Are you ready for a real hot take from your old pal The Fork? We kind of don’t care about sandwiches. Don’t get us wrong, we’ve had some killer sandwiches in our life, it’s just that most of the best ones we’ve had were technically more like burgers or fried chicken or meatballs on bread. For the most part, we’re into burritos and the aforementioned full-ass meat meals betwixt breads of various natures, but when a kosher deli opens up pretty close to our office…what, we’re gonna ignore that?
The Santa Fe Jewish Center’s second story Manhattan Avenue Deli (230 Manhattan Ave., (505) 448-0400 and sandwichery that opened in December (and thought it could—and did, dammit!) has been chugging along quite well from what our sandwich-lovin’ pals tell us. We generally tend to eat at new restaurants as early as possible, only we don’t like to review them straight away unless they’re bonkers good (this happens, deal with it, America). With the Manhattan Avenue Deli, we struggled to find a good time to get in. Now, this is mainly because the spot is only open from 11:30 am-2:30 pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and those are kind of our busiest days. But we finally slapped our bosses in the face and said, “No more keeping us from a pastrami sammie, you monsters!” and sprinted down the street from our Design Center offices to climb the stairs to deli goodness.
The Manhattan Avenue Deli is literally Santa Fe’s only all-kosher eatery, which is kind of wild if you really think about it because our town boasts a robust Jewish population. In fact, speaking as both an amorphous gas being and gentile who has been fortunate enough to have dated a number of Jewish people over the years and been accepted into their communities’ celebrations and meals and such, the food and camaraderie are excellent—so it’s wild we didn’t have an all-kosher place before, but we’re down with it, especially since it’s a block away from our offices, like we just said.
ANYWAAAAAAAAAAAAAY…
Yeah, we went to the deli, and we must say that we’re pretty impressed. First off, there’s this vibe that you’re an early part of a cool secret when you enter the Jewish Center and climb the stairs to the almost hidden deli. Straight away, we noticed how clean the place was (almost impossibly for a restaurant), and the way the joint was packed led us to believe the sandwiches had to be pretty amazing. Even if you don’t visit for sandwiches, we immediately noticed a deli case packed with kosher goods, including various meats and spreads and fish sticks (from a company called Kosherific, which we love now). We were into it. And we were into the menu, which included a veritable smorgasbord of sandwiches, soups and sides. Manhattan Avenue Deli of course offers some classic options like the pastrami on rye ($18) a bagel imported from NYC with lox ($15) and a reuben on rye ($20). It also has options for veggie types, including a falafel plate $15) and falafel with pita ($12), plus knish ($5), latkes ($7), potato salad, a simple but fresh-looking Israeli salad of tomato, cucumber and herbs ($6); plus fries ($7) and desserts including rugelach ($1.50) and babka ($4) and apple strudel ($6).
All that sounded great, but we were on a mission, baby: Pastrami on rye, no substitutions!!!! We’ve said something to this effect before, but isn’t one of the true joys of life wanting to eat something RULL BAD, then getting exactly that? This is what happened, buds. We got that pastrami on rye; with mustard; two semi-sweet pickles on the side; an order of latkes (they come three to an order, btw) with applesauce. Score.
OK, now the hard part, which is explaining to you what food tasted like. We honestly thought we’d only eat half of the sandwich because we’re old and eating too much gives us the vapors and, like, le grippe, but we housed that bad boy in about 10 minutes flat. Our takeaway? While the pastrami was indeed thin sliced and bursting with the subtly salty/spicy kick you want from the most sensuous of all the salted, cured meats, we have to admit our disappointment at the size of the sandwich itself. For $18, we kind of expected a mountainous beast of a sandwich to rival the likes of Canters or Katz’s, but this was not to be. Don’t get it twisted, because the meat was tender and rich and the mustard complemented it so well, but the value seemed off. Even worse, the menu described the sandwich as “hot” (it was the first word of the description, actually), and ours was more on the cool side. Of course, the place was jumping with diners, and we’ll always understand when a kitchen gets slammed. Still, we have higher hopes for our next pastrami sammie from the itty-bitty deli—and we will be back.
As for the latkes? No notes, jack!!! Talk about the perfect combo of salty and crispy. And with the sweetness of the apple sauce side? Ooowweeee, it’s all we can think about, honestly. As in, the deli is closed today and we don’t know how we’ll live without them. Just…if anyone wants a latke, this is the way to best do that.
So in summation, the sandwich, while excellent, could’ve been a whole lot bigger, but we’re now the president (and only member so far) of the Manhattan Avenue Deli Latke Fanclub.
This is what we’re talkin’ about!
Also
- We know it seems like local food-based biz The Kitchen Table is constantly all up here in The Fork, but it’s not our fault they’re doin’ cool stuff all the time. Case in point (or is it “point in case?”), the forthcoming Love & Local Market featuring 20 vendors who make all kinds of ceramics and art and textiles and such—plus treats and snacks made at The Kitchen Table’s commercial kitchen. Badow, baby! CUPID STRIKES AGAIN! When does this all go down? 11 am-3 pm on Saturday, Feb. 8. Click the link above for more info.
- Reminder that Valentine’s Day dinners abound in the coming weeks, and if you wanna get you and your boning partner a reservation, the time is now. In most cases, restaurants will serve prix fixe menus with hits like salmon and beef this or that and, like, a stuffed squash or something (we don’t actually have this information, we just know from working in restaurants). We don’t have a list of places doing things, but you can assume that if it’s fine dining or, like, a hotel eatery, they’ll likely offer SOMETHING, and that’ll often include champagne. Word? Word.
- We’ve been known to look at the Santa Fe Foodies Facebook page now and then, and we’re not sure why it’s so fish and chips heavy lately, but we’re here for it. Our current fave? Time Travelers Gastropub, but we must admit that the F&C at Rowley Farmhouse Ales looks mighty fine. As always, the version from Second Street Brewery tastes the closest to the kind we remember from growing up in England (true story)—romping through the fens and spinneys where the twilight bathed the hedgerows like a lambent flame.
- If you’re a regular SFR reader, you likely know how much we love chef Hue-Chan Karels (here’s a link for proof) and Erica Tai of Alkemē at Open Kitchen. As such, we thought you should know that Tai has been visiting family out of the country, but is back to the slaying as of Feb. 4 (that’s the day this Fork first drops!). If’n you’re unfamiliar with Karels or Tai, know that they both rule and even the James Beard Awards (or Beardos, if you will) thinks so.
- We figure food stuff is happening in Santa Fe all the time, so don’t assume there aren’t other things to think about this week. Do, however, join our we-already-wrote-so-many-words club and engage in understanding that this is now the end of the local-specific section.
This is also what we’re talkin’ about.
More Tidbits
- We assume many of you are basic-ass basics, so please read the following with care: The FDA (which we’re surprised still exists given Trump and Musk’s commitment to getting everyone killed by gutting federal agencies) has issued a recall for its Kirkland Signature smoked salmon product over concerns it contains Listeria monocytogenes. Just know that, because we’d be shocked if not a one of you had this in your house.
- Coca-Cola has released a presumably cocaine-free Coke in orange cream flavor, which is not the same as an Orange Julius, sadly, nor the Orange Lazaruz from Pete & Pete (#HeySandy). Still, this is probably good news to people who like citrus-y flavored things and sodas.
- PSA: Ice Breakers mints (a term we use loosely) has a cherry limeade flavor now. It’s sugar-free, and you need it. We have some, and they’ve totally changed our lives because people stop us on the street to be all like:
“Hey, is that cherry limeade I smell? Wonderful, you seem like an important, young boulevardier. Certainly you acquired this in liquid form?”
“A-ha-ha-ha!” we reply. “How droll. No, we’ve achieved this flavor and taste through the power of a non-mint mint, you uncultured fucking peasant. Get thee to a drug store to find your own, or a pox upon thy household! FIE AND FOO, THOU RUINOUS BUTT! FROM HELL’S HEART WE STAB AT THEE OVER THY IGNORANCE!!!!” Do we know why we wind up in Shakespeare insult territory? Nope, but thus is the power of the “mints.”
- Lastly in not-just-local stuff (cherry limeade mints are for any town!!!), Eater-dot-com’s Kayla Stewart (said like Roald in Letterkenny) rightly points out how restaurant workers often step up during times of crisis to help the displaced and the hungry and the displaced and hungry. Take Los Angeles, for example, which has recently undergone so much wildfire trauma. Who’s out there helping folks get fed? Restaurant workers. We know we joke around a lot in Le Fork, but we mean the following sincerely: If you want to learn how to best treat your fellow human beings, work in restaurants for a couple years. We’ve been out of the game for some time now, but most of the best and most caring people we know come from the foodservice industry. Maybe it’s something about how food can be stripped down to the concept of nourishment—a basic element of survival that everyone everywhere has in common. Even in little old Santa Fe we see restaurant folk stepping up time and time again to help others (shout-out to Dakota Weiss and Rich Becker of Capital Coal Neighborhood Eatery, Fernando Ruiz of Escondido, David Sellers of Horno, Joseph Wrede of Joseph’s Culinary Table, Kathleen Crook of Market Steer and so so so so so so so many others who’ve helped folks near and far with the power of food). The point is this: Next time you go out to eat, be polite and tip huge, because if the worst should happen and you find yourself displaced and hungry, you can practically bet the people from your local dining establishments are gonna step the fuck up to lend a helping hand. Badoooom!
A Totally Scientific Breakdown of The Fork’s Correspondence
In the print edition of SFR this week, a long overdue piece from writer Iris Fitzpatrick gives us a little backstory into Zacatlán chef Eduardo Rodriguez—who has also been a Beardo nominee.
Number of Letters Received
11
*We miss when y’all would shout at us all the time, and there were, like, 50 of you all mad. Get mad at us, please.
Most Helpful Tip (A Barely Edited Comment From a Reader)
*No one said anything mean, which kind of makes having this bitchy little section challenging. Someone tell us we suck?
Actually Helpful Tip
“Look, I don’t care when The Fork is published, I will find it. Always a treasure hunt. People concerned about it not being published on Thursday? Just wait two days to read it then.”
*Even though reader Cyd R dunked on our love of baby carrots, they’re dropping knowledge here with the whole “find us if you love us,” thing, which we find helpful so we imagine you will, too. Cyd here is also a Kids in the Hall fan, so we know we’d be friends if anyone knew who we were or if our body were corporeal.
Salted and Cured,
The Fork