#InauguralReview #PJBernstein @pjbernsteindeli Since 1965 by #AlexSlobodski #SteveSlobodski and #EugeneSlobodski #JewishDeli #UpperEastSide 1215 Third Avenue at 70th Street
You may not pass go and collect $200 without trying the spectacular Open-Faced Classic Corned Beef Reuben, boiled and brined fresh on premises every day
PJ Bernstein has been a fixture of the Upper East Side for generations, and we are pleased to make their acquaintance at last! Led by grandson Eugene Slobodski, whom we met and worked with directly, it's a trifecta of multi-generational Ashkenazi Jewish culinary excellence starting with Alex the grandfather and continuing with Steve, his son. Eugene is Steve's son, and PJ Bernstein has been wowing stars you'll see on the wall for quite some time, including Lucille Ball whom we are told opted for the hot dogs! Eugene presented us with two traditional appetizers: Pickled Herring, above, which was quite tangy and is a dish you might find inventive if you are not used to it. (We are not.) Personally, Peachy liked the fish better than the sauce which may be an acquired taste. Below, beef and rice is encased in cabbage which yields a hearty welcome in this weather especially.
Homemade Soups are without a doubt a convincing contender as part of your meal, and there are also Daily Special Homemade Soups. We ordered off the regular menu, and PJ's famous Matzoh Ball Soup is the ultimate comfort food as of course the Matzoh Ball (Matzoh and eggs, a 65/35 ratio) is the star of the show. Even better to us is Grandpa's Chicken Soup with Chicken Meatballs, that you see has invited chicken, onions, parsnip, and aromatic bespoke seasoning into its warm, delicious golden pool below. The Chicken Meatballs totally hit the spot along with carrots and noodles. The authenticity in both soups is evident in every enjoyable spoonful!
A smiling Chicken Meatball:
Another traditional aspect are the potato Latkes which Eugene suggested, joined by apple sauce and sour cream, and here a single one is shown:
We tried two different salads, and commend the salad selection in general with nine choices. Avocado Salad was our favorite by far, and the perfectly chopped avocado, tomato, onion, cucumber and cilantro we found to be in excellent proportion to each other and the egg salad we chose to add was simply outstanding. Below, meet the Ladies delight: white meat turkey, lettuce, avocado, tomato and cucumber team up for a salad on the lighter side. Both salads were solid portions and a salad at PJ Bernstein absolutely should be part of your meal! By the way, salad dressing is always on the side here and you know who could not agree more with that concept!
Beef Goulash served with Egg Noodles is exactly what is missing from your life and we never knew we liked it so much! This bespoke carnivorous wonder is completely impressive culminating in true culinary joy. Beef stock, bay leaves, old spice, prunes, Spanish onions and obvious beef create a delicious symphony of taste you have got to behold, and we chose to add Creamed Spinach for nutrition and flavor and suggest you consider the same!
It is tough to say whether we liked that or the Classic Corned Beef Reuben, Open-Faced more: this sandwich gave us the opportunity to further broadcast Peachy Deegan's love of rye bread and of course as a devoted Irish American, she loves Corned Beef. The Corned Beef at PJ Bernstein's is truly superior as it is boiled and brined daily on premises. Every bite of this decadent sandwich is a winner and it comes with two tone pickles: half sour and full sour (more yellow.) We definitely prefer half, but truly this comes down to personal taste and both were well-crafted.
Finally, we believe every competitive Manhattan venue must have a convincing cheeseburger. The Beef Burger, a combination of Chuck, Hangar Steak and Brisket, was a solid performance especially with the Munster Cheese we chose! We were impressed on our only visit so far, especially with the beef performance all-around, and look forward to seeing what this talented family does next!
