Has food ever intimidated you? Challenged you? Looked you in the eyes and commanded, “Eat Me?” At Harold’s New York Deli, this happens everyday.
The size of the sandwiches, matzoh balls, cakes, and latkes at this New York style deli (in New Jersey) has attracted countless families throughout the years.
Owner Harold Jaffe has brought his restaurant to the top with his enormous food and culture, as well as his intimate atmosphere. This deli truly redefines the meaning of food bringing family together. No wonder his deli was featured on Man v. Food.
Intimidating Food
I’m not kidding here. The food is scary big.
Everything in Harold’s New York Deli exceeds expectations, especially when it comes to size. I’ll always remember the day I ordered the matzoh ball soup; the matzoh ball was as big as a baby’s head. If my starter soup was this massive, I almost feared how large my actual meal would be.
Don’t even get me started on the tender, piled high, cold cut sandwiches. One sandwich, alone, could feed at least three people. So, when my father and I each ordered our own sandwich, we knew we’d be taking home leftovers.
The cakes, by the way, are even larger than the sandwiches. While a sandwich could last three days, a piece of cake could very well last your family a week. So, bring home a piece and skip out on buying a whole cake from your local supermarket. They’re the same size anyway.
The Pickle Bar is Unreal
Harold’s Pickle Bar is an adventure on its own. When you order your frighteningly huge meal, the pickles are complementary. Filled with breads and varying pickled vegetables, Harold’s famous pickle bar serves your appetizer in buffet form. It’s like a pregame for the meal. It’s purely and utterly genius.
You will end up piling your plate sky high with these magical cucumbers, but be sure to save room for your meal or even an enormous piece of cake.
CAUTION: Plan your meal accordingly or breathing will be difficult soon afterwards.
It’s All About the Meshpuchah
Mespuchah is yiddish for “family.” Inside the deli menu, you will find a list of commonly used yiddish words, like macher, meshugennah, and punam. You’ve got a shayna punam, by the way.
These set of words represent the Jewish family feel of the restaurant. Similar to a Jewish family, the deli invites you in with welcome arms and feeds you until you can’t breathe.
As soon as you walk in, you hear chatter and fun laughter from each family. They awe at the size of the food and bond over the amount they are challenged to consume. This atmosphere is truly the definition of home.
So, when you’re in the mood for a great sandwich, a bowl of authentic matzoh ball soup, or a week’s supply of cake, drive down to Edison, NJ and stop by this second home.
I know you’re probably salivating by now, so here’s a piece of Harold’s cake for the ride home.