Best Bagel and Nova Around?

bmpsab said:

I'm vegetarian so have no personal experience with this, but my husband swears by the lox at Costco. Loves it.

guy said:

What's all this nonsense about getting lox at a "deli?" One buys pastrami and other meats at a deli. Lox, whitefish, chubs and the like you get from an appetizing store.

Second on Trader Joe's nova.  Bagels…not so sure.  It depends on how fresh they are, Chateau or Sonny's.

According to their website, the fantastic movie "Deli Man" is PLAYING AT THE MAPLEWOOD THEATER  RIGHT NOW!  I just saw it here in St. Louis.  Even if you're not Jewish, or have never had a pastrami sandwich or bagel and lox,  DROP EVERYTHING to see this movie.  Hobby's Deli in Newark (which I was not familiar with) is featured, as are maybe a dozen delis around North America, but the nucleus of the story is Kenny and Ziggy's in Houston.  "Ziggy" grew up in a deli family in NYC (Queens if I remember), went to culinary school in Europe, and decided to shift his aspirations back to the classic Jewish Deli when he went to some meeting of deli men and realized he was probably the only one under sixty, so nobody else was going to perpetuate the tradition.

The movie has a lot of Jewish-American  history, not just Jewish deli history.  It is tragic, comic, heartwarming on many levels.  Besides delis, it ranges from scenes in a gym and at an acupuncturist, to the Great Synagogue of Budapest.

GO SEE IT, ALREADY!

By the way, does anyone on MOL remember Kartzman's on Stuyvesant Ave., just a block over the town line into Irvington?

According to their website, the fantastic movie "Deli Man" is PLAYING AT THE MAPLEWOOD THEATER  RIGHT NOW!  I just saw it here in St. Louis.  Even if you're not Jewish, or have never had a pastrami sandwich or bagel and lox,  DROP EVERYTHING to see this movie.  Hobby's Deli in Newark (which I was not familiar with) is featured, as are maybe a dozen delis around North America, but the nucleus of the story is Kenny and Ziggy's in Houston.  "Ziggy" grew up in a deli family in NYC (Queens if I remember), went to culinary school in Europe, and decided to shift his aspirations back to the classic Jewish Deli when he went to some meeting of deli men and realized he was probably the only one under sixty, so nobody else was going to perpetuate the tradition.

The movie has a lot of Jewish-American  history, not just Jewish deli history.  It is tragic, comic, heartwarming on many levels.  Besides delis, it ranges from scenes in a gym and at an acupuncturist, to the Great Synagogue of Budapest.

GO SEE IT, ALREADY!

By the way, does anyone on MOL remember Kartzman's on Stuyvesant Ave., just a block over the town line into Irvington?

Kartzman's was originally on Bergen St in Newark.  It moved to Irvington, I believe, unless it was another branch of the family that had the one on Stuyvesant Avenue.  The one on Stuyvesant was a terrific deli that went out of business around 1988 or 1989.  

I don't remember my parents taking me to Newark to go to a deli in my childhood in the 50's and 60's, probably because we had good enough delis close to Maplewood then.  I do remember going to the Carnegie or the Stage or Lindy's when in NYC.  I took some gentile friends from my home in St. Louis to Katz's when I was showing them around the City, not too long ago.

I do remember going to the Weequahic Diner several times.  Although it had other food, I believe they served enough authentic Jewish deli food to qualify for the label.

My father had a friend who dealt in business with "Best" meat purveyors in Newark, which I think was then just wholesale.  So my father had an "in" to occasionally pick up stuff there.  I'm under the impression that they actually have some products (like hotdogs) available under their own brand at retail these days.  Can anyone confirm this?  And were Kosher, or even specifically Jewish?

I don't remember my parents taking me to Newark to go to a deli in my childhood in the 50's and 60's, probably because we had good enough delis close to Maplewood then.  I do remember going to the Carnegie or the Stage or Lindy's when in NYC.  I took some gentile friends from my home in St. Louis to Katz's when I was showing them around the City, not too long ago.

I do remember going to the Weequahic Diner several times.  Although it had other food, I believe they served enough authentic Jewish deli food to qualify for the label.

My father had a friend who dealt in business with "Best" meat purveyors in Newark, which I think was then just wholesale.  So my father had an "in" to occasionally pick up stuff there.  I'm under the impression that they actually have some products (like hotdogs) available under their own brand at retail these days.  Can anyone confirm this?  And were they Kosher, or even specifically Jewish?

Even though Best's is not kosher I think the owners are Jewish.

I ate at the Weequahic Diner many times.  They were not known for their "deli".  They were known for their variety and the portions.  Much of the food was Ashkenazi Jewish and the owners the Bauman brothers were refugees from Europe who fled the Nazis.  They were really famous for their cheesecake, which I've come close to recreating.  The Weequahic Diner was a terrific place.     

URLhttp://www.oldnewark.com/memories/weequahic/boddiner.htm

Always love it when the "Bagel Wars" break out again.  While not into the lox and smoked salmon we have been happy with Livingston Bagel since the Maplewood Bagel Chateau jumped the shark and changed their recipe. 

My and @judyx3, Grandfather and 2 business partners  started Best Provision in Avon Ave in the 1920's.  At the time there was a luncheonette attached to the plant. A corned beef sandwich and cup off coffee cost $0.05!!

All their provisions are 100% beef and has never been Kosher

The hotdogs  were served at Don's, Syd's and other places.

I believe you can still drive to Avon Ave and pick up sliced meats (roast beef, salami, corned beef, pastrami, beef bacon, hotdogs, Bologna, etc.) Saturday morning, but you may want to call first before going.

I want an M/SO branch of Zabar's. 

@MsSumida    Thanks so much for the information.  Is it still a family run business?  Love that the corned beef sandwich and coffee were five cents.

I'm originally from Newark and love finding out info about the city.  

I really miss Syd's hot dogs.  I have actually dreamt about them. I've read that you can pick up stuff on Saturday but I've never tried.  I'll have to do that soon.

Nora, yes, it is still a family (3rd generation) run business and it is still located in Newark. My father was a Wheequaic high graduate and my mother went to West Side.  

I don't know about nova and bagels, but in Clark this is a pretty good jewish deli, around a long time..

delikingofclark.com

@judy3x @MsSumida

Wow!  Thanks so much.  I also went to Weequahic.  I'm glad to hear it's still in the family. No wonder their food is so good.  When companies sell out to big congolmerates things are never the same.  

Here is the best thing I've ever read about bagels. Every word of this is 100 percent accurate.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/05/what-makes-a-good-bagel-bad-bagel-kenji-opinion-untoasted.html

So what is consensus on the best bagel in South Orange, Maplewood, Millburn?

There isn't any consensus.