In the February issue of Jewish Journal, Jessica Ritz pens a thorough plea for LA pastrami lovers to step up the game and join the “neo-deli” bandwagon. In the 1500-word essay, Ritz lays out the status of the current movement which has spread from Portland to New York and back to the West Coast. She visits some LA eateries purportedly attempting to transform deli dishes (Gorbals, Mezze, Adam Gertler at This is Not a Pop Up) and finally, gets a great sound bite from David Sax himself. While we can all take heart in her conclusions (“we’ve got it pretty good already”), we can’t help but dream of Jeff’s Gourmet’s fleeting old-fashioned pastrami. Like Ritz, we would also like a side of a “damn fine” coleslaw because even the version found at Langer’s is but a “vehicle for mayonnaise”. [Jewish Journal]
