One of my great laments since moving to the Bay Area is the dearth of anything resembling a decent deli. There are few things I miss about Los Angeles, but one of them is Canter's, which I virtually used to live at. The last good deli I went to was Katz's in Manhattan in December, and I have had a serious Jones for some juicy pastrami ever since. I've asked every Jew I know around here if there is good deli to be found in the Bay Area and they all respond "no." I've always found this odd, since San Francisco is known as foodie central. I have been advised to stay away from David's on Geary, as most consider it an overpriced joke. On a recommendation, I went to Saul's in Berkeley once, and found it woefully lacking. Others have told me about Moishe's Pipick in San Francisco, but I've heard mixed reports.
One place mentioned to try was Miller's East Coast Deli on Polk Street, and I am pleased to report that this picky deli maven is happy with the results. While not extraordinary by New York or Los Angeles standards, the food was far better deli fare than anywhere else I've found. Their menu is large and chock full of the standards like pastrami, corned beef, lox, whitefish, kugel, cabbage rolls, kishka and kasha varnishkas. I couldn't decide between pastrami and corned beef (the eternal struggle), so I went for "The Chief": pastrami, corned beef, russian dressing, and cole slaw served on rye. This generous sandwich was just right, with lots of steaming meat, wet cole slaw and the bread just the right thickness and slightly hard texture. I was a happy man. They also scored points for having Dr. Brown's Cel Ray, my favorite deli drink. Yes, it really tastes like celery, and it's refreshing accompaniment for corned beef or pastrami. Next time, I'm trying the matzo ball soup, which looked good and perhaps a Reuben (they have seven different varieties).Then again, maybe the fish platter, a feast for two for just $18.99. Overall, their prices are reasonable, with most basic sandwiches running $7.49 for 6 oz of meat and $9.49 for 9 oz. Another feather in their cap at Miller's: the serve H & H Bagels from New York, considered my many to be the best. Every time I visit Manhattan, I bring back a dozen, and brought one home with me for my next morning breakfast.
While not the perfect deli experience (no crabby waitresses), Miller's is pretty darn good, and by Bay Area standards for a deli, great. You'll be seeing me there lots!
Miller's East Coast Deli
1725 Polk St. (between Clay and Washington)
San Francisco
(415) 563-3542
www.millersdelisf.com
