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Kenny and Zuke’s: A PNW deli

February 12, 2010

by Mayme Berman

On a surprisingly pleasant Monday afternoon I ventured downtown to Kenny and Zuke’s Delicatessen, on the corner of 11th and Stark, in search of the perfect Reuben.

I was lead to this deli by the buzz that has surrounded it as a result of author and deli expert David Sax’s fondness for its in-house smoked meats and fresh baked bread.

On February 2, Kenny and Zuke’s hosted a signing party for Sax’s latest book, Save the Deli. Additionally, the Kenny and Zuke’s Reuben is a favorite of local Yelpers and foodies alike. For example, posted on the restaurant’s website is a quote from Matt Kramer of the Oregonian, in which he claims the Reuben at Kenny and Zuke’s is so good that, “You’ll be naming your first born after it.”

There is no denying that Kenny and Zuke’s is in a prime location. I arrived to find the dining room brimming with happy customers basking in the sunlight that poured in through the sky-high windows.

The restaurant is on the same block as the Ace Hotel and its restaurant, Clyde Common. As a result, the dining room at Kenny and Zuke’s is a mixed bag. There are equal parts business people, tourists from the Ace Hotel and hipsters, who all share a common craving – simple deli food.

What immediately caught my attention when I opened the menu was a proud banner at the top, stating “We cure, pickle, and smoke quality meats and fishes according to the highest standards and oldest traditions.”

When asked, my waitress confirmed this: Everything is made in-house – from the rye bread to the pastrami. The only things made off the premises are their French fries (which, for some reason, they buy frozen).

I ordered the Reuben ($12.75), and my dining partner chose pastrami on rye ($11.75). Although both sandwiches were carefully constructed with flavorful and high quality ingredients, both were flawed in their execution.

According to fellow Jew and self-proclaimed deli aficionado Jake Mendelson (’10), a true Reuben should consist of fresh rye bread, thinly sliced corned beef and copious amounts of sauerkraut.

Opting for a more rustic look, Kenny  and Zuke’s slices the meat about a quarter of an inch thick and dresses the Reuben with a light smattering of both Russian dressing and sauerkraut.

In the Oregonian’s review of the restaurant from January 2008, Michael C. Zusman provides an explanation for the restaurant’s break with tradition: “Instead of the usual thin strips spewed from a slicer, this pastrami is hand-sliced to a quarter-inch thickness. This comes, I’m sure, from a clearly thought-out recognition that the resonant savor and texture of this remarkable pastrami cannot be fully appreciated in a thinner slice.”

Personally, I believe that the beauty of a traditional deli sandwich is the meat’s ability to carry a smoky taste and delicately chewy texture in even the thinnest of slices. And without the extra dressing and sauerkraut, Kenny and Zuke’s Reuben is much neater than traditional renditions, which in theory is a good thing but in taste is just plain wrong.

While I commend Kenny and Zuke’s for its skillful creations of house-smoked meat and home made breads and bagels, there is more to the perfect Rueben than these factors alone.

As for sides, the potato salad was exactly as it should be, vinegary instead of smothered in mayo, and when washed down with Dr. Brown’s Cream Soda ($2.75) it almost made me forget about the disappointing Reuben.

 I ended my meal with a taste of both the home made rugelach and hamentashen, and found that they were sweeter and more doughy than I would have wanted.

Overall, I appreciate Kenny and Zuke’s for their classy rendition of old school deli-style fare, but at $13 a sandwich, it just didn’t hit the spot.

Kenny and Zuke’s Delicatessen is open Mon.-Thurs. 7 a.m.-8 p.m, Sat. 8 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sun. 8 a.m.-8 p.m.