Mile End Delicatessen Review

Mile End Delicatessen in Brooklyn is a Jewish deli, styled after delis in Montreal, specializing in smoked meat.  The affordable dinner menu gets right to the point and is short and sweet, including some classic deli foods. Unfortunately, they were out of the matzo ball soup on the evening my dining companion and I ate here. But here is what we were able to sample:

The sour pickles in a Brooklyn brine. This was a giant pickle and a large bowl of pickled cabbage that had a minty undertone to it. There were small seeds that looked like caraway seeds that were mixed in there. Both were good, not too sour.

The smoked meat sandwich, which is a heap of beef brisket on rye with mustard. The meat, similar to pastrami, is tender and a bit fatty and rich, but smokey and well-spiced. It's definitely a good thing to share with a dining companion.

The smoked meat burger. While it may look like any other burger, this is no standard meat patty. You can taste that the meat has been infused with a smokiness that takes off a bit of the beefy flavor, a good thing in my opinion.

The classic poutine, french fries with cheese curds and gravy, a very Canadian dish. If you like poutine, this one is salty and delicious. Some of the fries are still crispy while others are smothered in the gravy. I liked that the cheese isn't totally melted and some of the curds are still whole.

Some have lamented that the portions here aren't large enough. But it seems that they've just become to accustomed to the disgustingly oversized portions at other delis because Mile End's serving sizes are perfectly appropriate and filling.