Original Ben’s Best Kosher Deli Deserves Its Name

The one and only Original Ben’s Best Kosher Delicatessen has been a New York institution for almost 60 years. Original Ben’s Best was opened in 1947 by Ben Parker, who offered the finest cuts of hand-cured corned beef, pastrami and brisket to make his deli famous. Today, son Jay Parker provides the same level of commitment to the family business. Whether you eat in the clean, comfortable dining room, place an order for delivery, or hold a catered event for hundreds, Original Ben’s Best Kosher Deli will satisfy your yen for the best in fresh meats, salads and side dishes.

The pastrami, corned beef and brisket at Original Ben’s Best are virtually free of visible fat and melt in your mouth, whether piled high atop rye bread or sliced to take home. They carve whole, roasted turkey right in front of you to prepare your favorite sandwich. You can then wash it down with a bottle of cream soda or celery soda for the ultimate deli experience. The cooks start early in the morning preparing soups, sauces and meats using recipes from the Old World. One taste of the matzoh ball soup, for example, will cure whatever ails you and it is never greasy or salty. The mushroom barley soup is creamy and satisfying as well.

Original Ben’s Best offers complete sit-down dinners as well. An early bird dinner, served from 3 to 6 p.m., costs only $14.95 and includes soup, entrée and side dish. Start with a platter of pickles and crunchy cole slaw made fresh daily. Choose among corned beef or pastrami, homemade stuffed cabbage, braised brisket of beef and other tempting entrees. Pick a side dish such as traditional kasha varnishkes made with bow tie pasta, barley or noodle pudding, potato pancake or string beans.

One of my favorite, comforting meals is the boiled chicken in a pot. This soul-warming meal is chock full of chicken, noodles, matzoh balls and kreplach, a kind of dumpling ($15.50). Boiled beef flanken in a pot is another classic dish, and one of Parker’s favorites. I love the stuffed cabbage, filled with rice and beef, in a tangy sauce. Also exceptional is the Hungarian goulash with tender chunks of beef, peas, carrots and delicate gravy served on a bed of noodles ($14.50). Meat loaf, tender London broil with mushrooms and succulent rib eye steaks are all served with hand cut French fries. A kid’s menu starts at $6.95, and includes Ben’s famous hot dogs, hamburgers and pepper steak. Save room for their homemade apple strudel, rugelach, noodle pudding or seven-layer cake for dessert.

Jay Parker is a congenial and community-minded person. His “wall of fame” features photos of politicians, celebrities and most recently, Pope John Paul II. As an active member of “Pave The Way,” an organization that works to improve relations between Jewish and Catholic leaders around the world, Parker was invited to have a private audience with the pontiff this past January. Give him a moment of your time and Parker will tell you his inspiring thoughts on the meeting.

With Passover only a month away, place your order now and leave the cooking to the experts—-Original Ben’s prepares a complete Passover Seder for 10 or more guests. Just make one phone call and let the cooks at Original Ben’s do the rest to ensure your holiday meal will be a great success. You must have your order in by April 21 and please note that the deli will be closed from Saturday, April 23 at 3 p.m. until Monday, May 2 for religious observances.

Original Ben’s Best does a brisk catering business, offering everything from a sandwich platter with salads for a business luncheon to complete holiday dinners. Menus are customized to the customer’s needs and everything is prepared fresh the same day.

Except for the Passover holiday, Original Ben’s Best is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. for lunch and dinner or just a knish or hot dog snack. Fax in your lunch orders in the morning for afternoon delivery. Celebrate nearly 60 years of a New York institution and see why Original Ben’s Best was voted “The best of the best” by Fox 5 News

…Original Ben’s

Best Kosher Deli will

satisfy your yen for the

best in fresh meats,

salads and side dishes.

The Original Ben’s Best

96-40 Queens Blvd., Rego Park

718-897-1700 • 1-800-BENSBEST

Fax: 718-997-6503 • www.BENSBEST.com