I believe it’s the Daily News which used the advertisement slogan "the most New York you can get." In terms of eating in the Phoenix area, that phrase works well to describe Chompie’s delicatessen. There is a chain of three or four Chompie’s in the valley, with another possibly opening at PV Mall. I’ve heard this one fell through, though. The one I frequent is in a mall at Shea by 92nd st. Most of the time there is a crowd, especially though during the snowbird/winter season.

I love Chompie’s because it is very New York. The decor features a number of wall-sized murals all NY-based; one prominently is a tribute to the heroes of 9/11, others based on sports and on New York in general. There are also posters from Broadway shows hanging up, in a Carnegie Deli style. Lunch is very much like Carnegie as well. Large portions of corned beef and tongue in sandwiches and great matzo ball soup. Breakfast is good too. Latkes, New York-style Bagels and Bialys, and their breakfast skillets are my favorites (especially the corned beef hash skillet, with eggs, a layer of cheddar, and good corned beef hash).

Chompie’s also offers a full New York style bakery. Those Bagels and Bialys, plus butter cookies, petifours, and cakes and cookies you’d find at your corner bakery in NYC are all here. I seem to remember reading somewhere that Chompie’s won some sort of award for "comfort food." As a New Yorker, any time I need a pick-me-up or that back-home feel, Chompie’s is where I go.