Of all the words that come to mind while noshing on a hot pastrami on rye, "local," "organic" and "artisanal" are probably not among them. But a new breed of delicatessens is proving that the freshest thing in Jewish-style deli dining is also the oldest: traditional foods, made traditionally.
Instead of ordering their offerings in bulk from food processors, these delis are crafting them in small batches. In Portland, Ore., Kenny & Zuke's Delicatessen bakes organic rye bread, smokes and steams briskets from beef sourced from within 100 miles to make pastrami, and cures wild local salmon for lox. Mile End Delicatessen in Brooklyn, which opened last year, serves handmade Montreal bagels—smaller, sweeter and denser than the fluffy behemoths that often masquerade as bagels these days.
The idea is catching on around the world: Trend-conscious restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow helped open Kutsher's Tribeca in New York in November (the menu includes wild halibut gefilte fish) and San Francisco's Wise Sons, which has a stand at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, will open in a restaurant space in early 2012. London's Deli West One, which opened in late October, makes its own salt beef (that's British for corned beef) and grinds chopped liver in-house. Unlike other spots, it's also certified kosher.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Wall Street Journal
