Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.
In our never-ending quest to bring new and exciting culinary venues to our loyal readers, we went in search of a New York-style deli. The closest one for us to review was (this is really fun to say), Schmaltz Delicatessen in Naperville. Our friends Vicki and Shelly discovered it, and since Shelly grew up in New York, we asked them to come along and help us decipher the menu.
This deli is hidden in a winding shopping center and not the easiest to find. Walking in, we were amazed at how large it was. You place your order, the cashier hooks it to an overhead zip line, yells âorder!â and slams it down to the end where your food is prepared and awaits your pick up. You then carry your tray to the other side of the deli and pick your seat.
Now it’s time for the âDining Duo’sâ helpful definitions:
Schmear: A hit or miss coating of something on a bagel.
Schmaltz: Rendered chicken fat sometimes used as a schmear.
Knish: A âHot Pocketâ filled with either potato or spinach.
Matzo Ball: A dumpling as light as a bowling ball.
Latke: A chubby potato pancake.
Kreplach: Something that resembles meat ravioli but is shaped like a large wanton.
Now for the fun. Jim ordered a bowl of Mish Mosh soup, which is chicken soup with noodles, a matzo ball, and a kreplach ($3.99). With that he ordered the Old New Yorker ($9.69), which is corned beef and pastrami on rye with Russian dressing and creamy coleslaw. Shelly had the Gramercy Park ($9.49), which is warm pastrami on marble rye.
For starters, Nancy had a bowl of chicken noodle soup ($3.69) and then ordered corned beef on rye. Vicki had the same sandwich but added a schmear of chopped liver ($1.49 extra).
We all decided to buy the âoverstuffedâ version of these sandwiches and upgraded them to a combo ($2.99), which included a side dish and a fountain drink. Jim and I opted for the latkes, Shelly had the potato knish, and Vicki went with the creamy coleslaw. For some reason, Shelly and Vicki got bagel chips with their sandwiches, but we didn’t.
Schmaltz is an authentic New York-style deli and a great place to go for a break from the usual burgers and fries. Behind the cashier, they have awesome bagels. Jim bought an âeverythingâ bagel and was surprised to see that every inch was covered with âeverythingâ â you couldn’t tell the top from the bottom.
The price for our lunch was $35.95 (Jim also had lunch on Monday), such a deal … To life, to life, L’chaim!
He said/she said:
Jim’s take: My sandwich was fantastic, with the pastrami being the tastier of the two meats. I am now a lover of chicken soup with a kreplach.
Nancy’s take: I liked Jim’s sandwich the best; he won! The latkes are too thick for my taste, so I am still on my quest for the potato pancake holy grail. I snatched a couple of bagel chips off Shelly’s plate, and they were to die for!
⢠Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com.
Schmaltz Delicatessen
1512 N. Naper Blvd. #152
Naperville
630-245-7595
www.schmaltzonline.com
Directions: 90 East to 53 South to 355
South to Ogden West, Right on Naper Blvd.
Estimated time: 47 minutes
