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Houston's deli "tradition"

Houston's deli "tradition"
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  • Houston's deli "tradition"

    Post #1 - October 6th, 2005, 3:46 pm
    Post #1 - October 6th, 2005, 3:46 pm Post #1 - October 6th, 2005, 3:46 pm
    Spurred by Aaron Deacon's query I offer this observation:

    Growing up in Houston in the late-70's-80's accustomed me to the easy availability of quality deli sandwiches. By deli, I don't mean Jewish. For some, if it ain't Jewish it ain't a deli. Oy Veh.

    As a boy it seemed there was a Pakistani or Swedish deli for every block. Even "high quality" ;) Boar's Head meats and cheeses were available at nearly every supermarket. As opposed to Sara Lee/Hormel drek. Thanks Jewel.

    Two specific Houston institutions spring to mind; Nielsen's Delicatessen

    http://www.b4-u-eat.com/houston/restaur ... sv1083.asp

    (I tried the actual Nielsensdeli.com link, but it appears broke)

    and,

    Antone's

    http://www.antonesfamous.com/home.htm

    Both have long, illustrious histories. Antone's went franchise(most think for the worse, but I still crave 'em).

    It's probably Nielsen's iconic house roastbeef, special sauce, homemade white bread upon which I imprinted and ruined me for all that's come after. They also offer a mindscramblingly-good cinammony, pudding-like cheesecake. Plus pickle. Plus Dr. Brown's Black Cherry soda.

    I'm also easy when it comes to Antone's prefering the freshmade "original" po-boy. I've attempted the simple combination of provolone, ham, capicola, mayo, and chow-chow at home but it's never quite the same. Their chow-chow's a secret recipe and the all-important bread is toothsome, crusty, fragrant i.e. not Gonella.

    ---

    There's a strong Swedish pastry/deli influence in Houston with
    divers wannabe Nielsen's dotting the landscape.
    ---
    I assume with the Vietnamese population explosion(it seems the then predominantly white suburb of Alief where I lived while attending high school is now chockablock with the SE Asian diaspora) that finding a good banh mi shouldn't be all that difficult, either. :)

    ---

    That's just off the top of my head. I'll think more on this "tradition" and if anything seems cogent post later.
  • Post #2 - October 6th, 2005, 10:04 pm
    Post #2 - October 6th, 2005, 10:04 pm Post #2 - October 6th, 2005, 10:04 pm
    Thanks!
  • Post #3 - October 8th, 2005, 5:15 pm
    Post #3 - October 8th, 2005, 5:15 pm Post #3 - October 8th, 2005, 5:15 pm
    Christopher Gordon wrote:Boar's Head meats and cheeses were available at nearly every supermarket. As opposed to Sara Lee/Hormel drek.

    I used to sell Sara Lee deli and when the products were first released, I never lost a cutting to Boar's Head or any of the mass produced "high-quality" meats as well as beating the pants off of most local produced products. However Sara Lee's bean counters realized that the quality was "too high" and very quickly reduced it to rubish. One of the most depressing things to happen in my sales career, when I just couldn't get excited about the product I was selling.
    I did absolutely nothing and it was everything I thought it could be.
  • Post #4 - October 9th, 2005, 7:20 pm
    Post #4 - October 9th, 2005, 7:20 pm Post #4 - October 9th, 2005, 7:20 pm
    Interesting :)
    I still procure Sara Lee, et al at the Jewel deli case; sometimes I just don't feel like doing Treasure Island or Potash(the two supermarkets carrying BH products in walking distance in my neighborhood). The Boar's Head/Sara Lee opposition is a false dichotomy perpetrated by suits. ;)

    If only every deli counter cared enough to make their own; surely heterogeneity is a good thing.

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