After visiting the John F. Kennedy Birthplace in Brookline I had to figure out how to get back to I-90. With my own sense of logic, following Harvard Avenue north seemed like a good idea. As it turned out eventually I was right but in the mean time I was getting a little peckish. We began looking for somewhere to get lunch. Once we spotted the deli, it seemed like the perfect place for a nosh.
Since I have never eaten in an authentic New York Deli I can only surmise that this is indeed what the typical deli looks like, with booths, and large cases full of meets and knishes. The menu here however had a lot to offer beyond the typical corned beef and pastrami sandwiches.
The specials on this Sunday ran the gamut from crepes with portobello to chicken and asparagus served with red pepper coulis. I was intrigued by the curried duck salad with grapes, mandarin oranges, and pineapple on a green mix and tempted by the sesame salmon salad with peanut ginger dressing. I debated weather I should live on the wild side and have a Middle Eastern Wrap, humus, tabouli, and eggplant salad or try the BBQ brisket with tarragon mayo. While I was mulling over the choices, a large bowl of the most delicious pickles was delivered to the table for us to snack on.
True to form, I settled on a corned beef sandwich on rye with a side of coleslaw. Al opted for the Romanian pastrami also with coleslaw. Our reaction to our choices was quite different. I loved my corned beef, though it wasn’t as lean as I prefer. The sandwich was a behemoth of outrageous proportion; I was lucky to eat half of it. The other half made an excellent dinner. Al found his pastrami dry and the addition of mustard wasn’t enough to please him. He wanted cheese!! I know, this is a Kosher Deli, it wasn’t going to happen but trying to convince Mr.. I’m a Portuguese Catholic, what do I know about dietary restrictions is always interesting. Anyway, we brought half of his sandwich home as well and I was able to make it to his specifications.
This is a regular stop for some Jewish friends of ours so I know that the food is good here. I think that next time we will bring them along to help us to make better choices. The help here was very helpful and certainly gave us as much assistance as they could.
I usually don’t write about the bathrooms in the restaurants that we visit but I have to comment on these because this was the best smelling bathroom I have ever been in, hands down. That alone impressed me.
Check out their menu at www.rubinskosher.com