In 1917 the Ford Motor Company began construction on the ambitious Ford River Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan. Upon completion in 1928 the mammoth 1 mile by 1.5 mile, 93 building complex would be the largest integrated factory in the world. Raw materials would be spun into glass, steel and anything else needed to manufacture automobiles in the mills and forges. At it’s height (in the ‘30’s), the plant employed more than 100,000 people. Still Ford’s largest industrial complex it’s currently being restored to it’s former glory and will be home to 9 different vehicle models.
In 1926 the Shell Oil Company opened a service station at the corners of Tenny and Monroe. Not too far down the street from the massive Ford Complex. The quasi Art Deco building still stands although it has long since been turned into a different type of filling station. The kind that fills humans up. 60 years after it’s birth it would begin life as one of the smallest deli’s anywhere. Mati’s Deli is a throw back to it’s roaring twenties roots. The old swivel stools and colours, long since retired harken back to the days of flappers.
The hat of the old gas attendant still hangs in the dining room along side a picture of the old station. A really nice touch.
In the kitchen, fresh soups and salads are prepared as well as home made deserts. All deli meats are cooked in house and are complemented on the menu with ethnic specialties. Fuel that’ll get you where you wanna go, it’s regarded by some as the best deli in the Greater Detroit Area.
Our visit was for lunch and we arrived just after it opened. A small crowd had started to gather with several “To go” orders keeping the place humming.
Time to roll out the food.
First up was a nice, thick, slightly spicy, very meaty chili. A solid, well rounded chili all in all.
Mrs. Sippi of course had the Rueben sandwich. Again, a good solid offering. I prefer caraway seed rye which this wasn’t but the grilling of it worked really well.
I went with the pastrami with Swiss on rye. A great pastrami with a good kick from the cheese. The mustard was enough to provide a good flavour and not be dominate or be lost. The pickle was a little on the raw side. It tasted mostly of cucumber and not particularly for me.
For desert they offer an award winning chocolate cheesecake brownie that is absolutely terrific. Oddly enough my first couple bites were a little less that exciting but the more I ate the more it really started to grow on me. By the time I finished I wanted another.
All and all a fantastic visit. Food ranging from solid to very, very good is always welcome. I think it’s a good sign that you look back and remember it fondly. As I put the finishing touches on this review I have a sudden hankering for one of their pastrami on rye sandwiches.
You can find Mati’s Deli at 1842 Monroe St. in Dearborn, Michigan.
View Larger Map
You can also find them on the web or become a facebook friend here.
Well that’s all for now folks. We’ll see ya next time in the food court.
Davwud
When I first decided to write a blog it was really for two different purposes.
First and foremost, to call attention to the independent restaurants, eateries, joints, shops, greasy spoons, et al I’ve happened upon. To let people know that there are alternatives, both delicious and interesting to the big chains that dominate the highways and cities. That it’s not just a place to eat but a destination. That the meal, the setting, the characters are all part of the experience.
The second was simply as a journal. A reminder to myself of some of the terrific meals I’ve had. There is some wonderful food in some great places prior to starting this that are mere memories now. Fading as the years pass. My online diary would be a way to go back and refresh my memory. Relive experiences that I would eventually forget about.
While this particular post falls into the second category, it’s also to pay tribute and keep the memory alive of one of Toronto’s little hidden gems. New York Subway. Perhaps lost for ever.
Neither a sub joint nor in New York, NYS closed it’s doors for the final time on Saturday, February 26, 2011. A victim of the progress machine the 15 year old snack shop in Queen Street West’s Alexandra Park neighbourhood provided a good, inexpensive food option in a less fortunate part of town. Let’s face it, every city has the high rent district and everything on down to the seedy underbelly. While Alex. Pk. isn’t the bottom of the barrel its best days are both behind and (for some anyway) ahead of it.
The disheveled storefront with the unkempt interior is just one of a number of stores in a block that’s to be leveled to make room for condos. At the time of this post there seems to be no plan for relocation. So without further adieu I will share with you some of the thoughts and pictures I have as I was working on a review when the news of this story crossed my path.
New York Subway
The sign out front is fading and the façade does nothing to invite one in. Inside the lighting is dim and the walls are painted horribly. The floors are greasy and the tables are sticky. Much like some of the dives seen on Triple D, it too wears those unfortunate traits with pride. They’re a badge of honour. For some they’re a discouragement. To me they scream credibility.
The food is of course first rate. They do sell subs but this is a burrito place to be sure. It’s not your every day burrito place either. It’s fusion at it’s best. Too often, again in the name of progress, “Fusion” becomes “Confusion.” Keeping it fairly simple allows the different flavours and textures to shine and yet mingle.
I will admit to not being particularly impressed on my first visit. Subsequent visits have been better and better. It has become a (sentimental) favourite and a place I feel every city needs.
I had planned of future visits and a wider array of samplings to review however that is no longer possible. On this particular (and last) visit I opted for the Lamb Satay and Beef Burritos.
The lamb was excellent. Marinated, skewered and cooked on the flat top it was nice and tender. The lettuce, tomato and onion are fresh tasting but the mayonnaise and “Secret sauce” are what make it. I’m also a big fan of grilling burritos after being stuffed. The crispiness is a perfect contrast to the tenderness.
The beef burrito was even better. You’d think it would have a Tex-Mex kinda flavour but it was more Mediterranean in it’s roots. It kinda reminded me of the beef component in moussaka. Hints of cinnamon and all spice were certainly there. The accompaniments were the same. Again, the secret sauce was what elevated it to a higher level. My only complaint was that where the sauce didn’t insulate the lettuce from the tortilla, the grill gave it that cooked lettuce taste that is terrible. However it was only the first bite where that was a problem and I can overlook it.
Usually I would put a put a map here on where you could find New York Subway and even a link to a website. Sadly, the store will be torn down and there is no website. It looks destined to fade away into Toronto’s collective memory. Hopefully history books will see this chapter in the middle and not at the end.
Stay tuned as I will update this should I hear any more news. Especially if there is a rebirth.
Take care everybody and help keep the memory of New York Subway alive and well.
Davwud
