Big food can be good. Good food is always good. Big food that is good is a rare treat.
On Sunday morning I experienced a rare treat. I woke up craving some Jewish soul food. You know, lox, bagel and a shmear. This is easier said then done in the Princeton, New Jersey area. Our last true Jewish Deli closed down years ago. Now, decent white fish or kippered (baked) salmon usually requires a schlepp into Philly or Manhattan.
My wife, knowing how irritable I get when my feeding schedule is delayed, suggested Harold's New York Deli in Edison, New Jersey, a sizable yet doable forty-five minutes up the turnpike. Having now experienced this nirvana, it is hard to believe that Harold's escaped my attention for so long.
Harold's is owned by the former operator of the Carnegie Deli in New York. If possible, the food is even bigger here. Pictured above is is the baked salmon bagel sandwich. Do not attempt this at home or alone. Bagel Sandwiches are to be shared (three bagels are served) and average about $25 in price. Smoked fish platters with six bagels range from $39-41.
For obvious reasons, my wife and I were unable to sample the deli sandwiches. We did, however, marvel at the waiters, who like ants, are able to lug trays several times their own weight. The corned beef, pastrami and other deli meat sandwiches come in large (approximately $16), extra large (approximately $32) and triple decker (an Obama bailout required). We also witnessed a twelve year old boy eat a stack of pancakes ($18) served on a pizza tray. As we left, he was being interviewed by the Guinness World Record folks and two doctors from the Mayo Clinic.
Harold's also boasts the the "World's Largest Pickle Bar." I tried the half sour pickles and the health salad. Without question, they were the best I ever had.
Even the napkins at Harold's are a treat, defining many popular Yiddish words such "schtickluch" meaning "habit," as in "eating at Harold's will become a schtickluch."
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