met up with Diana, Amy and Joyce for a tasting of their menu prior to their relaunch.  We got things rolling with the 4 oz Smoked Meat Sandwich sporting lean brisket.  Despite the lack of fat, the meat was still buttery and meaty with a background saltiness.  With only a streak of yellow mustard, it was definitely there, but not particularly impactful.  For our first appie, we tried the Deep Fried Pickles with red pepper mayo.  We felt that the beer batter was too thick here where the pickle was overwhelmed.  The dip was good though with a spicy and sweet creaminess.

Moving along, we had the Latkes served with sour cream.  These were slightly crispy and dense with a firm potato texture.  It was intermittently interrupted by little nuggets of sweet onion.  My favourite starter was the Matzoh Ball Soup.  It featured 2 large matzoh balls which were soft and fluffy.  They were not dense in the least, which made them easy and enjoyable to eat.  I liked how they were served hot, which enhanced their texture.  As for the chicken broth, it was decently flavourful without relying too heavily on salt.

Of all the options for poutine, we selected the Dunn's Poutine sporting hand-cut kennebec fries, smoked meat, house-made gravy and real cheese curds.  This was legit with crispy fries that stood up to the gravy and cheese.  I liked the consistency of the gravy which was purposefully salty.  The only thing I would've liked to see was more intact cheese curds.  Out of curiousity, we tried the Smoked Meat Grilled Cheese.  It was pretty good with medium fat meat with melted cheddar.  The bread was nicely toasted up, yet the sandwich could've benefited from some mustard and/or thousand islands dressing.

We weren't satisfied with 2 sammies, so we also got the Rueben featuring double meats stacked on dark rye with sauerkraut, Swiss and thousand islands dressing. The toasted rye held up well to the wet ingredients where there was just enough dressing.  The good amount of medium fat meat was nicely balanced by the tart sauerkraut.  To top it all off, we special ordered a 12 oz Full-Fat Smoked Meat Sandwich with Dijon.  Oh yeah, that is what we were waiting for.  Buttery and completely melt-in-our mouths tender, the meat was aromatic and nicely brined.  We felt the Dijon was a better match with a more impactful zing.

We ended the meal with the house-made Cheesecake with lime and vanilla.  Although a bit crumbly, the texture was smooth and light.  There was a hint of lime and a bigger hit of vanilla that provided enough impact without the aid of too much sugar.  The strawberries were not subject to too much sugar as well, hence the slight tartness came through.  Overall, we enjoyed our meal at the "new" Dunn's.  Sure, some of the appies were a bit clunky, but the most important items (the smoked meat sammies!) were completely on point and definitely satisfying.

*All food and beverages excluding gratuities were complimentary*

The Good:
- On point smoked meat
- Okay pricing considering its location
- More of a deli experience with relaunch

The Bad:
- Appies a bit clunky