A Manny's Welcome Home
A Manny's Welcome Home
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Post #151 - March 5th, 2019, 10:36 amSadly, I've been bearish on Manny's for a while now. Maybe it's me, maybe it's them. I don't really know. My last few visits were relatively unsatisfying and I've stopped going as often. The vibe remains largely the same but food seems to have dropped a notch.
=R=By protecting others, you save yourself. If you only think of yourself, you'll only destroy yourself. --Kambei Shimada
Every human interaction is an opportunity for disappointment --RS
That don't impress me much --Shania Twain
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Post #152 - March 5th, 2019, 10:49 amskater wrote:I was always a BIG fan of Manny's since the first time I set foot in this venerable deli.
As of yesterday, it had been several years since I had eaten there ( I have moved an hour away from the city); I was very excited about having their hot Pastrami on rye (dreamed about it the night before!), and saying hello to Gino, The Master Manny's Sandwich Maker. Sadly, Gino was not there, and is now "semi-retired" and is manning the meat slicer only on Wednesday through Saturday. Maybe it was best he wasn't there?
Unfortunately, my expectations were not met that day.
The sandwich was generous of the Pastrami, and the rye bread was fresh as a daisy; however, the meat lacked the usual garlicky, peppery, briny flavor; the Kosher pickles, which I have always delighted in, didn't have any of the usual garlic flavor that made them so special. The potato pancake was just ok, though it seemed to almost be an afterthought on their part- rubbery/chewy, without the usual crispy edges.
As a result, I will not go out of my way to visit Manny's anytime soon- I will keep my warm memories of its gloried past intact.
If you're jonesing for an incredible Kosher deli sandwich, I highly recommend Kaufman's Bagel & Delicatessen on Dempster in Skokie. The place sparkles, and there's a fresh snap to all the food products I have sampled there. Sometimes the line for service can be interminably long- but it's worth the wait. I love the fact that you can order your corned beef in three different levels of lean to fatty (fat's where the flavor is!); their pickles are fantastic-redolent of garlic. Though they don't serve a potato pancake with their sandwiches, their varied selection of kettle chips are a worthy accompaniment. Their tongue sandwich is also heavenly.
Kaufman's kinda sucks. Everything in there looks better than it tastes.
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Post #153 - March 5th, 2019, 10:50 amronnie_suburban wrote:Sadly, I've been bearish on Manny's for a while now. Maybe it's me, maybe it's them. I don't really know. My last few visits were relatively unsatisfying and I've stopped going as often. The vibe remains largely the same but food seems to have dropped a notch.
=R=
you gotta keep driving south a bit more till you reach Shapiro's in Indianapolis. Same as Manny's except they literally do everything better.
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Post #154 - March 5th, 2019, 10:55 amshakes wrote:ronnie_suburban wrote:Sadly, I've been bearish on Manny's for a while now. Maybe it's me, maybe it's them. I don't really know. My last few visits were relatively unsatisfying and I've stopped going as often. The vibe remains largely the same but food seems to have dropped a notch.
=R=
you gotta keep driving south a bit more till you reach Shapiro's in Indianapolis. Same as Manny's except they literally do everything better.
I've joked for years that Shapiro's is the best deli in Chicago.
=R=By protecting others, you save yourself. If you only think of yourself, you'll only destroy yourself. --Kambei Shimada
Every human interaction is an opportunity for disappointment --RS
That don't impress me much --Shania Twain
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Post #155 - March 5th, 2019, 8:39 pmronnie_suburban wrote:shakes wrote:ronnie_suburban wrote:Sadly, I've been bearish on Manny's for a while now. Maybe it's me, maybe it's them. I don't really know. My last few visits were relatively unsatisfying and I've stopped going as often. The vibe remains largely the same but food seems to have dropped a notch.
=R=
you gotta keep driving south a bit more till you reach Shapiro's in Indianapolis. Same as Manny's except they literally do everything better.
I've joked for years that Shapiro's is the best deli in Chicago.
=R=
Except when they griddle the paper with the Reuben, which at least has never happened to me at Manny’s.
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Post #156 - March 5th, 2019, 8:56 pmskater wrote:If you're jonesing for an incredible Kosher deli sandwich, I highly recommend Kaufman's Bagel & Delicatessen on Dempster in Skokie. The place sparkles, and there's a fresh snap to all the food products I have sampled there. Sometimes the line for service can be interminably long- but it's worth the wait. I love the fact that you can order your corned beef in three different levels of lean to fatty (fat's where the flavor is!); their pickles are fantastic-redolent of garlic. Though they don't serve a potato pancake with their sandwiches, their varied selection of kettle chips are a worthy accompaniment. Their tongue sandwich is also heavenly.
Agreed. Kaufman's rocks! Best Jewish-style deli (not Kosher deli, BTW) in the area. Consistently great deli sandwiches (whether you let them make them, or buy the meats and rye to take home to make yourself), and really great smoked fish, bagels, and lots of other good stuff.
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Post #157 - March 6th, 2019, 12:44 pmI guess this is not a pro-Manny's post but... A few months ago I was with my uncle and he wanted pastrami. Real made in house pastrami. I asked him if we should go to Manny's or Eleven City Diner (as we were in the area) and he decided to try Eleven City as he wasn't as impressed by Manny's over the years. He ordered the made in house pastrami and said it was probably the best pastrami he's ever had in Chicago. He mentioned it to the manager adding that he's "only lived in Chicago for 72 years." My uncle's favorite pastrami is at Katz's in New York. At least that he's had. I don't believe he's had some of the other famous ones around the country.
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Post #158 - March 6th, 2019, 8:50 pmIf it's pastrami you want, definitely give 3 Greens/Green Street a try, absolutely decadent. You pay for it, but not much worse than Manny's these days. Same with Fumare at the French Market, just stellar stuff.
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Post #159 - July 15th, 2020, 10:41 amManny's is having a hard time with the majority of offices still closed downtown.
https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/07/14 ... nt-a-joke/
I did try to order earlier and found that the earliest I could place an order was later this afternoon, so it seems the word has gotten out and people are ordering.
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Post #160 - July 16th, 2020, 1:00 pmManny’s need to step up their safety game if they want my business. Many employees leave their noses exposed and there are no transparent barriers to isolate workers from customers.
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Post #161 - July 16th, 2020, 2:56 pmscottsol wrote:Manny’s need to step up their safety game if they want my business. Many employees leave their noses exposed and there are no transparent barriers to isolate workers from customers.
I was going to ask about that, and you've pre-answered it. Was thinking, "well, surely, if they're concerned about business falling off due to the pandemic, they will have installed plexiglass barriers between those standing in front of and behind the counter."Pithy quote here.
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Post #162 - July 16th, 2020, 4:14 pmThe really bad thing about this is that is at least as dangerous for the staff as the customers.
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Post #163 - July 17th, 2020, 7:14 pmriddlemay wrote:scottsol wrote:Manny’s need to step up their safety game if they want my business. Many employees leave their noses exposed and there are no transparent barriers to isolate workers from customers.
I was going to ask about that, and you've pre-answered it. Was thinking, "well, surely, if they're concerned about business falling off due to the pandemic, they will have installed plexiglass barriers between those standing in front of and behind the counter."
You can see the exposed noses right in the lead picture of the block club article. Wakeup management and educate your employees.
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Post #164 - July 17th, 2020, 8:11 pmKesey wrote:riddlemay wrote:scottsol wrote:Manny’s need to step up their safety game if they want my business. Many employees leave their noses exposed and there are no transparent barriers to isolate workers from customers.
I was going to ask about that, and you've pre-answered it. Was thinking, "well, surely, if they're concerned about business falling off due to the pandemic, they will have installed plexiglass barriers between those standing in front of and behind the counter."
You can see the exposed noses right in the lead picture of the block club article. Wakeup management and educate your employees.
Oy. I've seen this in a few other images posted online, as well as in-person at more than one place. To say the least, it does not instill confidence.
Also saw one obviously current image in which a diner (not at Manny's) was using an open chair as a footrest, which is disgusting under any circumstances. Hey a$$4ol3, get your filthy shoe off the chair! Someone's going to sit there later. If that's representative of the general level of care and concern in the world, we're f'd.
=R=By protecting others, you save yourself. If you only think of yourself, you'll only destroy yourself. --Kambei Shimada
Every human interaction is an opportunity for disappointment --RS
That don't impress me much --Shania Twain
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Post #165 - December 15th, 2020, 1:41 pmHello, old friend.
Half a 1/2 pastrami/1/2 corned beef on rye (that I loaded up with too much brown mustard and horseradish), matzo ball soup, a potato pancake, only 1/2 a pickle. Felt a little sheepish about only getting half a sandwich, but maybe my lunch was 2200 calories (is that the recommended daily intake?) instead of 3000 as a result, and as a bonus for you all in the aftermath I've stayed awake long enough at my desk to make this post. And I kept my lunch spend under $20 ($18.36), a threshold I find is easy to hit on any old crappy loop lunch these days.
Is it as good as it used to be? I can't tell, as it's been a couple years from my last visit. And, after all, instead of wolfing it down on the spot I had to lug it back to the office and the whole takeout regime doesn't flatter many foods -- especially a freshly-made hot sandwich. But, but, I really enjoyed the hell out of that soup and sandwich. And it was really nice to be in that cafeteria again, if only for a few minutes. It's a city treasure even if it is 75%-80% of what it once was.
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Post #166 - December 29th, 2020, 5:51 pmI am not a huge fan of Dave Portnoy AKA El Presidente, the creator of Barstool Sports. But, in this instamce I have to say I am impressed. To date he has helped raise almost 9.3 million dollars and is donating to small businesses around the United States. Today, the Barstool Fund donated to Manny's Deli.
https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/320 ... licatessen
https://www.barstoolsports.com/the-barstool-fund
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Post #167 - March 31st, 2021, 6:01 pmDid anybody go to Manny's yesterday to get their free sandwich? The first 1,000 customers to wear a mask correctly yesterday, got a free sandwich, thanks to an anonymous donor. Apparently there was a long line of people at the restaurant.
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Post #168 - April 1st, 2021, 4:45 pmIt would be great if Manny's were at least half as good at making sandwiches as they are at getting free media coverage.
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Post #169 - April 1st, 2021, 5:18 pmManny's is one of five delis nationwide, that will be offering a free bagel and shmear if you ask for it in Yiddish April 6, 9AM-2PM, sponsored by Duolingo, in honor of adding Yiddish as their 40th language."To order, customers will have to give their best attempt at saying 'Ken ikh hubn a baygl mit shmirkeyz' or in English, 'I would like a bagel with schmear,'" the announcement explains. But even if you're close enough, "you can leave with breakfast on Duolingo!"What is patriotism, but the love of good things we ate in our childhood?
-- Lin Yutang
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Post #170 - April 2nd, 2021, 6:53 amMarlaCollins'Husband wrote:It would be great if Manny's were at least half as good at making sandwiches as they are at getting free media coverage.
Are you not a Manny's fan?
I have no problem with what they have done to get coverage, it's been a tough year for restaurants, anything to help, especially when its free is a plus.
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Post #171 - April 2nd, 2021, 11:29 am
I don't have a problem with their PR campaign/strategy either, but I still agree with MCH's take completely. The sandwiches are okay, but nothing close to the hype. A cruel reminder of Fumare's absence as much as anything.thetrob wrote:
I have no problem with what they have done to get coverage, it's been a tough year for restaurants, anything to help, especially when its free is a plus.MarlaCollins'Husband wrote:It would be great if Manny's were at least half as good at making sandwiches as they are at getting free media coverage.
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Post #172 - April 2nd, 2021, 12:04 pmManny's is to deli what Uno's (the chain, not the original) is to Chicago-style pizza. It's an okay rendition in the absence of the genuine article. The lack of real deli in Chicago is lamentable.
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Post #173 - April 2nd, 2021, 2:56 pmTough crowd. Crapping on Mannys for giving away sandwiches? Saying there arent any good delis in Chicago? Whaaaat? Maybe y'all need to get out more?
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Post #174 - April 2nd, 2021, 3:38 pmNot crapping on anyone for free sandwiches, just that it's a shell of its former self. I'm also missing the days when the deli was a late-night staple. I'm glad that there's been a hipster resurgence with Rye and Jeff & Jude's but they're still feeling out their market and their hours are limited. Sam and Gertie's, aside from being vegan, at least captures the essence of deli.
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Post #175 - April 2nd, 2021, 3:46 pmspinynorman99 wrote:Not crapping on anyone for free sandwiches, just that it's a shell of its former self. I'm also missing the days when the deli was a late-night staple. I'm glad that there's been a hipster resurgence with Rye and Jeff & Jude's but they're still feeling out their market and their hours are limited. Sam and Gertie's, aside from being vegan, at least captures the essence of deli.
Steingold's and Eleven City may not be entirely traditional, but they definitely can fill that void as well.
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Post #176 - April 2nd, 2021, 6:35 pmlodasi wrote:Steingold's and Eleven City may not be entirely traditional, but they definitely can fill that void as well.
Was thinking the same thing.
Is Manny’s pastrimi different than it used to be, which I thought was very good. But it’s been years.
I’ve had Manny’s sandwich catering, which seemed like it was from a different restaurant. Bland, industrial stuff.
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