Rein’s

Rein’s Restaurant in Vernon, CT | What to expect

New York itself seems to have fewer and fewer worthwhile Jewish delis, but in Vernon, Connecticut – of all places! – Rein’s has been going strong since 1972. It’s the real thing: piled-high sandwiches on chewy rye bread, chopped liver infused with plenty of schmaltz (chicken fat), grandmother-good stuffed cabbage with sweet and sour sauce, and genuine New York cheesecake. The only thing missing in this restaurant east of Hartford is a staff of crabby waiters.

What to eat at Rein’s Restaurant

The menu is gigantic, ranging from beet borscht and matzoh ball soup to such old-neighborhood beverages as chocolate egg creams, and a glass of “2 cents plain” (seltzer water) costing … exactly 2 cents. Some of the best things to eat, in our experience are the potato pancakes – small, crusty discs that make a great side dish to almost any meal or sandwich.

We like the butter-tender beef brisket, either stacked between slices of rye bread or as an open-face sandwich with gravy and potatoes on the side; it’s great with warm noodle pudding, known as kugel, on the side. There are smoked fish platters, triple-decker sandwiches, and a whole roster of meatless dairy dishes, including cheese blintzes (crepes) topped with sour cream, apple sauce, blueberries, or cherries, and the traditional “farmer’s chop suey” of cottage cheese, sour cream, and chopped fresh vegetables.

Virtually everything on the menu is available to go, and there is a whole case full of frozen things to take home – facts worth knowing if you are zooming along I-84 with no time to stop for a meal.