CLEVELAND, Ohio – A pair of delicatessens in Cuyahoga County have landed on a list of the best Jewish delis in the nation.
The delis - Larder in Cleveland’s Hingetown neighborhood and Jack’s Deli in University Heights – were lauded by Tasting Table, a food-focused site.
Not much time can go by before Larder lands in the national spotlight. Co-owner and chef Jeremy Umansky has received numerous hat tips from the national media. Here’s what TT said in part about Larder:
“What do an ancient Japanese mold called koji, a foraging habit, and Jewish food have in common? Three time James Beard Award-nominated chef Jeremy Umansky is obsessed with all of them. … Alongside his pastry chef and business partner, Allie La Valle Umansky, the pair bring together their nuanced techniques and culinary training to produce favorites like pastrami on rye, fried chicken sandwiches, babka, and gefilte fish alongside some more unfamiliar items like a vegetarian board with pastrami-cured root vegetables and miso cream cheese.”
TT added: “You’d be a fool to visit Cleveland and miss this old school-meets-innovative local hot spot” where the menu changes daily.
“It was a nice surprise,” Umansky said. “Anytime something like this happens – you know it’s just wonderful on top of that too, it’s like – ‘Man, I’ve got this little deli on the near West Side of Cleveland, we’re 20 some seats and … is this really happening?’ I almost have to pinch myself.”
Umansky said he was familiar with Adrienne Katz Kennedy, the story’s writer who had featured Larder in the past, but said he was not interviewed for this list and was pleasantly surprised when the story posted this week.
For Jack’s, the website wrote that the deli “has been a Cleveland go-to for all corned beef cravings since 1980. Founded by Jack Markowitz and his sons, the menu stems from roots in Czechoslovakia, where Markowitz grew up. Now run by Jack’s son Alvie and business partner Gary, Jack’s … has kept its menu, and the business itself, fairly traditional. Like delicatessens of Eastern Europe, Jack’s runs a full-service deli serving smoked meats and fish, including house-cured corned beef, a wide range of soups like borscht and barley, and other take home goods. … A classic corned beef on rye or Reuben sandwich washed down with a chocolate phosphate is practically a religious experience.”
“To see Jack’s on there,” Umansky added, “I grew up eating at Jack’s. It was really fantastic to see that.”
The list includes 20 delis from 12 states plus the District of Columbia.
Here’s Tasting Table’s full list.
The site bills itself as a “one-stop shop for all food and drink enthusiasts” with cooking tips, dining advice, recipes, as well as trends and news from the food world.
I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. Twitter: @mbona30.
Get a jumpstart on the weekend and sign up for Cleveland.com’s weekly “In the CLE” email newsletter, your essential guide to the top things to do in Greater Cleveland. It will arrive in your inbox on Friday mornings - an exclusive to-do list, focusing on the best of the weekend fun. Restaurants, music, movies, performing arts, family fun and more. Just click here to subscribe. All cleveland.com newsletters are free.
Like cool local food + drinks photos and videos? Follow @DineDrinkCLE on Instagram.
Ad Choices