Starring Role for Sandwiches at Stage Deli? - CLOSED

Stage Deli

834 7th Avenue

New York, NY 10019

When heading to New York, I looked forward to many things, such as going to a Rangers game, watching Katie experience the Big Apple, and having an excellent deli experience. New York is known for many food cuisines, but the deli has to be one of my favorites. I did some research before leaving for my trip, and Stage Deli was highly rated, so that is where we headed for one of our last nights in NYC.

Stage Deli has been around for 74 years. The list of people that have come through the door of this delicatessen reads like the Hollywood Walk of Fame sidewalk. Opened by Max Asnas, a Russian immigrant, he sold the food of his homeland and soon became the toast of Broadway. Performers would come to the deli after rehearsals or after the shows to chow down on big sandwiches. We showed up here not after going to a show but after walking through Times Square, a different kind of show. Let's check out what we ate.

Katie started off with Chicken Soup and a Matzoh Ball. This could have been the finest matzoh ball either of us has had. It complimented the soup well but was clearly the star of this dish. The matzoh had a great flavor and was not dry. It was a perfect start to this meal.

Big sandwiches are the specialty at Stage Deli, which is what my Dad went with. Here is the Howard Stern Sandwich, which consisted of pastrami, brisket, and muenster cheese. I would have thought that Howard Stern would have a tongue in it because he talks for a living, but what do I know.  My Dad made a real effort to finish this sandwich but came up short. He felt that the meat on this could not stand on its own. He alternated between using mustard and Russian dressing to moisten up the meat. The bread also did not stand up to the sandwich. It fell apart before even the first bite.

My Mom likes tuna, so it was no shock that she opted for the Tuna Salad Sandwich. She felt that this was average tuna. I tried the tuna and thought it had enough moisture, and they were very generous with the amount of tuna on it for a half sandwich.

Another specialty at Stage Deli is the open-faced sandwiches, such as the Tiger Woods Reuben above. This Reuben was made with corned beef, hot sauerkraut, and lots of melted Swiss cheese. Like my Dad said, the meat was dry and needed lots of Russian dressing. Once that was added, this sandwich was good. The bread here was a non-factor, but the sauerkraut was delicious. It was not the best Reuben I have ever had, but it was still good. I even finished this with no problem.

I liked the Stage Deli but was not blown away by it. We arrived at 7 p.m. on a Thursday and got seated right away. The service was surly but efficient. The food really came out quick. The prices were a little high, but this is New York City.

Out of five curtain calls, five being best to zero being worst, Stage Deli gets 2.5 curtain calls.

For more information about Stage Deli, click here: http://www.stagedeli.com/index.cfm