South Florida used to have a great tradition of hosting great New York style deli's in our town. Wolfie's, Pumpernick's, Corky's, and Rascal House all thrived at one time. Want some rye bread? How about corned beef or pastrami? Matzohball soup,kugle, and kasha were all less than an hour in most directions.
Fast forward to 2010, and they are all gone. The last holdout, Rascal House, closed March 2008. Truth be known, it was barely passable after it was sold in 1996 to the Starkman family which owned Jerry's Famous Deli. I have been looking for a suitable replacement ever since.
Ok I admit it, I went to Flakowitz of Boynton Beach after watching Chef Guy Fieri from the food network feature Flakowitz on his show Diner's, Drive-in's, and Dive's. They also have an east Boca Raton location. Both feature the same menu and similar food.
Flakowitz is reminiscent of South Florida deli's past. Tables uncomfortably close together, huge line formed at the door, large takeout counter and of course 90 percent seniors. Plenty of hustle and bustle here, and that familiar smell of corned beef in the air. A few things are missing when I sit down, I was looking for the pickles, cole slaw, and a basket of rolls, but they never came. I did get a saucer with two small pieces of a bobka. Oh well, I ordered a cup of matzoh ball soup and all I got was one packet of saltine crackers. The soup broth was tasty, and the matzoh ball was light and fluffy except for the very center, which was undercooked and hard.
Moving onward, I tried the special of the day, pastrami on rye with a side of coleslaw. A bargain at $5.99 with the purchase of a drink. It all starts withe the rye bread. It was seeded properly, with crunchy edges and an stuffed to capacity sandwich that would make Wolfie Cohen proud. The pastrami was excellent. Lean and not too much fat, yet still tender and juicy. This type of meat is not available at your local grocer. The cole slaw was fresh, but I found it dry and tasteless. I tried the Tuna on rye at the Boca location, and it was also excellent. Same bread, same overstuffed sandwich.
Onward to the enormous takeout counter where I picked up two of their featured potato knishes and a dozen of their famous bagels. The knishes were a home run, the bagels were good, but not great. I plan to come back and try the stuffed cabbage and try a full breakfast.
Flakowitz is reminiscent of deli's past. The atmosphere is there, the characters are in place but I think they fell slightly short of the legendary deli's. Other than the daily specials, they are not cheap. At $10-$12 for a sandwich, they are priced as high as any place I have ever eaten. The bakery is excellent, except I would pass on their bagels, preferring Sage Bagel in Hallandale.
If you miss the Rascal House, Pumpernick's, or Wolfie's you should give Flakowitz a try. It will remind you of the good old days and how South Florida was once the King of the Deli's. Flakowitz is located at 7410 Boynton Beach Boulevard in Palm Beach and on US1 and Glades Road in Boca.
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