CORNED BEEF/PASTRAMI REVIEW: Cafe Edison

My search for the best corned beef/pastrami in New York continues….

SADLY, CAFE EDISON IS NOW CLOSED.

I was amazed at how little Cafe Edison has changed in ten years. I used to frequent this old-school diner in the heart of Times Square quite a bit when I first moved to New York. It was near all my auditions and the hearty Eastern European Jewish food was affordable and nostalgic.

My food adventures of late have taken me much further downtown to some of the hipper restaurant offerings and to the outer boroughs for some exciting and unexplored ethnic cuisines. But rarely do I get to eat an actual meal in the heart of Times Square. Nor would I want to, to be perfectly honest.

However, I missed my old friend and realized I had never even tasted their corned beef and pastrami sandwich. While it advertises both on its window, I’ve always stuck more to their burgers, matzo ball soup, and Polish specialities like blintzes and kasha varnishkas.

Walking into Cafe Edison was the exact same experience as it was years ago. The waitress barely acknowledged me, the tables were cramped together, and I was overhearing girls complain to each other about their recent auditions. And amazingly, the prices also have not change.

At just over $10, this corned beef/pastrami sandwich was one of the cheapest I’ve encountered in NYC. I can’t say it was the best in the city, but it was certainly worth it for that price.

The pastrami was caked on with chewy fat (one piece was even completely void of meat) and lacked much smoke or spice flavor. I much preferred the corned beef which was nice and marbled and featured an unusual hit of sweetness.

Eaten together with a schmear of mustard on soft rye bread, it was hard to pick apart the imperfections. It had those unmistakable deli meat flavors – meaty, fatty, and garlicky.

If I was amazed at how Cafe Edison has stayed the same in the last decade, I can only imagine how pleased the regulars who have been coming here for 30 years are at its refusal to gentrify.

Does Cafe Edison have the best corned beef/pastrami in NYC? Probably not, but it’s certainly worth a visit for the ambiance, solid Eastern European food, and iconic NYC vibe. The corned beef saves the sandwich with a 7 out of 10.