South Florida’s best delis offer variety in culture, richness in taste and offerings

Posted November 30, 2016

By JACOB RUBIN

The history of delicatessen is a very unique one. The delicatessen originated in Germany in the 1700s and then spread to the United States in the mid-1800s where European immigrants, namely Ashkenazi Jews, began infusing the delicatessen into the food culture of the United States. What’s fascinating about delicatessens is that there are a number of different cultures that have adopted their own forms of delicatessens such as Italians, Greeks and Russians.

This list isn’t a ranking of different delis in order of greatness because that would be a disservice to the different delis to rank them on different criteria. Sure, they could be ranked by taste, price, ambiance, creativity, and so forth, but due to the difference in cultures, it seems unfair to rank these delis coming from a singularly American point of view.

Instead, here are 10 delis that I have personally been to around Miami-Dade County that you might end up enjoying rather immensely if you decide to go. Bon appétit!

Roasters N’ Toasters
Established in 1984, Roasters N’ Toasters has five South Florida locations: Pinecrest, Aventura, Miami Beach, Dania Casino, and Sawgrass Mills. The Roasters N’ Toasters that I’m referring to for this list is the one located in Pinecrest. What makes Roasters N’ Toasters exceptional is the combination of large portions with great flavors. The food may be a bit on the pricey side, but the large portions more than make up for it and oftentimes you will have enough for leftovers. A great thing to get from Roasters N’ Toasters is their Reuben sandwich and French fries. A plus feature to dining in at Roasters N’ Toasters is that they give you complementary coleslaw and pickles (half sour and sour) the minute you are seated at your table.

Roasters N’ Toasters is located at 9465 S. Dixie Hwy., Pinecrest, Fla. 33156. The telephone number is 305-251-4848. The website is http://www.roastersntoasters.com.

Mo’s Bagels and Deli
What’s great about Mo’s Bagels and Deli is the extremely attentive wait staff that they have working there. It seems like they have dozens of waiters, waitresses and busboys and you can never go more than a few minutes without someone asking if everything is O.K. The food is excellent; Mo’s has a very diverse breakfast/brunch menu as well as a nice lunch menu with all of the classics like tuna melts, Reubens, Rachels and BLTs. Just like Roasters N’ Toasters, Mo’s also offers complementary coleslaw and pickles and also has numerous baked treats for sale by the counter. While the food is admittedly a bit pricey, the portions are very big. You won’t regret going to Mo’s Bagels and Deli.

Mo’s Bagels and Deli is located at 2780 NE 187th St., Miami, Fla. 33180 which is in Aventura, FL. The telephone number is 305-936-8555. Mo’s does not have a website, but you can find the menu on http://www.yelp.com or http://www.southflorida.menupages.com.

TooJay’s
Ahh, good ol’ TooJay’s. After TooJay’s recently opened a new location in Hallandale Beach in the summer of 2016 it became a must-see attraction. Offering all the deli classics, TooJay’s food always tastes exceptionally fresh, especially the different breads that they use in their food. The service is excellent and the décor has a very old-fashioned deli vibe to it that is very calming and nostalgic. For breakfast, try the Nova Salmon Benedict and for lunch, try the Palm Beach Club.

TooJay’s is located at 1430 East Hallandale Beach Blvd., Hallandale Beach, Fla, The phone number is 954-624-8753. Go to http://www.toojays.com for more information.

Bagel Cove
Located in Aventura, Bagel Cove is a pretty standard deli with all of the classic staples like pastrami sandwiches, whitefish salad, matzoh ball soup and chopped liver. A cool feature of Bagel Cove is that they do catering and for a very reasonable price. The best feature of Bagel Cove is (not surprisingly) the bagels. There’s just something about the bagels that tastes different than other bagels found in delis in this area of the country. Try their garlic or everything bagels as these have tremendous flavors. If you want something that’s not a bagel, try the brisket of beef sandwich or the turkey melt on rye.

Bagel Cove is located at 19003 Biscayne Blvd., Aventura, Fla. 33180. Contact Bagel Cove at 305-935-4029. The website is http://www.bagelcove.com.

Etzel Itzik
An Israeli deli, Etzel Itzik is probably the closest you can get to an authentic Israeli dining experience without physically being in Israel. With this being the case, the food offered at Etzel Itzik varies greatly with other delis in Miami-Dade County. For example, some menu items offered include chicken hearts, babaganush and shakshuka, which is a dish made of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions, and is often spiced with cumin. The service is really great; it has a very home-style kind of feel to it. Try getting a few appetizers to try to get acclimated with Israeli food. Some appetizers they offer include tabouli, hummus with falafel, fried eggplant and stuffed grape leaves.

Etzel Itzik is located at 18757 Dixie Hwy., Miami, Fla. 33180. The phone number to reach Etzel Itzik is 305-937-1546. Go to http://www.etzelitzik.com for more information.

The Daily Creative Food Company
When you walk into The Daily Creative Food Company the first thing you notice is a wall completely adorned with large panels of comics. The deli has a sort of vibe that feels as if you’re in the café of a large newspaper headquarters. A cool feature of The Daily Creative Food Company is the menu: the menu has the design and layout of a newspaper, including comic book-esque pictures and vertical columns of writing that look like news articles. When you get your food, the napkins that come with the food actually look like newspapers. For breakfast, try getting the wake & bacon, which is a toasted everything bagel with chive cream cheese, sliced tomato and applewood smoked bacon. For lunch, try ordering the enquirer pork belly BLT, which is toasted kaiser roll with house-made pork belly, arugula, sliced tomato and their special sauce. The menu is incredibly expansive and you’ll want to come back daily.

The Daily Creative Food Company is located at 2001 Biscayne Blvd., #109, Miami, Fla. 33137. The phone number is 305-573-4535. The website is http://www.thedailyfood.com.

New York’s Big Apple Deli
What’s cool about New York’s Big Apple Delis is the authentically New York feel that restaurant manages to capture through its ambiance and cuisine. The breakfast at New York’s Big Apple Deli is phenomenal with my personal favorite breakfast item being the salami and eggs. If you want to go the lunch route, try getting a corned beef or pastrami sandwich. The sandwiches come with a pickle and the choice of potato salad or coleslaw. The potato salad at New York’s Big Apple Deli is superb because it is, of course, a New York style potato salad and stays true to its roots.

New York’s Big Apple Deli is located at 14432 Biscayne Blvd., Miami, Fla. 33181. The phone number is 305-940-0128. The website is http://www.nysbigappledeli.com.

Kalinka Euro Deli
What makes Kalinka Euro Deli unique is that it is a Russian deli in a sea of predominantly Jewish delis. Kalinka Euro Deli is actually half deli and half supermarket and offers classic Russian staples such as borsch, herring salad, lamb shish-kebab and buckwheat. The menu is in Russian and English and Kalinka Euro Deli also includes a bakery, which offers such delicacies as napoleon cake, chebureki and khachapuri. The deli is buffet style, but you pay for every item you want. Additionally, You can place orders online for pickup.

Kalinka Euro Deli is at RK Village Plaza, 18090 Collins Ave T-24, Sunny Isles Beach, Fla. 33160. The phone number is 305-705-9333. The website for Kalinka Euro Deli is http://www.kalinkaeurodeli.com.

Lots of Lox
Located of U.S.1, Lots of Lox is a relatively affordable Jewish deli that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and also includes a bakery. The breakfast is very customizable as you can choose from an array of different meats, cheeses, and vegetables when crafting your omelette. The sandwich selection is pretty standard, but what is unique about Lots of Lox is the dinner menu. Every day of the week, there is a different dinner special such as sautéed tilapia with tropical sauce, beef liver with grilled onions and shrimp creole over rice. Lots of Lox also caters and features a Passover and high holidays menu.

Lots of Lox is at 14995 S. Dixie Hwy., Palmetto Bay, Fla. 33176. The phone number to reach them is 305-252-2010. Check out the website at http://www.originallotsoflox.com.

House of Bagels & Bialys
A rather small place tucked away in the middle of a strip ball, House of Bagels & Bialys packs a strong punch for its size. Specializing in its namesake, bagels and bialys, House of Bagels & Bialys offers savory and sweet types of bagels and bialys such as garlic, salt, onion, cinnamon raisin and chocolate chip. A bialy is similar to a bagel except it’s not boiled and instead of a hole in the middle there is a depression that is usually filled with garlic or onion. What’s refreshing about House of Bagels & Bialys is that the food is all very inexpensive while the portions are still very sizable. In addition to bagels and bialys they offer hot sandwiches such as Reubens and salami sandwiches and salads and breakfast items. If you want to get the most bang for your buck in searching for a deli try House of Bagels & Bialys.

House of Bagels & Bialys is located at 14449 S. Dixie Hwy., Palmetto Bay, Fla. 33176. Their phone number is 305-251-8666. The menu can be found on http://www.yelp.com or http://www.allmenus.com