How do you know when you're at a Jewish deli? When it's good and disappointing at the same time.
The last time I went to an Epsttein's deli, I'm pretty sure it was pre-pandemic, with my dad. so it's been a while. At the time, I think we went to the one in Yonkers, which has since closed. I don't remember the last time, if ever, that I went to this Epstein's in Hartsdale, but since it's December, and I saw they had a special of brisket with gravy, and potato pancakes, neither of which I've had in a LONG time...I had to give it a shot.
Less than a minute after entering, I was greeted by one of the serving staff, who seated me, provided a menu, silverware set, while another dining area staff brought a glass of water. Les than a minute later, I was provided with a plate of pickle slices, dropped there so fast i didn't have time to tell them I didn't want them. oh well. It's a Jewish deli. You get pickles.
Since I'd arrived knowing what I wanted to order I didn't have to look at the menu long to locate it on the menu, then place my order. My server was prompt, courteous, and throughout the meal attentive and answered any questions, so no complaints there.
Then there was the food. The brisket was thin sliced, tender, and with the gravy, had a nice flavor. Without the gravy, it was pretty bland. I guess i'm spoiled by the BBQ brisket I used to get at the now closed Big W's in wingdale, which had easily the best brisket I've ever had, and possibly ever will have, in my life. it's a tough standard to measure up to. This brisket is good, but it's not great, and I still want to find great brisket.
Unfortunately, the brisket was let down by the potato pancakes. The menu promises this is a meal like mom used to make, but Epstein's never had my mom's latkes. Aside from having a very nicely seasoned potato mash mixture that used matzoh crumbs and other herbs and seasonings to make a good latke mix, when mom made her latkes, she made them fresh to order in a frying pan, in about a 1/4 inch of corn oil, frying them crisply on one side, then flipping them, frying them to an equal crisp on the other side, with the pancakes abosrbing just enough oil, and cokking quickly enough, that the latkes had a crisp pancake look on both sides, while being tender and moist on the inside.
THESE POTATO PANCAKES DON"T COME CLOSE TO MY MOM'S!!!!!!!!!!! I've bought frozen potato pancakes that were ok, even when reheated in an oven, but these didn't even measure up to the frozen variety. It may be hard to imagine that a potato pancake, made from a starchy vegetable/tuber that's nearly all water, could taste dry, but these did. They also were rather lacking in flavor. Salting them helped considerably, as did dipping them in the provided apple sauce, which these sorely needed. After I finished my food, I asked the server how the latkes were cooked, and he informed me they were first baked, then reheated in a deep fryer. Which made sense for the flavor, since the baking cooked them crisply enough that the deep frying to heat them for serving didn't allow the oil to penetrate to the inside of the pancakes.
For the coup de gras, when I went to the cashier to pay for the meal, I wasn't asked 'how was everything?' The cashierjust rang me up, and that was it. If you're not going to ask for feedback at checkout, you're not going to find out in the moment what your customers thought of your meal, or your service,
Until they read about it on a site like this. read more