deli sandwich love (photo by wm. christman)
The East Coast-West Coast hip hop rivalry is (was?) as silly as the argument of California not having any real seasons. Not that a beef about seasons is about to get anyone gunned down while cruising through California’s lush green in the middle of November, but a beef about East Coast beef just might get you there. Ok, I’ll grant you that the delicatessens of New York City are jewels of lusty eating and the bagels definitely benefit from the super-pure, deep-earth aquifer water in upstate New York that gets pumped to Manhattan, but the West Coast also deserves props just for importing a bit of the East to the West.
As much as I’d like to have a deli down the street from me that offered up house-made pastrami, corned beef, latkes, knishes, lox and other deli whathaveyous, it’s just not the case. And this being California, there’s no real subway option so driving is a must, but for a little drive (through some beautiful green Cali scenery all year ‘round (take THAT East Coast!)) I can have a slice of the East Coast at Miller’s East Coast Deli in San Francisco.
I’m going to preface this with the fact that I have never eaten in Miller’s; I have only ordered out and only ordered pastrami, corned beef and chopped chicken liver. From what I can see, eating at Miller’s is true to their name except for the conspicuously absent open bowls of full and half sour pickles (Cali’s ultra-sensitive, lawsuit conscious food laws probably don’t allow it, don’tcha know). Judging from their crew assembling sandwiches, platters of fish or brisket, and plates kasha varnishkes or stuffed derma, it’s pretty damn close. Someday, I’ll sit down for a nosh rather than run out with 3+ pounds of meat that ends up being less than that by the time I get home. You'd think that my car runs on that meat. Really. I swear. [burp]
Miller’s hand-makes their own corned beef and imports their pastrami from the Bronx. Although I am a die-hard pastrami fan, Miller’s corned beef is amazingly flavor-rich and slightly beats out the pastrami. Not that the pastrami is a slouch though. It is ribboned with meat and fat with that fragrant peppery kick. Just steam either (the preferred method at my house – it keeps the meat pliable and meltingly soft) then add some deli mustard, some pickles and a nice rye bread and you’ve got all you really need.
Miller’s chopped chicken liver is a dense, rich, subtle concoction with very little pretense. It’s just held together enough to slightly crumble when piled on a slice of bread, bagel or plate. Add some white onion and hard boiled egg and again, you’ve got that deli feel. Speaking of bagels, although I have been all-meat focused at Miller’s, they import their bagels half-finished from NYC then finish them off in-house.
Miller’s serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and although deli fare is their forte, they do cater to more California tastes with a wide variety of West Coast-style diner food. Check out their menu here. But you should really go for the deli meats. Get them, some bread and mustard to go or sit down and eat your way into West Coast deli heaven.
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Miller’s East Coast Deli, 1725 Polk St. (between Clay and Washington), San Francisco, 415.563.3542
