Lester's Deli

When people think Smoked Meat in Montreal, the first thought would be Schwartz's.  Now that is not a bad thing as I've had great meals at Schwartz's in the past.  However, they are not the only game in town where my personal favourite is Snowden Deli.  I've been to Dunn's and well, it is "ok".  One place I've been meaning to hit for quite some time is Lester's.  It is also a long time favourite and some would even argue it is the best in town.  Well this visit would be finally where I get to do a comparison.

For this to happen, we needed to get the Super Smoked Meat Sandwich.  This was a considerable amount of hand-sliced smoked meat on rye bread.   The first thing I noticed about their smoked meat was that it was super juicy and tender.  It was giving me ham vibes due to the wet brine rather than the dry brine used at Schwartz's.  Hence, there was less natural meat texture.  Bread was soft with some structure where it held everything together without getting soggy.  The meat was a good balance between sweet and salty with minor smoke hits.  Overall, it was a good sandwich but I personally prefer the meatiness and drier texture of Schwartz's.

We wanted to get something to compliment our meal that wasn't another sandwich, so we opted for their Hot Dog with coleslaw and relish.  Really enjoyed the buttered and toasted bun which had a nice crispy exterior that gave way to a fluffy soft interior.  The grilled all-beef wiener was smoky and juicy with a nice charred exterior.  It worked well with the crunchy and tangy coleslaw where it had sauerkraut vibes.

We ended up with a side of Fries as well as the Poutine.  I thought the fries were quite potatoey and had good potato flavour.  However, they were too soggy and need more exterior crispiness.  We also had to add extra salt to coax more flavour of the fries.  However, this was not an issue with the poutine as the gravy was thick and full-flavoured.  The ample bits of cheese curds were partially melted with some unmelted ones, just like it should be.  Solid poutine.  Overall, we found Lester's more than acceptable and a great place to grab a Smoked Meat Sandwich as well as other things.  Although there can be lineups here, they are generally shorter and the vibe is much less chaotic than Schwartz's. 

The Good:
- Ample tender meat in the sandwich
- Lower key spot
- We got really great service

The Bad:
- Fries could be crispier

 

Dunn's Famous

*Restaurant is closed*

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

Anny's Dairy Bar

There I was, sitting at work with a growling stomach.  No, that is not that unusual and in fact, it is a pretty regular occurrence.  Anyways, I turned my attention in figuring what to do for lunch.  I quickly sent JuJu a text and we agreed to meet at Anny's Dairy Bar in New West.  No, I didn't suddenly morph into Mijune and attempt to eat only desserts for lunch, rather Anny's serves up authentic poutine and smoked meat sammies in addition to steamies and hamburgers.

With that in mind, we wanted all of it and that we did.  JuJu ordered the 7-oz Smoked Meat Sandwich served with fresh-cut fries.  Sandwiched between 2 soft slices of light rye bread, the thinly shaved smoked meat was buttery and soft with a balanced saltiness.  I personally prefer the meatier texture of Dunn's and Estrella's, but this one was decent nonetheless.  As for the side of fries, they were thick, crispy and plenty fried.  For myself, I had the Big James Deluxe Burger loaded with a home-made patty, cheese and bacon.  I enjoyed the crumbly and moist beef patty that was further enhanced by crispy lean bacon and a soft airy bun.

For my side, I upgraded to a Small Poutine complete with authentic packet gravy and large cheese curds.  With the same good fries and topped with enough gravy to coat each one, there was plenty of silky saltiness.  The large cheese curds were buttery soft with a slight squeak.  I also got a Steamie with the works including pickled cabbage, onions and relish.  As much as this little hot dog only cost me $1.25, it was fulfilling.  I particularly enjoyed the soft steamed bun which lovingly wrapped around the juicy wiener and other ingredients.

Of course, I couldn't leave without getting one of their famous Maple Twist cones made with Island Farms milk.  Yes, believe the hype as the soft serve was creamy, light and surprisingly not overwhelmingly sweet despite the addition of maple syrup. I originally only wanted to finish half, but I practically at the whole thing.  All-in-all, this little place in New West served up some decent eats at a reasonable price.  Also, I never thought I'd love a maple twist cone so much either.

The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Decent eats
- Nice people

The Bad:
- Not a whole lot of seating
- Fries were okay, but could've been crispier

Frenchies

*Restaurant is closed*

As much as smoked meat sandwiches are da bomb, there are not many places to find them in the GVRD.  Other than Dunn's, Estrella's, Anny's Dairy Bar and La Belle Patate, there is only one more that I haven't tried.  That place happens to be Frenchie's which has just recently moved into the vacated location of the former Cray Kitchen.  Yes, seafood boils are also scare here as well...  Despite the negative reviews on the internet, I had to see for myself if the smoked meat and poutine were up to snuff.

With that in mind, I had to get the 12 oz. Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich with coleslaw and pickles.  It was piled high on soft rye bread and lightly dressed with yellow mustard. Well, it certainly looked impressive when it hit the table.  Thinly sliced and fatty, the smoked meat melted-in-my-mouth.  I would've preferred a meatier texture and a touch more smoke, but I did appreciate the mild saltiness.  Sandwiched in between 2 slices of light rye, the whole thing was not bad.  Onto the small Classic Poutine, it was a decent side for the price.  The house-cut fries were pretty brown and only slightly crisp.  They were a bit heavy and I could taste the grease.  However, topped with a thick and silky gravy (which was a bit salty), the poutine was respectable.  We enjoyed the ample amount of squeaky and not-melted cheese curds on top.

Just to change things up a bit, we also tried the 2-patty Salisbury Steak with a huge side of fries.  Consisting of 2 hand-made burger patties, the whole thing was doused in a thick and salty gravy that was spiked with sauteed onions and mushrooms.  I found the steaks to be rather dry and crumbly due to the lean meat.  I would've personally preferred the patties to be more processed like a cutlet.  The side of fries were appreciably more crispy than the poutine due to the lack of gravy on top.  They were still heavy though.

The Good:
- Decent eats despite the reviews
- Fairly large portions

The Bad:
- Not cheap
- I liked the smoked meat, but I still prefer a meatier texture

Dunn's Famous

*Restaurant is closed*

Convincing my teammates to head out for Friday late night eats has never been all that difficult. Usually, they are quite enthusiastic and in fact, are dismayed if we didn't. Hence, we have sampled some of the best late night eats Vancouver has to offer. However, with the available options dwindling, we have been looking towards places that are either far away or located in Downtown. Now, whenever I suggest Downtown, it's like I just mentioned the name Voldermort. Emotions such as fear, anger and worry start to arise. Much like a drive in Richmond I suppose. But honestly. Late night eats in Downtown Vancouver is nothing to be afraid of. First of all, the parking is generally plentiful and free around midnight. Second, there is practically no traffic other than the major thoroughfares. Furthermore, there is much more selection of restaurants to choose from. So my compelling case for heading Downtown did not fall on deaf ears this time. In addition to the aforementioned points, the mere mention of Dunn's Smoked Meat piqued everyone's interest. It was like the call of the wild. Okay, okay, for those purists out there, I do realize that Dunn's is more of a "touristy" joint, much like Carnegie Deli in NYC. But with the complete lack of legit deli sandwiches in this city, let's just not even try to compare this to NYC or Montreal. Cuz we're not either of those cities. As the wise Bertuzzi stated, "It is what it is...".

And much like my prophecy, almost everyone got rock-star parking in front of Dunn's. We had originally rushed on over because we thought last call was at midnight, yet they told us it was 12:30am when we got there. No matter, gave us more time to look over the menu. Which incidentally does not only consist of smoked meat sandwiches. There are burgers, hot dogs, pastas and other entrees available. None of which we were particularly interested in since we were here for the smoked meat. Miss Y was originally supposed to join us and she would've probably ordered a burger... Well, we went for their specialties starting with Dunn's Poutine. This was an impressive-looking plate of food with Kennebec potato fries (similar to those found at White Spot), gravy, melted cheese curds and a whack-load of minced smoked meat on top. This was pretty good except we were not convinced with the finely minced meat. It was hard to eat and I didn't think it had enough impact. Now one poutine wouldn't be enough right? So we got the Peppercorn Poutine which is a variation of their Quebecois Poutine except for peppercorns in the gravy. This was met with only lukewarm praise. Again, the fries were while there was an even gravy and cheese ratio. However, it was not as flavourful as we would've liked, considering it was supposed to be peppercorn.

Now onto the main event - the smoked meat! Gordo had the Super Giant Montreal Smoked Meat with 8oz of hand-sliced beef brisket (medium in this case) on light sourdough rye bread. Although it would never be confused with something found at Carnegie Deli in NYC, it was "big enough". As expected, the meat was very moist and flavourful due to his choice of medium (the best choice IMO). Now, for informational and comparison's sake, I have included a picture of Giant Montreal Smoked Meat also with medium meat. Emilicious has a smaller appetite and she was content with only 6 ounces. She did, however, substitute Onion Rings for the fries. These were big and crispy, we liked them. Now FYI, the next picture represents an 8 oz sandwich with lean meat. Ginseng and Lionel Hutz were looking out for their health and decided against medium or fatty. Again, personally, I would not order lean, but it is an option though. Milhouse and Sweet Tooth settled on the Famous Dunn's Rueben consisting of Montreal smoked meat double stacked on dark ryewith sauerkraut & melted Swiss cheese. This was an impressive-looking sandwich with plenty of meat and an equally large amount of bread. It could've been toasted a bit more since it was becoming quite soft at the end. Sweet Tooth remarked that there could've been more sauerkraut as she didn't notice it much. We were all pretty happy with their side coleslaw as it looked and tasted fresh with a nice zing and crunch (loved how it was the non-mayo type too).

For myself, I wanted to order something original at the table, so I chose the Combination (in which I selected smoked meat and free-run chicken). Naturally, the meat was solid, however, I really didn't care for the chicken. It was dry and tasteless. I did like the light sourdough rye though, it held up to the meat and stayed intact throughout. On the side, I substituted a Seafood Chowder for the fries. Normally, there would be mussels in the soup, but they didn't have any. This was decent for what it was. It was packed with large chunks of salmon, clams, potatoes, carrots and celery. After I finished the soup, I was stuffed. In fact, we were all pretty satisfied. Sure, the food didn't blow us away, but the meat was solid nonetheless. Both Emilicious and Gordo have been to Dunn's in Montreal and they thought this location was pretty close (not exact, but close enough). Again, we are fully aware there are better independent delis in Montreal compared to Dunn's. But, we're not in Montreal.

The Good:
- Surprisingly nice dining space
- Portion-to-price ratio is fair considering the location (sandwiches only though)
- Smoked Meat is pretty solid (remember, we're talking about Vancouver here, not Montreal!)

The Bad:
- Not really a bad, but I believe Estrella's in Langley had a comparable smoked meat as well
- Looking over the rest of the menu, some of the non-sandwich items are getting up there in price (but I'll cut them some slack because rent is probably expensive and we didn't even try the entrees)

Lully's Sandwich Cart

*Cart is now closed*

Quick. If some random person asks you where one would find a good Montreal smoked meat sammie, what would you say? La Belle Patate comes to mind. So does Estrella's in Langley. Don't even start with Kaplan's because that is more to do with corned beef. Besides, they are really stingy with the meat. As you can clearly see, there are not a whole lot of choices. So it is not much of a surprise that one of the newer food carts to hit Downtown serves up - you guessed it, Montreal smoked meat sandwiches. Formerly known as Panda Fresh out on Pacific Blvd, the outfit has been reincarnated into Lully's.

So on a blustery day in Downtown Vancouver, I made my way out to the cart on Granville in between Georgia and Dunsmuir. While the meat was being steamed, I chatted with the operator and he told me that the meat was brought in from Montreal. As much as some people would cry foul since they do not make their own meat, I don't really care, as long as it is good. So yes, they don't make any of the ingredients, from the pickle to the bread to the meat. However, I must say I enjoyed the sandwich. The meat was fatty, tender and substantial. There are 3 sizes to choose from and I only had my eye on the Jumbo Stack, which is a 12 oz monster of a sandwich. Naturally, this doesn't compare with the Woody Allen at Carnegie in NYC; but we're not in NYC and that is too much meat anyways. For $10.00, I thought it was a fair price for the size of sandwich. Moreover, it was an enjoyable to eat. Sure, they didn't "make" anything, they merely assembled the sandwich. But I don't care, it was satisfying nonetheless.

The Good:
- Decent value
- It's a good sandwich (if you like this kind that is)
- Really nice operator

The Bad:
- They didn't "make" it, if that really matters to you