As I dodged my way through the standing-room-only lunchtime mayhem of the Mort's Delicatessen dining room, bound for the counter's sole vacant stool, I had one thought: Does the Chipotle outlet next door have an ironclad lease? Because if it doesn't, Mort's ownership should get an attorney on it, pronto, and get an expansion plan in motion.
The lengthy menu heralds several big-name imports, including corned beef, pastrami and cheesecake from New York's Carnegie Deli and bagels from another NYC institution, H&H. They're joined by classic deli fare: chopped chicken livers, creamed herring, kreplach, latkes, borscht, tall-stacked sandwiches (including tongue, bologna and lox and cream cheese), a variety of Best's kosher deli meats as well as comfort-food favorites like beef stroganoff, stuffed cabbage and meatloaf. Sandwiches run $8 to $15, and most entrees top out in the mid-teens. There's breakfast, too, including cheese blintzes, whitefish and eggs, omelets and fried matzo with eggs; most options are $8 or less.
My lunch reminded me that I need to add "Crossing Delancey" to my Netflix wish list. It began with a golden broth filled with hefty chunks of tender chicken, carrot and parsnip slices, slurpy noodles and a tender, herb-flecked matzo ball. After a few bites of a crisp, hot-off-the-stove latke, my attention-grabbing brisket sandwich arrived. Let's just say I'm glad I went with the half version, as it consisted of two monster slabs of smoky brisket (rare on the inside, nicely charred on the outside and laced with just enough fat to make it interesting) that could have easily fed two of me. Dessert? I couldn't possibly, really. Oh, there's chocolate layer cake? Why didn't you say so?
My counter seat gave me a front-row view of the kitchen's breakneck pace, displaying an impressive efficiency for a four-day-old operation. As one Reuben followed another from the line to the table of another satisfied customer, I thought, this Mort, he must be a real mensch.
RICK NELSON
