OPEN
By Brian Tagtmeier
KENNY & ZIGGY ’ S West University
CUISINE : Deli 5172 Buffalo Speedway | 832.767.1136 | www . kennyandziggys . com Mon – Thur : 7am – 9pm ; Fri : 7am – 10pm ; Sat : 8am – 10pm ; Sun : 8am – 9pm
With the closing of Carnegie Deli late last year , the world lamented the loss of the classic deli . Fortunately , in Houston , the deli world has gotten brighter . Ziggy Gruber , the third-generation delicatessen maven , recently opened a second Kenny & Ziggy ’ s near West University Place . Known for gargantuan sandwiches with pun-inspired names , breakfast platters served all day and eastern European comfort foods ( pierogis , knishes , kreplach ), Kenny & Ziggy ’ s is a welcome addition to the neighborhood . Located off Buffalo Speedway at Westpark , it is easy to find , with more than adequate parking .
Though a slightly smaller space than its Galleria counterpart , the portions served are definitely not smaller . The One in a Minyon , a triple decker with turkey , corned beef and Swiss with Russian dressing , covered the plate and provided enough food for a nosh later that night as well . The added cole slaw on the sandwich provided a welcome crunch . For comfort food , I chose the Short Rib Stroganoff over the Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage or Goulash . Not slighting the others mind you , but the short ribs take this simple dish over the top . The beef chunks were spoon tender , the mushroom sour cream gravy savory and rich , bringing back childhood memories of my best friend ’ s Hungarian mother . Good memories .
Photo by Paula Murphy
Ori-Yentl
And then there was dessert . Yes , to go . ( The only way to make it to dessert for certain is to start with it .) The oversized piece of cheesecake with whole strawberries served three of us later that evening . Tangy and sweet , and a perfect graham cracker crust .
I know that the Jewish faith doesn ’ t include Heaven as a destination . That may be because places like Kenny & Ziggy ’ s provide a little bit of Heaven every day to their diners . Just with a slice of cheesecake to go .
LOCAL FOODS Downtown
CUISINE : Gourmet sandwich shop 420 Main Street | 713.227.0531 | www . houstonlocalfoods . com
Open 7 Days a Week : 10am – 8pm
One of the challenges facing local restaurants is providing new locations with their something that sets them apart . Benjy Levit and Dylan Murray have done extremely well in taking Local Foods , a gourmet sandwich shop in the Village , and transforming it slightly with each new space . The Downtown version is my favorite . Geoff Hundt , a sous chef who has worked with benjy ’ s for years , has created somewhere to go from lunch until bedtime .
The design alone sets Downtown apart from its counterparts . Seating against the windows on two levels surrounds a large and comfortable bar in the middle of the restaurant . The architects kept the blue and green color scheme of Byrd ’ s department store , enhancing it with a waterfront theme . With a raw bar , seafood appetizers and killer craft cocktails as part of its Happy Hour program , Downtown is ready to serve all day long .
Photo by Julie Soefer
30 LOCAL | march 17