My family loves to eat; it must be genetic.
So naturally many of my family members are big supporters of my blog. My cousin Nick, however, is a huge foodie much like myself and has been dying to join me on some of my adventures. Much to my pleasant surprise, he texted me at work today asking if we could go to Attman’s Deli with his lovely girlfriend Taylor (who navigated us there easily and by heart). Needless to say, I responded with a yes and right after I got off of work.
Attman’s Delicatessen on Lombard Street is (ironically) famous for being a little piece of New York in Baltimore. In fact, the sign says “New York Delicatessen.” The Deli is also famous for its Jewish-American food, such as potato knishes, kugle, and fresh kosher dill pickles. This is because the owning family, the Attman’s, are Jewish. Established in 1915 by Harry Attman, Attman's has earned its reputation for some of the best and most authentic corned beef in Baltimore, even being on “Corned Beef Row,” a very unique Baltimore landmark. “Corned Beef Row” is a few blocks of Lombard Street east of Little Italy and Presidents Street; Attman’s is always in competition with Lenny’s Deli and Weiss Deli, two other Jewish-owned, New York-style delicatessens. The reason Attman’s has remained so popular is because of their delicious, unchanging, inexpensive food and restaurant. The owning family is the same, the recipes are the same and by the looks of it the décor, lights, tables and signs are all the same as they have been for over 50 years. My father and grandfather can vouch for that: my dad remembers riding on the back of my grandfather’s horse (he was a Baltimore City Mounted Police Officer) to Attman’s in the 1960’s, which he says looked just as old when he was a kid.
When we got there at 3pm, which I assumed would be off-hours, the line was still to the back of the deli. It was so loud with the sounds of yelling, chatting and chopping that I had to yell over the tall counter that I wanted one corned beef on rye (no mustard), one hot pastrami on rye, two green dill pickles (green meaning freshly pickled) and five spicy red cherry peppers. Waiting for my food, I watched the staff fight and point knives at each other, in a range of accents ranging from inner-city, jewish-American, Italian and middle-eastern. I was absolutely fascinated that it really did seem like I had walked off the streets of Baltimore into a deli in the heart of New York City. I got my food, sat down in the dilapidated dining room adorned with old pictures, signs and paintings and experienced the most delicious pastrami south of New York. Attman’s also happens to be famous for their bologna-wrapped hotdog, a giant kosher beef dog wrapped in fried beef bologna with mustard and onions. Lucky for me, Nick ordered this strangely delicious food (which I remember my mom craving while pregnant with my sister) and saved me oh, a few thousand calories and being a beach ball for the rest of the day.
Although Attman’s food is not authentic to Baltimore, let alone Maryland, the way that the deli has been ingrained into the local culture has made it part of Baltimore, the living, breathing, melting-pot city made by immigrants and outsiders. The food is delicious, cheap and unpretentious, making the deli appealing to almost everyone on this middle-class city. Even those working behind the counter are the epitome of the city: a screaming, multicultural, slightly violent, bustling mess that somehow produces delicious food worthy of lines out the door.
References:
http://www.citypeek.com/baltimore/restaurant/attmans-delicatessen
http://baltimore.about.com/od/fooddrink/tp/cornedbeefrow.htm
http://www.attmansdeli.com/history.php
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