The best delis have an adjoining bakery that sells authentic bagels, bialys, cookies, and rolls, plus takeout and salads. Some of the oldies, like Stage Deli and Carnegie Deli, have gone the way of the dinosaur (go figure), but some are still thriving, especially in New York, Chicago, and of course Miami. We’re not talking sub sandwich shops or side shops here, we’re talking authentic delis where you’d swear Grandma was making matzoh balls in the kitchen. Here’s what you can expect to find if you venture into a good one:

smoked salmon and rolls or bialys, with or without a little cream cheese (if they don’t serve these, you’re back in the wrong place and you’re at Subway)

A comforting bowl of matzah ball soup – a light dumpling made with matzah meal in chicken broth, or kreplach, a heavier meat-filled dumpling

bored – filled pastries made of a thin puff pastry dough and filled with spinach, cheese, or sometimes meat (also a Greek dish)

kugel – popular baked noodle dish, can be sweet or savory

shashuka – spicy dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chilies, and onions, often flavored with cumin

potato latkes – your basic potato pancakes, served with applesauce and sour cream

Brisket and Pastrami Sandwiches – best served warm on Jewish rye with lots of mustard, coleslaw on the side

blintzes – usually filled with fruit and served with sour cream, similar to a crepe

potato knishes – a type of heavy dumpling usually stuffed with potato and onion

Reuben sandwich – classic grilled sandwich with corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese and thousand island dressing (can go “lighter” with turkey) delicious

potato salad and coleslaw – the perfect side dish, creamy and hearty

matzah breh – pieces of matzoh lightly sautéed in butter and scrambled with eggs, the perfect breakfast

chocolate egg cream – a tall drink with a splash of milk, flavored syrup and sparkling water (no eggs or cream)

chopped liver – usually a dish with a mound of chopped liver, accompanied by sliced ​​onion, tomatoes, chopped egg and served with rye bread

Kosher Dill Pickles – the best, say no more

brown mustard – the best spice (forget about that yellow stuff)

Stuffed fish – not everyone’s favourite, but a traditional white fish and part of a traditional festive meal, served cold

Matzzo – popular flat and tasteless cookie, part of a traditional Jewish passover meal

kasha – buckwheat semolina, quite tasteless but very traditional (great source of fiber)

babka – coffee cake

braided breads pulla traditional holiday sweet bread usually containing raisins, similar to a brioche

Sufganiot – a jelly donut

rugella – a sweet rolled dough cookie filled with raisins and walnuts

Of course, many Jewish dishes have a similar version in neighboring countries like Poland, the Mediterranean countries, and Russia, and many are part of a traditional holiday meal like Passover. But what has become the classic deli, with its mile-high sandwiches, matzah ball soup, and chopped liver, is unique unto itself. The waiters are rude and rushed, the portions are big and the customers are hungry. What’s not to like?