*** 1/2 (OUT OF 4)
7132 Beracasa Way, Boca Raton
561-391-8989
pastramiqueenofboca.com
Cuisine: deli
Cost: inexpensive-moderate
Hours: lunch, dinner daily
Reservations: no
Credit cards: AE, DC, D, MC, V
Bar: beer and wine
Sound level: moderate
Outside smoking: no
For kids: high chairs, menu
Wheelchair accessible: yes
First impression: This feels like the Martha Stewart of delis. No laminated plastic booths. No plastic plates. Zaftig Matzo Ball Soup ($4.95) is served in a simple square white ceramic bowl. (The broth tastes sweeter than some.) Onion rings arrive in a wax paper-lined metal basket. Quality is high whether it’s cole slaw and pickles or the house-made, hand-sliced pastrami with peppery edges.
Some background: Owners Denise and Gary Zinger sold Zinger’s Bageland in Tamarac a few years ago to open in Boca. Denise’s mother, Joy Harrison, owned Pastrami King in Queens and Pastrami Queen in Manhattan. Harrison and the Zingers famously catered former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s inauguration party.
Ambience: A step up from typical delis. There are three chandeliers in the dining room and one wall features black and white photographs, some of which show typical scenes of late 19th century Eastern European shtetl life. The concrete floor is stained an earthy orange. The background music always includes lots of Sinatra.
Starters: Traditionalists will find meat-filled fried kreplach with fried onions ($5.95) and a very good potato knish ($3.75). There’s also something called a Panini Pressed Knish ($11.95) – a square entree-sized knish filled with a choice of meat and then pressed on the grill. Mini sliders are served on challah rolls with fried onions ($7.95) and 6 Franks in Blankets, ($4.95) feature hot dog slices baked in puff pastry. A trio of latkes with apple sauce ($7.95) taste surprisingly home-made. They’re listed as a starter, but would be a perfect meal.
Entree excellence: The tiny crowns on the menu indicate signature dishes and nothing is better than the pastrami sandwich ($9.95), even if it was a bit gristly on one occasion. Ask for it to be hand-sliced, instead of what I call shaved. Every imaginable sandwich is here. Many are offered open-faced with gravy. Entrees also beckon, from chicken in a pot ($12.95) to broiled Romanian tenderloin with fried onions ($16.95) to broiled salmon ($17.95).
Side issues: A separate menu section is titled Get a Little on the Side, where you’ll find exceptional house-made potato chips ($3.95), sweet potato fries with marshmallow topping ($4.95) and lightly beer-battered onion rings ($4.50) that are crispy, not greasy. You could put together a nice meal of these sides and call it a day.
On the lighter side: This is a deli, but there are several entree-sized salads including the Beverly Hills Chopped Salad ($8.95). Have with turkey and cheese for $11.95.
Sweet!: Ultimate Chocolate Cake ($7.95) is incredible. Fudge-like, but not too sweet. Carrot Cake is similarly ($7.95) perfect.
Service: Prompt. Friendly. Professional.
– John Tanasychuk
