So my good friend Matt, whom you might remember from such hits as Chinese New Years (One and Two), sourdough baby, wood oven pizza, pig breakdown (and the subsequent feast) and taco time (basically, I would have no blog without Matt) was in town last week for his first visit to NYC in six years! This is how it went down when he first arrived: “Matt! it’s so great to see you. Oh who is this small five year old child hugging my leg? Oh this is your son, Matteo. Matteo, meet your papa!” Actually, it didn’t go that way at all. That’s just a surreal and strange scenario. In reality, it was more like, “What do you feel like eating?”
“Hmm, I think pastrami.”
Fair enough. Matt was in New York. It was time to take the gloves off and put the eating pants on. Sure we could have gone to Katz’s or 2nd Ave. Deli, but – and I’m not trying to make enemies here – I felt like Katz’s while delicious is a bit played out and entirely too expensive now. And 2nd Ave. Deli was just too far. Instead I wanted to venture closer to home because I’d been reading and hearing about great places for Jewish deli food in Brooklyn. A brief google query yielded a place within walking distance of my apartment called David’s Brisket House. And then it hit me. When I was filming An at Bep, he told me that David’s was his favorite place to get pastrami. I love when all the pieces come together. I call it confluence.
We hoofed it nearby Bed Stuy and the unassuming store front on Nostrand Ave. that is David’s Brisket House. The front window displays xeroxed photos of the sandwich options along with a sign alerting customers that they are closed on Fridays for a few hours during mid-day every Friday for prayers. You see, David’s serves Jewish Deli food (actually, mostly meats) to a largely African American customer (it’s in Bed Stuy, remember) and the guys serving it all up are Muslim, so Friday is the most important day for prayer. You’ve gotta love Brooklyn. We stepped into the sparse interior took a look at our options and ordered. And then we ate. And it was awesome. My only regret is that I hadn’t experienced this place sooner.
On Nostrand between Herkimer and Fulton: David's Brisket House
Freshly sliced pastrami.
Matt is quite pleased with the size of his brisket and pastrami sandwich.
Matt sizes up his pastrami and brisket sandwich
Matt's double jointed jaw comes in handy.
My beauty of a pastrami sandwich.
I've always loved pastrami. This sandwich and I will go on to have a beautiful relationship.
That's a look of sheer bliss.
After eating we reviewed our options for the next time.
