RtS: Benjie's Deli

[Ghoulish Delight]

Rank the Swank - Restaurants and Bars


Overall Swank Rank

Benjie's Deli
1828 N. Tustin Ave.
Tustin, CA
3/1/2008
http://www.benjiesdeli.com/


The Lowdown
There is nothing like comfort food in familiar surroundings.

Food
Decor
Service

__________________________________________________

The Gig
Dinner

The Grub
Corned Beef on challa
"Benjie's special" sandwich (pastrami with russian dressing and coleslaw on rye).
Deeeeelicious potato salad.

The Scene
This may forever brand me as a heretic 'round here, but I was underwhelmed by Katella Deli. The food was perfectly fine, but it was just not presented, in terms of style of food preparation in the way I associate with a deli.

Enter Benjie's. We finally thought to check Tustin for a deli. We knew there was a kosher market in Tustin, so it stood to reason there'd be something. And something was indeed found.

Good sign #1: Fresh deli counter, complete with end case full of odd assortments of eclairs and other pastries.
Good sign #2: Old people
Good sign #3: BRICKS of fresh halva in plastic wrap at the register
Good sign #4: No potato pancakes or noodle casserole to be found on the menu.... latkes and kugel!
Good sign #5: Attached bamboo-lined cocktail lounge. Oh yes. Oh yes.

To be fair

Bad sign #1: Karaoke Fri. and Sat.

I will also say, go for the pastrami over the corned beef. Corned beef lacks. Which is unfortunate, but the whole package and a fantastic potato salad more than make up for their corned deficiency.

Felt like home.

And it's taking all of my willpower to not go back in the kitchen to unwrap and finish the rest of that pound birck of halva.