Howard posing outside of Uptown Deli in Bethesda
So I’ve been stalking the entrances of the soon-to-open Uptown Deli for a while now. On my most recent pass by I noticed I sign saying “knock loudly I’m in the back” So that’s exactly what I did and lucky for me, I had the chance to chat with self-proclaimed Deli Maven, Howard Wasserman. The deli isn’t quite open yet but he agreed to give us an interview anyway and I have to say this has been my most entertaining one yet! Read below to find out why.
With the amount of New York & New Jersey transplants, and large Jewish population, why is DC lacking really good deli?
HW: How many of those transplants want to go into the deli business? Its hard work and a lot of stress and aggrivation. Plus a huge investment to do it right. Plus the fact that not too many people are actually Deli Mavens like me.
How big are your sandwiches? We like big deli sandwiches.
HW: Our sandwiches will be huge, 8oz of meat and we also have “the Big Fresser” sandwich for someone who thinks they can eat 2lbs of meat at one sitting plus the cheese and bread.
Latkes… Applesauce or Sour Cream?
HW: I like both plus chives on my sour cream.
How exactly is your corned beef made? Do you brine your meats in-house?
HW: We do not brine our meats in house, we have a comapny that does this for us and the corned beef gets delivered in 150lb barrels, and then we boil the corned beef in 80 quart pots. We are making our own brisket, roast beef, and turkey breast, non brined.
I take my rye seriously. Are you making it in house, sourcing it from a baker?
HW: I have a bakery making it for us par baked, meaning its 3/4 baked and we bake it the rest of the way to finish it and put a crust on it. I like my rye crusty, but not my customers!
When I was at Penn State there was this great restaurant, The Deli, and they served a sandwich called the Meshugana. Basically it was a pastrami sandwich that used latkes instead of bread. Any chance you can put it on the menu and name it after me? I’m alright if you just want to nickname it the Shiksa.
HW: Only if it has your picture next to it:) LOL! I’ve seen that before, but not doing that here, but maybe as a special. We are stuffing a potato knish with hot pastrami instead.
Why should people come out to the Uptown Deli? Anything special our readers should know about it? HW: Because we will be a true NY style Deli with authentic NY cheesecake, great huge and awesome tasting sandwiches, great breakfast too, NY egg creams, Dr Brown’s soda, fantastic rugelach, smoked fish from NY, bialies, NO insulting crusty NY waiters, a Yiddish Glossary on the walls, atmosphere and me, a Boston Red Sox Fan!
Fill in the blank – A customer walks into the Uptown Deli, they order Pastrami on White Bread and Mayo. You say…
HW: No problem, what ever you want you can get at Uptown Deli or (Alice’s Restaurant), now what I’m thinking may be different!
Are you going to do bulk orders for the High Holidays?
HW: Since we have yet to open I may cancel doing orders for Rosh Hashanah and just take platters for Yom Kippur instead. We need to get the kinks (You Reallly Got Me) out for the restaurant first.
What about Matzoh Balls? Are yours light and fluffy or dense?
HW: Well, how do you like your balls (don’t answer that) ? We will make them light and fluffy!
How about pastries, we love black & White cookies and rugalech? What does Uptown Deli offer?
HW: Oh my god, My pastries are going to rock this town (Stray Cats). Black and white cookies, the rugelach are made with Philly cream cheese, fresh product daily, Danishes made in?? Denmark, I’m not kidding. We are making our own muffins, brownies, bars and cookies are locally made also.
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