Potato latkes are topped with apple chutney or crème fraîche, smoked salmon, and salmon caviar. The latkes are of the thin, crisp variety; I like the thicker type, with a bit of soft potato filling inside.
That's less a criticism than a suggestion. I have two others: Forget the roast beef and put brisket on the menu. And if you're going to offer Dr. Brown's black cherry and cream flavors, you have to carry Cel-Ray — not only the world's best celery soda but also the definitive deli beverage.
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Josh's Deli is mostly a lunch place, but breakfast here is not exactly chopped liver. I mean, you can get chopped liver for breakfast if you're that sort of person, but you can more sensibly order any of the previously mentioned smoked fish accompanied by cream cheese, capers, tomato, onion, and bagel. Or try the city's tastiest corned beef hash, made with chunks of meat and potato. You can also opt for matzoh brei, or juevos hebreros — fried latkes, poached eggs, and cholent (a beef, barley, and bean stew traditionally served on the Sabbath).
Years ago, before he passed away in 2008, Jerry's Famous Deli founder Isaac Starkman told me he lamented the replacement of old, fatty cuts of pastrami and corned beef with "cleaned-up" meats. He said you just couldn't sell the real stuff anymore because of modern-day health concerns.
Nowadays, any caloric worries (and really, who goes to a deli for a healthful meal?) are balanced by the public's infatuation with the type of throwback artisanal regional American cuisine being served at Josh's Deli. Marcus is putting out foods he grew up around and feels passionate about, and he's doing it on his own terms. The love comes through.
