J. Ritz

Nate 'n Al

Matzo ball soup is a comfort food with a relatively simple taxonomy. Camps are mostly divided along the lines of sinkers vs. floaters, clean broth vs. noodles/crackers/carrots/etc. Opinions range and styles vary, and a perusal of the literature by authorities such as Claudia Roden and Gil Marks suggests that what we currently see in delis around Los Angeles is a very limited expression of the matzo ball. But it's hard to shake the fact that the typical matzo ball lover's most idealized version was probably cooked in the home of a relative or friend, rather than served in a restaurant. When your family's point of reference is, say, tender matzo balls with a firm pumpernickel center that took a couple days to make, no deli kitchen churning out monochromatic dumplings can ever compete.

Some of the most interesting and best matzo balls currently served in Los Angeles are presented in a manner that is obviously not kosher -- and we're not using that term metaphorically. (For a primer on the history of mazto balls, known as matza knaidel in Yiddish, read Marks' historical insight published in the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food.) The local matzo ball situation improves vastly during Passover, when some L.A. chefs revisit and often put their own spin on this classic. In the meantime, here is our list of the Top 5 Matzo Ball Soups in Los Angeles.

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This was supposed to be part 2 of our Giant Donut Fight, but thanks to some rather inconvenient hours of operation, it will have to wait until next week. So during this donut bye week, we've decided to focus on another unhealthy treat -- the Reuben sandwich. Today's fight places the famed Canter's Deli up against Du-par's, another 24-hour Fairfax institution. The schools of thought on a Reuben vary based on personal preference. But let's say it's three o'clock in the morning, and you're cruising down Fairfax with a deep craving for corned beef (we tend to leave our pastrami to Langer's), sauerkraut, and Swiss cheese, grilled between two slices of rye bread. Where should you go? Let's find out.

N. Galuten

The Reuben at Du-par's

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Star Foreman

Broadway Deli

Broadway Deli, which Bruce Marder and Marvin Zeidler opened in 1990 on the Santa Monica promenade, closed its doors for the last time on Monday. Santa Monica Daily Press reports that the lease had expired, the rent had tripled, and Marder and Zeidler were threatened with a lawsuit if they didn't vacate the premises by November 30th. Thus they closed up shop. Promenade Gateway, which owns the space and has requested permits to subdivide it, has not announced who the new tenants will be. Read Chowhound's collective, albeit hardly glowing, eulogy here.

Felicia Friesema

Moore's rare roast beef on ciabatta with arugula and house made aoli.

Little Flower Candy Company owners Christine and Robert Moore have been dreaming a little bigger these days. Inspired by Robert's parents' 1947 San Francisco sandwich spot of the same name, they opened Moore's Delicatessen on October 4th in the civic center of Burbank (across the street from the police headquarters), serving pancake breakfasts in the morning and bacon-wrapped meatloaf during dinner. And in between, of course, there are the sandwiches, piled high, in generous deli-style, with medium-rare roast beef, pastrami, and delectably slippery slow-cooked brisket.

On the exterior, deli fans from Attman's in Baltimore to Langer's here in LA will recognize the deli signage standard cursive above the all-caps, blocky descriptive. Fans of Little Flower, which has its own savory line of gourmet meat and bread combos, will also notice a few happy similarities. The ubiquitous crispy and just-right-sour pickles that come with the sandwiches at Moore's are from East L.A.'s A-1 Eastern Pickle Company. And just like the menu at Little Flower, Moore's has an ample selection of vegetarian options, including tempeh with onion sprouts, a yellow lentil dal, brown rice bowls, and for any cheese head, an open-face toasted brie sandwich covered in garlic mushrooms. Salted caramels are also technically vegetarian and are happily available as more modest, single bites at $0.50 a pop.

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Michael Doret

In 2008, Michael Doret drove past Canter's Deli, but instead of lox and bagel chips, the ambitious designer found the long-awaited inspiration for his latest font: Deliscript. "Perhaps it was that mid century marquee vibe that called out to me," he explains, "but at any rate I saw something in the straight up and down script that I liked, and that somehow I thought I'd be able to extrapolate into a font."

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D. Gonzalez

Vegan Curry Chicken Sandwich from Green Peas

Leftover. Two four letter words back-to-back, which is exactly how many feel about them. But leftovers are not always a bad thing. Leftover bones make the best stocks because they come pre-roasted and then there is the magical golden liquid known as bacon grease. When it comes to a dish that is synonymous with a good use of leftovers, there is chicken salad. And at Green Peas, Mikes Deli and Attari Sandwich Shop, we found chicken salad sandwiches that are leftover worthy themselves.

Jose Maciera's recipe for the curry chicken salad was a leftover from his 14 years as a chef before he opened up his casual eatery, Green Peas. With Green Peas, Maciera's goal was to provide his customers with healthier and ethical meal choices. It is that reason that most of the items on his menu have a vegan counterpart, including the curry chicken salad.

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Matzo ball soup is something that exists with nearly the same frequency in Jewish delis in the United States as it does in Jewish homes. Tastes and opinions, as with all dishes this widely consumed, are massively varied. In fact, if you ask a group of Ft. Lauderdale grandmothers what constitutes a perfect bowl of matzo ball soup, don't expect to get a word in for the next ten to fifteen minutes. The general consensus though, is that it should be neither dense and leaden, nor mushy and soggy. The perfect balance, it seems, lies somewhere in between.

N. Galuten

Matzo ball soup at Roll 'n Rye in Culver City

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Langer's Deli is, according to many, home to the greatest pastrami sandwich on earth (and we feel strongly about which of those pastrami sandwiches is best). As with the garlic chicken at Versailles, people who eat there often pass up trying one of the many other items on their massive, diverse menu, for fear of missing out on what they are fairly certain is the best thing available.

With rye bread as good as it is at Langer's, isn't it safe to assume that they can fashion some other good sandwiches as well? We've often wondered ourselves, but could never quite muster the courage to veer from such assured greatness. In light of this, we gathered a group of five other hungry men, and took over the corner of Langer's Deli to find out what some of the rest of the menu had in store for us. Though to be fair, we couldn't prevent ourselves from ordering a few pastrami sandwiches too.

N. Galuten

Hot tongue sandwich at Langer's

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Canter's Deli, an institution known as much for its round-the-clock service and its preserved-in-amber ambiance as for its cuisine, just leapfrogged into the year 2010 with a food truck that hits the streets of Los Angeles -- hopefully this week. The Canter's Deli truck (Twitter: @canterstruck) is the brainchild of Bonnie Bloomgarden, a great-great-granddaughter of Ben Canter, one of the brothers who opened the first L.A. incarnation of Canter's in Boyle Heights in 1931.

The truck soft-opens this week with a limited menu that will expand over the next few weeks to include seven sandwiches (pastrami, corned beef, turkey, egg salad, tuna salad, grilled cheese and a Reuben), a couple sides (cole slaw and potato salad), green salad and matzoh ball soup. Also on the menu: pickles, Dr. Brown's sodas and desserts like rugelach, mini-Danishes, black-and-white cookies and cheesecake. The sandwiches, made with the same meat and house-made bread as the ones at the sit-down restaurant, will cost $5 - $10 and, in keeping with their reduced price, will be approximately 25% smaller than the gut-busting originals. "They're still ridiculously large," Bloomgarden says.

Elina Shatkin

(L-R) Rachel Orosco, Joshua Grubb and Bonnie Bloomgarden stand next to the Canter's Deli truck.

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Langer's, the Westlake institution often considered the best delicatessen in America, is celebrating National Pastrami Day tomorrow, January 14. What this means, I think, is that if you order a pastrami sandwich, they'll serve you one.

Mavens often recommend the #19, Langer's double-baked bread layered with pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing, and homemade cole slaw, but it is hard to go wrong with the classic pastrami and mustard.

Langer's: 704 S. Alvarado St., Los Angeles; (213) 483-8050.

Langer's