Great Neighborhood Restauarants--Manny's

First of all, thanks to all for contributing to and compiling "The Great Neighborhood Restaurants" listing. It's a wonderful resource, which I'll refer to frequently and which, I hope, you'll update annually.

One objection, tho, on the following:

"Jewish Deli
Manny's"

To avoid misapprehension on the part of the constituency, I've been fighting a rearguard action on "the other board" whenever anyone recommends Manny's as the place to go in Chicago for persons in search of a great Chicago Jewish deli. Manny's is a great (maybe the unique, the final one still standing in the USA) Jewish cafeteria, and altho it serves some solid deli items, those expecting to find on South Jefferson Street Chicago's version of New York's Carnegie, Philly's Famous, or LA's Canter's are sure to be disappointed. Please recategorize.

Whether there actually is a great Jewish deli remaining in Chicago, well, that's another matter . . .

The original nomination was "Jewish Deli - Cafeteria", but it looks like Dickson shortened it to just Deli instead of just Cafeteria. And you're right that people should know what they're getting themselves in for, but I think, ultimately, it's not a huge difference for people who are just looking for some pastrami or corned beef.

ultimately, it's not a huge difference for people who are just looking for some pastrami or corned beef.

Ah, but that's the point. They might also be looking for a great white fish salad or a smoked fish platter with a bialy, and, frankly, Manny's knishes and latkes are far from the best.

Is there any major difference between the Manny's that everyone refers to and the Manny's on Concourse A at Midway Airport??

I don't consider Manny's a "Deli" in the tradition of Jewish deli's, either. Although, when you need a quick-fix of some deli-type food and you're in that part of the city, it'll tide you over. It's (Deli) a category of restaurant/food the ranks of which Chicago is thin on. Speaking of smoked fish, I had a good plate of it (Chub) at What's Cooking on Lincoln Ave. last night. The place does a huge business.

What's Cooking
6181 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60659
(773) 583-3050

To continue with the picking of nits, Manny's is not kosher. Not that this should keep it from being called a "Jewish Cafeteria," just that it is information that matters to some.

My mom is from Michigan, she moved to NYC after college to live with her mom. She tells a story about going to Katz's and asking for a Reuben, an item she assumed was a Jewish deli staple. The guy behind the counter just shook his head disapprovingly, without explaining why she could not have a Reuben. So she asked for a roast beef and swiss, which prompted the counter man to say something like, "You really better ask somebody." She had to get someone else to explain to her why there were no sandwiches with cheese available.

unbeknowneth wrote:To continue with the picking of nits, Manny's is not kosher. Not that this should keep it from being called a "Jewish Cafeteria," just that it is information that matters to some.

My mom is from Michigan, she moved to NYC after college to live with her mom. She tells a story about going to Katz's and asking for a Reuben, an item she assumed was a Jewish deli staple. The guy behind the counter just shook his head disapprovingly, without explaining why she could not have a Reuben. So she asked for a roast beef and swiss, which prompted the counter man to say something like, "You really better ask somebody." She had to get someone else to explain to her why there were no sandwiches with cheese available.

I got problems with this thread generally. Manny's is owned by a Jewish guy, Kenny Raskin, serves food typically thought of as Jewish like corned beef, pastrami, latkes, gefilite fish, kasha-varnishkes, etc., and the word deli has come to be used interchangably for a style of restaurant AND a food counter. If a deli is just for food to go, ask yourself, which seems more like a deli, Fox and Obel or Manny's? We can surely quibble with the quality of Manny's, but the nomenclature, feh (And I do not have time to respond...)

I also have to quibble with the above quote. There are two broad theories on the origins of the Reuben sammy. One places it oddly from Omaha; the other, however, sez it's a NYC thing thru and thru, and that it originated at Reuben's Deli in NYC. I should note that like chicken vesuvio we cannot take what the dish is today for what the dish was when it was concieved, and it is possible that the original did not have cheese.

PI

(Pedantic Information)

I'm with VI on this one.

When I sit down at Manny's, I'm eating Jewish deli food in the same way that when I sit down at Lao Sze Chuan I'm eating Szechuan/Western Chinese food. So, I'm not sure how the nomenclature poses a problem.

Hear hear. Just where are these old-timey Jewish Delis? The best Jewish food in LA certainly is not at Canter's, it is at Langer's, more Denny's than Deli (or at least more Golden Apple/Marquette Inn than Deli) in is coffee shop setup. Sure they have a glass case with fish and whatnot, but I wouldn't say it's a deli like the poster above means deli.

Exclude also Barney Greengrass (my NYC favorite) for its non-kosher stuff, like the intriguing tongue, turkey and swiss cheese sandwich.

Is there something about the setup that makes a difference (other than religious reasons, which I certainly respect)?

Maybe Kaufman's is a deli? Ada's in the loop has a deli counter with fish and dairy. Deli?

jbw wrote:Manny's is a great (maybe the unique, the final one still standing in the USA) Jewish cafeteria

I think Shapiro's in Indianapolis and its suburban offshoot in Carmel count as "Jewish cafeterias." Agreement? Disagreement?

Dang, I'll quote myself:

unbeknowneth wrote:Not that this should keep it from being called a "Jewish Cafeteria," just that it is information that matters to some.

I opened my post with a remark about nit-picking. A Reuben is not Kosher. That is a fact. I am not suggesting that all Jews keep Kosher. Nor am I proposing an 'origin-tale' for the reuben. So there it is. My small point about Manny's not being Kosher. I am not a Jew. I certainly don't keep Kosher. Personally, I love a good Reuben. What was the issue? My anecdote about my mom and Katz's in the 70s was meant for entertainment. If you didn't find it funny, I apologize.

Shapiro's serves a great reuben. Many refer to Shapiro's as Jewish. Not kosher. Dairy and meat.

Around Boston, and here in my experience, a deli is a place that both sells food and serves food. Might have table service, might just have counter service, but you can buy to go, to stay, or just do a little shopping -- it's a little upscale for what's around the Northeast, but Cold Comfort on North Ave. is otherwise exactly the mixture. My uncle owned one outside Harvard Square in Cambridge that tiilted more toward the shopping but served plenty of great sandwiches.

Being able to buy deli food in a cafeteria, or a pharmacy (JB's in Andersonville), does not make those establishments delis, any more than getting a fresh hot pizza from Domenick's on a Friday night makes them a pizza parlor.

Nigel wrote:Shapiro's serves a great reuben. Many refer to Shapiro's as Jewish. Not kosher. Dairy and meat.

Who ever said anything about Manny's being Kosher?? Certainly not me, and I nominated the place in the first place. Manny's is, IMO a Jewish Deli-Cafeteria that serves the type of food that I, as a person who grew up eating food prepared by not one, but two, Jewish Grandmothers, assiciates with Jewish comfort food. There has been an ongoing argument about whether Manny's corned beef is good, bad or not even authentic. The nomination for Manny's was not based solely (or even at all) on deli sandwiches (which I rarely ordeer there) but on the homey food like the beef stew, homemade corned beef hash, braised oxtails and (especially) the short ribs.

BTW, I'm hoping to present the GNR award next Thursday, proividing my schedule doesn't fill up, if anyone wants to accompany me.

unbeknowneth wrote:My anecdote about my mom and Katz's in the 70s was meant for entertainment. If you didn't find it funny, I apologize.

For the record, I thought that was a pretty darned funny story. And your mother would've had better luck at Shapiro's; it's true they are not the least bit Kosher and they'll put cheese on any sandwich you like.

Exclude also Barney Greengrass (my NYC favorite) for its non-kosher stuff, like the intriguing tongue, turkey and swiss cheese sandwich.

I never meant to suggest that a Jewish deli needs to be kosher to be considered great. But I do expect--and perhaps my expectations are outdated--a considerable food counter where you can get a 1/4-lb of Nova sliced from the belly to go and a far wider and fresher selection of sandwiches, smoked fishes, salads, Jewish specialties, and platters both to eat on site and to go then you would find at Manny's.

But who am I to object? Manny's calls itself a "Deli and Coffee Shop," so I suppose it is. In that case, IMHO I don't consider it a topnotch deli, certainly not in the same league as, say, Barney Greengrass or a few others that are still in existence on the East and West Coasts (sorry to hear about Canter's, but it's been some time since I've been in L.A.)

So forgive me if I continue to recommend Manny's as one of the last great Jewish cafeterias (glad to hear about Shapiro's--hope to visit it some day) with a good freshly sliced corned-beef and roast-beef sandwich. I don't think my Philly and NYC friends will be impressed or appreciative if I tout it to them as a great neighborhood deli.

What we really need, to top off this thread, is someone from NYC to chime in and savage Manny's as a pale, second-rate imitation of true deli food.

Actually, I do not recall truncating the description of Manny's and can't imagine why I would have (there are a few I expanded because they were not as descriptive as we might wish, but I cannot recall any reason why I would have truncated one). But I will gladly take the blame for that.

I also will gladly change the description if Steve wishes me to. Just PM me, please.

As to whether Manny's is Jewish, a deli, and/or a cafeteria, I can only say this: oy vay

dicksond wrote:I also will gladly change the description if Steve wishes me to. Just PM me, please.

I'm happy with Manny's and its description as it is. Let the whiners whine. Let the fressers fress.