Vardigan
1-800-NYC-DELI.
Call it now and
within days you can have four pounds of 2nd Avenue Deli meat sitting
under your desk at work. That's what I did. One pound of pastrami for
each judge, and one pound of corned beef for my super super, Gil. The
shipping charges are stiff, but spread them out across a few people
and it ain't so bad.
And god, what pastrami!
We ate in my chambers, seated around my coffee table which -- well,
you can probably see from the picture that it didn't come from Pottery
Barn. In fact, I think I spent more on this pastrami than I've spent
on furniture. And god, what pastrami! I ate mine between dark rye, one
sandwich with 2nd Ave's mustard and one with Sierra Nevada's. The milder
the better, I'd say -- nothing should get in the way of this meat. After
a brief discussion of the "flash frying" option, we decided to "slow
roast" it in foil at about 300 degrees, to bring it back to room temp
after a day in the fridge.
This seemed wise,
in theory and in practice. Even after spending a day in an airplane,
a day under my desk, and a day in the fridge, this pastrami was sublime,
and STILL beats the living deli out of David's.
McClure
Vardigan's
Pastrami Palace
It
was the best pastrami I've had in a long long time. A strange way to
go about getting a great sandwich, but well worth it. After work I picked
up a loaf of fresh white bread from a local bakery and zipped on over
to Judge Vardigan's to get the session started. After some debate we
decided that the best way to heat the meat would be the foil wrapped
oven warming technique. The thin slices of Pastrami goodness came out
moist and warm. A little mustard, a couple slices of white and a pile
of flavorful spiced meat was all it took to make me forget the lame
deli we dined at those few months ago. The prices are comparable, deli
vs. home delivery, about $12 a pop. It's a lot cheaper than a trip to
NYC, maybe not as fun, but cheaper and worth the tasty sandwich you'll
end up with. One warning: Eat it all when you open your package. Save
any for the next day and you might as well get that sandwich anywhere
around town.
Turner
Great gosh amighty,
this pastrami!
Generally, I tire
easily of New Yorkers whining about pizza and bagels and deli food out
here...but, I must admit they have a point. I have been to NYC, and
the pizza, deli, and bagels are different. Alright?! I still think we
make a fine pizza here (North Beach Pizza, for instance) but I'll give
NYC the deli and bagels hands down. And thin pizza, too. A few years
ago when I had the 2nd Ave. Deli pastrami I was beside myself. Never
tasted anything like it. They win. When I learned we could have it delivered
I was giddy with anticipation.
We carefully considered
the heating options and settled on the foil-oven method. I can't explain
how incredibly tasty this pastrami is. If you never had it, you just
don't understand. It's another world. That was evident to Judge McClure
and myself whenever Judge Vardigan would steal a piece to taste and
bleat like a nanny-goat in heat after each bite. But who can blame him?
The stuff is amazing. Luckily it came with 2nd Ave. Deli mustard, which
is mild and does not interfere with the rich pastrami flavor. Even with
a cardboard box as a table, this pastrami reigns SUPREME.
1-800-NYC-DELI
