BBE Editor's Pick

Ashkenaz

12 E Cedar St., Chicago (Gold Coast)

By Jeff Pearl

If you can walk through the Gold Coast without getting pushed by someone carrying five shopping bags, then you should count your blessings. But when frequenters of the Viagra Triangle get tired of flash over substance, they hit Ashkenaz, a deli that gets down to brass tacks with huge portions of quality meats and old-fashioned flavors without pretense.

menu musts

The corned beef is served hot and showcases beautiful marbling, almost like a fine dry-aged steak, while the pastrami packs a peppery punch on its exterior crust. Throw either one on slices of an almost cake-like challah or a more traditional rye, and while most opt for a tangy dijon to top things off, a schmear of the salty, schmaltzy, unctuous chopped liver is more my style. On the side, what’s a deli sandwich without one of Chicago’s softest floating matzo balls to accompany it? If you can fit in even just one more bite after that, you’ll want it to be the cinnamon rugelach, with its flaky and buttery crescent dough. view full menu here

the crowd

Everyone from frat boys to businessmen to kids fresh out of college to the more mature set balancing a bagel and soup in their walker baskets.

... on the side

eye on design
Empty space on the walls is hard to find amongst all of the neon signs and celebrity pictures. As if Ashkenaz needs to prove it’s old-school charm, they’ve got plenty of salami hanging from the ceiling as well.

overheard
“If I’ve been good all week I can get the pastrami, but if I don’t get to the gym I can still come here on Sunday for the chicken salad."

decibels
Low

hours

Mon-Sat 7 AM- 7:30 PM; Sun 7 AM- 5:30 PM

price range

$4.50 (hot dog) to $16.95 (smoked sable platter)

12 E Cedar St. (Just East of N. State St.) , Chicago, IL 60611; 312-944-5006 ashkenazdeli.com $