CLEVELAND — Cleveland has a storied history of being the home of some of the country's top Jewish delis.
And a new national ranking proves as much.
On Tuesday, the popular food website, Tasting Table, published its list of the top 20 Jewish delis in the United States. Two Cleveland locations made the cut, with Larder Deli and Bakery and Jack's Deli and Restaurant receiving recognition from the publication.
Writes author Adrienne Katz Kennedy of Larder, which is located in Ohio City:
"What do an ancient Japanese mold called koji, a foraging habit, and Jewish food have in common? Three time James Beard Award-nominated chef Jeremy Umansky is obsessed with all of them. Umansky is the co-owner and founder of Larder Delicatessen, housed in an old fire station, on the west side of his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Alongside his pastry chef and business partner, Allie La Valle Umansky, the pair bring together their nuanced techniques and culinary training to produce favorites like pastrami on rye, fried chicken sandwiches, babka, and gefilte fish alongside some more unfamiliar items like a vegetarian board with pastrami-cured root vegetables and miso cream cheese."
Katz Kennedy adds of Larder: "You'd be a fool to visit Cleveland and miss this old school-meets-innovative local hot spot."
Meanwhile, when it comes to the East Side staple Jack's, Katz Kennedy writes:
"Like delicatessens of Eastern Europe, Jack's runs a full-service deli serving smoked meats and fish, including house-cured corned beef, a wide range of soups like borscht and barley, and other take home goods. When dining in the restaurant, expect a complimentary mixed assortment of pickles, such as green tomatoes or half-done pickles, to be delivered to your table the moment you sit down. A classic corned beef on rye or Reuben sandwich washed down with a chocolate phosphate is practically a religious experience."
Back in 2019, 3News' Austin Love shared the story behind Larder, which at that point, wasn't even two years old. The deli, located at Ohio City Firehouse #2 on W 29th Street, is famous for its evolving menu and local ingredients.
"We make everything from scratch," Umansky said at the time. "We have complete control with how we want the texture to come out, how we want the flavor to come out. It's one of the things we are most proud of."