Question of the Day - 26 February 2008

This is a tough one, since we don’t have any dedicated corned beef aficionados on the staff, nor are we familiar with anyone who audits corned beef sandwiches around town (not even Anthony Curtis, believe it or not).

But we asked around anyway and got a few responses, most of which line up with Las Vegas’ better delis.

One staff member (who hails from New York) swears by the Stage Deli at the Forum Shops at Caesars. "Best New York deli west of the Hudson," he claims. He says the corned beef (and pastrami, etc.) sandwiches here are stacked four inches in the air; you should consider ordering a side of rye bread, then building three or four sandwiches out of the one you’re served. You get a variety of pickles and sour tomatoes on the table (Jewish chips and salsa). Other traditional dishes here include: kishke (and gravy), potato knish, kasha and varnishkes, matzoh-ball soup, gefilte fish, chopped liver, and bananas and sour cream.

The Carnegie Deli, also a transplant from New York (Times Square), at the Mirage serves the usual deli fare. Its corned beef sandwiches compare to the Stage’s, but this restaurant is tough: right in the middle of the casino, it’s crowded, hectic, and noisy. The Stage is a more pleasant and authentic experience.

Canter’s Deli at TI is a transplant from Los Angeles that gets mostly rave reviews from southern Californians. We haven’t eaten there, but we’ve heard that the corned beef and pastrami sandwiches are sky high, tender, and lean.

Another staffer recommends the corned beef sandwich at the sports book deli at Mandalay Bay with one word: "Yummy!"

Also in that neck of the Strip is the Backstage Deli at Luxor. This place has been around since Luxor opened, when it was called the Nile Deli, and we’ve always thought that it was more Vegas than Manhattan or Miami. They tout their "pretzel-bread" corned beef sandwich (which doesn’t sound too cool to us).

Two non-casino delis we’ve always liked are Weiss Restaurant Deli Bakery at 2744 N. Green Valley Pkwy. near E. Sunset, 702/454-0565 (formerly Samuel’s Deli); and Harry’s Bagelmania at 855 E. Twain (in a typical Vegas strip mall). Weiss is more of a full-service restaurant/deli and serves huge food, while Harry’s is in a smaller venue and concentrates a bit more on bagels and breakfasts. But they both have great sandwiches.

Admittedly, this is an abbreviated list, but at least it hits the highlights in the center of the action (and on the outskirts, in case you want to try a local corner). If anyone has opinions on great corned beef (or pastrami sandwiches) in Las Vegas, send ‘em in and we’ll post them as updates on this QoD.

• "There are actually a couple of kosher restaurants in Las Vegas that serve, among other things, corned beef sandwiches. (I myself am not a real corned beef fan, so I can not comment on the quality or taste of these sandwiches). These places are not delis -- they are actually Mediterranean (Israeli) restaurants that serve some deli sandwiches. And they are: 1). Haifa Restaurant which is at 855 E. Twain Ave. #101 (which is on Twain right off of Swensen), Las Vegas, NV 89169. Phone: 702/940-8000, Fax: 702/446-5324 and the section of their Web site where the deli sandwiches are listed is at: http://www.haifarestaurant.com/kosher_lunch_menu.pdf. They also offer a 10% discount to Las Vegas locals for a party of up to 6 people (but the local needs to mention this to the waiter upon making the order). For some reason these sandwiches are only on this restaurant's lunch menu. The sandwiches are served on either rye or pita and they include the choice of French fries, coleslaw, potato salad, or Lay's potato chips; and 2). Sababa Restaurant, which is at 3220 S. Durango Drive (corner of Desert Inn & Durango), Las Vegas, NV 89117. Phone: 702/547-5556 and the section of their Web site where these Deli Sandwiches are listed is at: http://www.sababarestaurant.com/everythingbig.html. Here, each sandwich comes with a deli pickle and your choice of potato salad or cole slaw."
MORE GOOD FEEDBACK:
• "We frequent Las Vegas and have tried just about all of the suggestions. For my money, the Stage has it nailed. As a native New Yorker who still travels there, if you close your eyes at the Las Vegas Stage and inhale the aromas, you will think you are in New York. One other thing: Harry's is spelled Harrie's and it's the best in town for breakfast, with "Elvis" often in the house." [Ed: Oops. You're correct. Thanks for the catch. While verifying with their Web site, we noted they sell corned beef and pastrami by the pound for $7/pound.]
ANYONE OUT THERE KNOW?
• "Whatever happened to the Celebrity/Leo's Deli in the Target shopping center on Maryland and Tropicana? When I lived in Vegas in the mid '90s that was my favorite. Did they move or just go out of business? [Ed: We remember it too ... Probably last ate there in 2000 or 2001 at the latest. Don't know what happened to it (apart from the fact that's it's gone) but we understand it was named after their dog -- Leo -- who died saving the owners' lives from a burglar.] "Re: NY Stage - It's actually right across the street from the Carnegie, and I think it's the Carnegie that gets all the tourist attention. We were on our way to the Carnegie and were put off by the long line and had a truly dynamite Harvey Fierstein sandwich at the Stage instead. (Corned beef, pastrami, and chopped liver, at least 12 inches high. For reals.)" [Ed: Yikes! That's a lotta liver.] "P.S. Slightly off topic, but the matzo ball soup at the Del Mar deli at the South Point sports book is some of the best I've had, except for the fact that it comes in a paper or Styrofoam cup only. That deli is a bona fide price performer in the LVA tradition. Haven't tried their corned beef, though."
MORE:
• "The best by far is at Sam's Town Fresh Harvest Cafe -- called a Reuben sandwich, but ultimately the same thing. We tried many places and the Mirage was the best for years, until last year when their sandwich was awful. Sam's Town was the perfect size, right amount of cheese, delicious!"
AHA! TURNS OUT WE DID KNOW ABOUT THIS ONE. LEFT HAND/RIGHT HAND ... ANYHOW, THE NEWEST ADDITION TO OUR TEAM (WEB WIZARD MICHAEL) HAS FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE OF AND NOTHING BUT GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THE OLD TYME DELI:
• "Great place, small and fills up quickly but worth the wait. The meat that I’ve had (roast beef, ham, pastrami, etc.) has been Boar’s Head. They make their own potato chips (and, I believe bread) in-house.<