DGS Delicatessen

Review by: Michael Stern

** THIS RESTAURANT IS PERMANENTLY CLOSED **

DGS calls itself a “next generation delicatessen,” which means, among other things, that it lacks crabby waiters. Despite the virtual mobs of customers who crowd around the tables in this painfully narrow storefront, the staff we dealt with were not merely cordial, but downright helpful. Next generation also means a back-to-basics attitude about food quality and preparation. “We brine, cure, smoke, slice and pickle daily in the house using only the finest ingredients from our trusted farmers and purveyors,” the menu promises. The DGS signature dish, pastrami, is evidence that the perfectionist philosophy really works. It is plenty fatty and unbelievably succulent, rimmed in a halo of flowery spice and smoke, sliced extra thick and piled high into hefty slices of double-baked rye bread that itself is reminiscent of the great days of urban delis: glossy-crusted, dense and chewy and spangled with an abundance of caraway seeds.

The excellent pastrami is available in an appetizer called Reuben fries: Thin, crisp-edged fries topped with pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and Fresno chilies. On the subject of Reubens, there is, of course, corned beef in the traditional Reuben arrangement, which can alternatively be made with smoked turkey or even smoked tempeh.

Although we were a group of five when we had lunch at DGS, I feel we only scratched the surface of what’s good. Falafel looked wonderful traveling past to other tables, as did a smoked salmon and latke platter. (We did try the latkes [potato pancakes], which are good if not quite as crisp-surfaced as one would hope). Jane declared the chopped liver bland. I liked the taste, but felt it could have been a bit less pulverized. Gribenes, which are the Jewish cognate of southern cracklin’s – made with chicken skin instead of pork – are supersucculent crunchies scattered about in a basket of superb deli bread. Then there is a whole dinner menu that includes the likes of grilled salmon, chicken schnitzel, stuffed cabbage, and ribeye steak. I am so eager to return!

Thanks to Twitterer ajhollywd for tipping us off to this place. She said the pastrami is so good that it makes her weep. With joy, of course.

What To Eat

Pastrami Sandwich

DISH
Turkey Reuben

DISH
Pierogi

DISH
Latkes

DISH
Gribenes

DISH
Brisket Sandwich

DISH
Smoked Salmon & Latkes

DISH
Chopped Liver

DISH
Pickle Plate

DISH
Grilled Salmon

DISH

DGS Delicatessen Recipes

Discuss

What do you think of DGS Delicatessen?

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