WORTH THE SCHLEP (Jay and Lloyd’s Kosher Deli)

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

SADLY, JAY & LLOYD’S KOSHER DELI IS NOW CLOSED.

There’s a photograph on the wall at Jay and Lloyd’s from the 1940’s that shows dozens of deli men at an association meeting together. They were all happy and seemingly good natured. And they all owned delis in New York. Unfortunately, a big meeting like that can’t happen in this city any more because there are now just a handful of old Jewish delicatessens left. And many of them are no longer independently owned.

But when I started talking to Lloyd Lederman and he showed me around his restaurant, I realized the passion and dedication of these deli men is still alive. Lloyd has been working in delis pretty much his whole life. There are also photos of him with his father and grandfather at the family’s former delis. In 1993, Lloyd opened Jay and Lloyd’s (with his partner Jay) on Avenue U in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, quite a schlep from the subway.

I was surprised this place is only 18 years old because it has the feel of a much older, classic Jewish deli. Perhaps it’s the vintage photographs on the wall celebrating the culture, perhaps it was the pastel pink color scheme, or perhaps it was the genial staff and passionate owner.

I didn’t meet Lloyd until after I finished my sandwich, so I’m confident I got the same treatment as everybody else. Although after Lloyd discovered I had a blog, he offered me complimentary homemade apricot rugelach (you can taste the difference) and whipped up a sample of his zucchini pancakes, which had a sweeter, earthier flavor than the typical potato variety.  He was also more than eager to pose for a photo with his signature hot dog hat (they’ve received much attention for their kosher franks).

But I was here specifically for their corned beef and pastrami sandwich. They had been on my radar during my official deli meat search, but I just never found the right moment to travel all the way out here. I had some time on a Saturday afternoon recently and I hadn’t stuffed myself on deli food in quite a while, so I figured my arteries could use the work out.

The place was rather empty when I showed up. It was a little after lunch on a very hot weekend, so maybe some people were at the beach. Or I guess, this kind of comfort food is not the usual light summer fare. Or it could be because the neighborhood has changed from being mainly Jews and Italians to being predominantly Vietnamese. Regardless, I was treated politely and waited on like at a real restaurant.

This is one of the few delis where customer service is evident and the waiters seem to care about your experience. I didn’t waste any time and I ordered their Classic (the corned beef/pastrami combo). Lloyd later mentioned his Smokin’ Joe sandwich which is extra smoked pastrami that is then char-grilled. I sort of wish I had tried that. But my Classic was pretty classic.

The cole slaw and pickles that came out were incredibly fresh and flavorful. Both types of pickles were crispy and full of flavor (one was sour and garlicky; the other was sweeter and salty) and the cole slaw was creamy without being overwhelmed by the mayo. And then came my sandwich. I had asked for a half sandwich, which some delis are more resistant about then others. The waitress told me they have a Jr. version with less meat. That was perfect for me, since I’m trying to watch my boyish figure, you know.

The sandwich came out very hot, almost cooking the soft rye bread. I opened it up to douse on the mustard and realized this was the perfect amount of meat. The first bite was warm and buttery, the meat melting away to some notes of garlic, pepper, and plenty of salt. I found the corned beef pretty exceptional – it was flaky and tender and truly fell apart to the touch. I thought the pastrami was a little bit tougher. It had lots of layers of fat (as pastrami tends to) but didn’t fall apart as easily. And the pepper notes were a little overwhelmed by the buttery fat and the salt.

But it was a good sandwich and just what I needed (my doctor would disagree), since I hadn’t eaten one of these things in months. But meeting the passionate and generous Lloyd and having a true old-fashioned deli experience in Brooklyn, is worth any trip to the doctor. Although, I bet he’s glad there are no longer hundreds of Jewish delis in NY for me to slowly kill myself eating.

Is Jay and Lloyd’s the best corned beef/pastrami in NY? They get an 8 of 10 for their incredibly tender corned beef, comfortable service and atmosphere, and interesting takes on classic kosher food (that zucchini pancake was truly something), not to mention Lloyd’s entertaining shenanigans and love for what he does.