Back in the mid-1980’s there was a sandwich shop in Bozeman Montana called The Pickle Barrel. And it had a huge barrel of pickles on the customer side of the counter so you could use the pincers to grab a pickle while you were waiting for you sandwich to be made.
I was crushed a couple years ago to have the person behind the counter look at me like an old coot and say “The barrel has been gone FOR YEARS!!”
Probably because I am an old coot.
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Great news on theWashington area pastrami sandwich front – faith has moved a mountain, or at least a hillock. https://johntannersbbqblog.wordpress.com/2023/06/20/breaking-news-a-great-new-pastrami-sandwich-awaits/
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Hi John, another option for you to try is Buffalo and Bergen at Union Market. I was tempted to try theirs the other day but didn’t feel up to 8 ounces of pastrami at the time, as the menu promises.
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Thanks! I’ll get there
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Steve, I went to Deli City today and really enjoyed the hot pastrami in rye. Thread didn’t hold up too well by the meat was quite good. It’s bit off the beaten path, but I liked it – the menu and atmosphere reminded me of a lot of places in the South
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Glad you liked it. As I said upthread, the first time I had them make me a combo corned beef and pastrami, I never looked back. The best of both worlds. The guy at the register took over from his parents. He’s been there a long, long time and seen a lot of changes in DC… not always to his liking!
Nearby is the other righteous sandwich, go to MGM Roast Beef for their brisket with gravy on rye, you should order it fatty (everyone fills out an order form with a box for comments).
I’m not crazy about the pastrami at Stachowski’s…it can be tough. I do like their two different kielbasa’s the fresh and the smoked, especially the smoked. We grilled both on the 4th of July. I used to get smoked sliced turkey there for sandwiches, but it’s up to $17 a lb now, which I can’t justify.
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Talk about a store owner that has seen history during his tenure at his store, I would like to see the current owner of Mangialardo’s interviewed by the City Paper. His parents opened the shop in 1953 and that part of Pennsylvania Avenue has seen it all.
I used to live at 6th and E, SE and have loved the G Man sub for 30+ years.
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Toni and I finally made it to Silver & Sons today and got the four meat platter. The short version: (1) pastrami - Toni and I agree that it’s among the best we’ve ever had, truly superb. (2) Beef rib - Toni and I agree that it was good, but a little overcooked and somewhat too dry. (3) Lamb - Toni thought it was merely good; like you, I thought the sauce (the red vinegar version) really brought it to life. I’d be happy to eat that every week, really good. (4) Brisket - Toni thought it was among the very best, I thought it was really good, but not in the same class as places like ZZQ and 2Fifty Texas.
The muhamarra was as good as I’ve ever had and the harissa carrots were also really good. Baklava was good too, though I’m not sure smoking it is the best idea.
Silver & Son immediately moved into my top 3 barbecue places in the DC area (along with 2Fifty Texas and Federalist Pig).
The one major fail is the challah bread. White bread is the perfect accompaniment to traditional barbecue and rye bread to pastrami. Be innovative, but don’t mess with perfection.
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Doug, great recap of your visit. Agree on the Challah being off-brand for a pastrami sando. I grew up in a household that ate a ton of deli meat – always rye or pump. The only sandos I recall eating on challah were cold meatloaf.
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We lived at 15th between Independence and C during the late 70s, and I was a regular at Mangialardo’s, often walking down with Patrick in a stroller. I still go there now and then. It’s a long drive across town. https://johntannersbbqblog.wordpress.com/2018/03/13/mangialardos-washington-dc/
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More on Deli City, with credit to Steve – https://johntannersbbqblog.wordpress.com/2023/07/12/deli-city-restaurant-langdon-washington-dc/
The pastrami sandwich at 2fifty is the very best in town now that they use Manifest Bread’s rye. what a difference it makes!
Great photo! I will do my best, but Thursdays only is a serious limitation.
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Tell me about it! and now I have to get up to Baltimore
If you go up to Baltimore, you should go to Pioneer Pit Beef. Best is to order a pound, medium rare (insist on this!). A standard sandwich order, which is what most people get, will be med rare with tiger sauce and raw onion. But I prefer it straight up.
Pioneer is literally a shack under the highway. No indoors, no nothing. I think it’s cash only…
Another great thing to eat in Baltimore which is not generally available in DC is a cemita. This is a Mexican sandwich on a seeded roll. Cinco de Mayo taqueria on Highland make an excellent one. Milanese de pollo is the classic version and that’s what I recommend.
Steve,
Thanks I’ve heard good things about Pioneer. I haven’t been there, but have been to Chad’s and some others way back in my pre-blogging days, whither the memory of man runneth not. I didn’t do normal pit beef – the rare kind – because it would expand my research too far, and I really ike the Smokehouse BBQ Shack version.
I have my eye on Los Reyes de la Torta in Phoenix, where I’ll be in February, for a Mexican sandwich. I hope also to get a Sonoran hot dog while there, and of course go to Little Miss BBQ.
John
FYI, I don’t see a cemita on the menu for Los Reyes de la Torta. Though clearly they do sell sandwiches.
There are other good places for Baltimore pit beef. But as good as Pioneer? No.
Total agreement.
For tacos, I love Clavel. If you do not cocktail, it is not particularly spendy. If you do… it is a LOT more because their cocktails disappear.
BMore Taqueria is also very good. Their Al Pastor comes with a good bit of pineapple crisped and sliced thin.
Surrounding Baltimore {and now reaching to Wheaton, I think, is El Cabrito. Fabulous homestyle taqueria. Barbacoa is super, Carnitas better, cecina better still, and lengua best of all. Killer Pozole. Really good tostadas de tinga.
