JULIAN MACIAS
2nd Ave Deli is a traditional Jewish restaurant that gives that authentic Jewish culinary experience. Overall, superb quality meats. The pastrami is thinly sliced, not too fatty, and is super flavorful on rye with some homemade mustard.
They have good matzo ball soup. Since it’s a Jewish deli, the portions are enormous. The matzo balls and baked knishes are as large as baseballs. The matzo ball soup is well seasoned, comes with two slices of their freshly baked challah bread, and you have a choice of noodles, rice, or kasha. I prefer the rice. The baked knish is also well seasoned and comes with two mustard type sauces.
Everything tastes great and it’s worth the price. My pastrami sandwich was $23, but hey, I was craving some good pastrami and in this case, I got what I paid for.
The 2nd Ave Deli has been an internationally renowned Gotham landmark for more than half a century. Over the years, its founder, Abe Lebewohl, provided the best Jewish fare in town, transforming his tiny ten-seat Village eatery into a New York institution.
Directions: 2nd Ave Deli, located at 1442 First Avenue on the southeast corner of 75th Street.