Sherman’s Deli & Bakery

Sherman’s is an old-fashioned Jewish deli that attracts customers from beyond Palm Springs. People come for breakfast of lox and bagels, salami omelets cooked pancake style (unfolded), and crumbly corned beef hash that is made from the same corned beef used for sandwiches, hence deliciously seasoned in that unique deli way. We feel the bagels themselves are not up to snuff (nor is the rye bread); but the lox itself is good – soft pink sheaves of cured salmon hand-cut and piled generously on a plate with tomatoes and onions, bagel and cream cheese on the side.

One of the best creations on Sherman’s menu is called “beef ‘n’ latkes,” which is a heap of well-seasoned corned beef (or pastrami) layered between two crisp fried potato pancakes – not really hand-holdable, but a sandwich well worth a little exercise with knife and fork. Other good sandwich ingredients include tender beef brisket, an elegant tuna fish salad, and plump Chicago knockwurst. The three-meal-a-day menu is vast, including full dinners of grilled liver and onions, half a roasted chicken, stuffed cabbage, even barbecued baby back ribs. Sherman’s makes a nice version of the ultimate Jewish comfort-food meal, chicken-in-the-pot, which is basically chicken soup containing the better parts of a bone-in bird.

A nice place to sit: one big airy room, plus a large portion of sidewalk for outdoor seating in the desert sun. We miss the long glass case typical of urban delis, where you can see the various smoked fish, meats, and cheeses available to eat, but there is a display of pastries up front; and the brisk – sometimes even brusque – staff is a true taste of deli life. For a good kosher-style meal in Palm Springs, Sherman’s is the place.