A Couple of Clark Street Notes

GiOio's Italian Beef stand has a sign announcing that it is closed for remodeling. Given the fact that it's probably just a hair over two years old, I strongly suspect that it is closed for something other than remodeling.

New York Deli at Clark and Oakdale is now serving italian ice during the summer months from its freezer. Today, I noted that the flavors were lemon, strawberry, mango peach and red raspberry. My combo of lemon/raspberry was delicious and studded with bits of raspberry. There was little fruit of note in the lemon though it had a really bright lemony flavor.

New York Deli also serves signature sandwiches with BoarsHead meats served on real bakery bread rather than the industrial sponges produced by some of the commercial big bakeries in the area.

I have learned today that the Italian Ice served at NY Deli is Anthony's Italian Ice late of Armitage Avenue now operating on North Southport.

YourPalWill wrote:sandwiches with BoarsHead meats

What is the story with BoarsHead?

They have moved into several
of my favorite deli cases and
displaced every decent meat
formerly available - like they
enforce some "no-compete" clause.
I've yet to try one of their products
that isn't dry/pulp-like and tasteless.

SCUBAchef wrote:

YourPalWill wrote:sandwiches with BoarsHead meats

What is the story with BoarsHead?

They have moved into several
of my favorite deli cases and
displaced every decent meat
formerly available - like they
enforce some "no-compete" clause.
I've yet to try one of their products
that isn't dry/pulp-like and tasteless.

I suspect they get something close to "no competes" or they simply offer such a wide product range that deli cases dump a lot of their other offerings. Treasure Island on Broadway carries primarily Boars Head, but still has a few other varieties (mainly cheeses, but also some specialty meats, I think). I must admit that I'm not much of a deli meat eater, but every once in a while I want some roast turkey slices that's low in sodium. I've never had a complaint with BH. Even though I'm buying their low sodium version, I've found it to be quite tasty.

I think that the deal with Boars head is that it is somewhat less processed than many lesser quality deli meats. I've had the same reaction as Scuba Chef to some of their offerings (especially the roast beef).

Personally, I find their corned beef and low sodium turkey to be far superior to most other deli brands.

I love boars head. Wont heat much else in terms packaged meats. Try their turkey pastrami...Boars head is all over the better delis on the east coast...

J

Ill agree that boars head meats are above average and better than most. One of my favorites they offer is the buffalo chicken meat, I get it sliced super thin then pile it on some thick bread with all the fixins. Mighty tasty.

It's been interesting watching the gradual proliferation of BH...(similar to the growth of Whole Foods from a lowly Texas hippie vitamin store to the cultural phenomenom of today). I always preferred the BH rare roast beef to other deli-brands since it inevitably tastes of beef and not crap spices. Many BH products actually look like they came off a whole beast and not some brined/compressed "animal." Having said that, I tend to steer clear of the specialty flavors and their cheeses are not all that wonderful. Despite, the quality of some of BH's products I look askance as they slowly takeover seeming every deli case in the city. With this expansion, I have detected a small decline in even my previously-beloved roast beef: now a blander, pabulum-like product. Potash Bros. house roast beef is a far superior product when they're on their game i.e. haven't over-cooked it as happened the other week when I had an amusing conversation with the deli-woman who took one look at the as-yet-to-be-sliced cooked loins and declared them inedible...she then offered me Boar's Head.

---just to be certain she cut one open and sure enough it was the palest of pink edging to grey on the inside...not the usual yummy deep red.

I thought the same about Gioios, being that it is still fairly new. While their beef sandwich is just ok, their pizza is great if thin crust is your thing.

butter674 wrote:I thought the same about Gioios, being that it is still fairly new. While their beef sandwich is just ok, their pizza is great if thin crust is your thing.

That is a very generous (at best) assesment of Gioios pizza. When I lived over there, I would go around the corner to Cafe Luigi for NY-style slices.

Cafe Luigi is good as well, but can't really compare the two. Luigi is truly NY style, while Gioio's has a style all its own. Very saucy... and spicy if you add thier italian sausage or pepperoni. The thing that bothered me about Luigi is the older man who works there often (possibly the owner) always seems like he is annoyed with his customers when you order a slice.

butter674 wrote:Cafe Luigi is good as well, but can't really compare the two. Luigi is truly NY style, while Gioio's has a style all its own. Very saucy... and spicy if you add thier italian sausage or pepperoni. The thing that bothered me about Luigi is the older man who works there often (possibly the owner) always seems like he is annoyed with his customers when you order a slice.

That is the owner. He also has unusual signs on his door with phrases like, "This entrance for customers only. If you're browsing, use other door."?! He also had a sign on the parking meter in front of his store proclaiming it customer parking only - which I'm sure it was not. At any rate, he always struck me as a very eccentric individual.

It truly amazes me that several places calling themselves "New York Delis" seem to have no problem with the idea of selling corned beef or pastrami with a PIG on the label. When I bring this up, people working in these places can't seem to understand why I should have an issue with this. Astounding.