Steve's Deli When I first moved from Detroit to Chicago, one of my first questions was: “Where are the good delis?” My question was promptly followed by the answer: “There are none.”
“Really? There must be a few. There are a lot of Jews in Chicago.”
“Nope, no good delis.”
I tried Eppy’s— horrible. The Bagel in Lakeview was decent, but a deli calls for more than decent. It calls for, well, the kind of reaction Meg Ryan had at Katz’s in When Harry Met Sally. Seriously, I’m asking for a damn good corned beef sandwich.
But I’m not expecting a Second Avenue Deli or a Katz’s, I’m asking for well, Steve’s. Steve’s is easily the best deli in Detroit and soon-to-be the best in Chicago.
When my younger sister heard that Steve’s was opening up in Chicago, I was elated. Their website listed the new Chicago location across from the East Bank Club so I decided to check it out one day. Not open. It was a sad day.
Metromix says their target open date is late February to early March, but for Jews, take that target opening date and bump it back at least a month. So until then, I will wait not-so patiently for Steve’s Deli to show Chicago what real Jewish deli food tastes like.
