Buddy’s: Oy, It’s Good
Buddy’s Kosher Delicatessen
215-01 73rd Ave, Bayside
(718) 631-2110
Hours: 9:30 am-9 pm, 7 days
Parking: Street
Credit Cards: Yes
Buddy’s Kosher Delicatessen IS your grandmother’s kosher deli.
Buddy’s prides itself in being what owner Mike calls “the Last of the Mohicans,” the real last kosher deli in this area of New York City where everything on the menu is made fresh on the premises. The deli, which turned 60 this year, is a throwback to the mid 20th Century-type kosher delis you’d find on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
When you first walk into Buddy’s, the first thing you see is the long deli counter, not unlike those you’d see at any traditional deli. Behind the counter, you might find Mike and a few of his workers scurrying back and forth filling orders. On the wall behind them is the menu, which boasts everything from Hot Open Face Sandwiches; Turkey, Corned Beef and Tongue, a multitude of soups, and even Buddy’s special burgers.
In the deli counter, Buddy’s famous sides; cole slaw (more on that later), potato salad, pancakes, liver pate, and assorted salads, all made fresh on the premises, are on diplay.
“It’s healthier when it’s made fresh,” Mike explained.
Glance to the left of the deli counter and you’ll see a traditional bistro-style restaurant, with homey table setups; each table dons a bottle of mustard, which will come in handy for many of Buddy’s selections. On the walls, art that includes ads you would have seen at Buddy’s when it opened in 1950, shows storefronts you’d find on the Lower East Side, large works of art that showed three baseball fields, designed to look like New York’s three professional fields in the 1950s; Ebbets Field, Yankee Stadium and the Polo Grounds. Many of Buddy’s customers come to order take out, especially during lunchtime, but there is plenty of room to eat in, and table service as well.
On this rather chilly, fall-like day, I decided to start my lunch with a cup of Mushroom Barley soup. Before the soup even arrived, a plate of cole slaw and pickles greeted me. Normally, this reporter isn’t a fan of cole slaw, but like they say, “When it Rome.” One forkful made me forget why I ever thought negatively of the tangy cabbage dish. Its flavor was rich, fresh and not at all dull. It wasn’t long before I found myself holding the plate of cole slaw closer to my mouth, enjoying every forkful.
Buddy’s homemade knishes are not the sort you find at street fairs. Though they come in both square and round shapes, I went for the round regular potato knish, nearly twice the size of a regular knish. The forkful of potato exuded a peppery flavor that gave the knish a delightful kick.
For my main meal, I chose a pastrami on rye. The pastrami was sliced thin, but packed in the bread enough to make biting into the sandwich almost like biting into a hamburger. The meat was moist and fresh. A little mustard complemented the pastrami nicely.
I did not leave empty handed, bringing home a half pound of fresh roast beef for later, and, of course, some of the best cole slaw you’ll find in the borough.
— Domenick Rafter