Did Langer's last month when out in L.A. From what I was able to taste, it's everything I had hoped.
It's located in a pretty sketchy-but-OK neighborhood on S. Alvarado. We walked from the monitored free lot past a couple of pawn shops, etc., actually like what you'd find around Roosevelt Rd. And you're also kiddie corner from MacArthur Park, of the song fame, and now homeless-laden. But those sights aside, on first glance Langer's immediately reminded me of Manny's, much more than the Stage or Carnegie Deli's in NYC or Shapiro's in Indy. The smell was right. Cabbage soup, check. Latkes, check. Kinda weird 70-something waiter, check. All outstanding.
I had the 'famous' #19, which is pastrami, cole slaw, swiss cheese and Russian dressing on rye, but subbing out pastrami for roast turkey. That bread...it was a chewy-crusted, soft-inside pleasure vessel. No time really to sample a lot of stuff, but we could only eat half--they're huge but better be at a price point a la carte of $21-$25. I know Danny Raskin at Manny's has complained for the last few years about the meat costs, so I get it.
Next year, maybe Nate & Al's--heard it's great. And then maybe a couple down in San Diego.