Happy July 4th weekend! I hope everyone is spending the weekend to relax. For those who are traveling…. good luck…..

Here, the Cambridge restaurant rush continues. I really wanted a safe bet this week after the disappointing last three weeks.

Mamaleh’s Deli

Boston definitely sits in New York’s shadow when it comes to the deli scene, but overlooking Boston deli is akin to overlooking UC Berkeley because Stanford is more prestigious. Mamaleh’s is a more recent addition, opening in 2016 with a location in Kendall Square. Within a year, they were recognized as one of Bon Appetit’s 50 best new restaurants and Boston Magazine’s Best Deli. Since then, they’ve expanded to two more locations and have thriving delivery and catering services

Food

Mamaleh’s serves all the Jewish classics from bagels and knishes to pastrami and chopped liver. As nice as latkes and bagels are, I’m here for the meat…. but first, some kraut

The kraut made a great “starter”. It was surprisingly mild, but still flavourful. I regret not getting some more for home.

Smoked Sablefish- I’m a sucker for fish and this certainly did not disappoint. It had the most wonderful buttery mouthfeel  paired with a strong smoky flavour that didn’t mask the natural sweetness of the fish. I’d definitely suggest pairing the sablefish with a bagel or rye bread as the salt can get overwhelming.

Beef Pastrami- Any deli worth its salt has decent pastrami. Mamaleh’s is great. The bold smoky flavour lit up every tastebud without overwhelming salinity. While not melt in my mouth, it was incredibly tender. Absolutely incredible. 

Duck Pastrami- I had the budget for one more item (thanks inflation). Being the curious eater, I ventured to try something different: duck pastrami. I should have stuck with the lox. the duck pastrami was over smoked and over seasoned almost to the point of being inedible. The meat was also quite dry

Service and Atmosphere 

The atmosphere is best described as “hip”. It has the open, bright layout of a chic cafe, but with small retro touches (diner style stools, neon signage). There is a casual, almost family dining feel. The staff were very friendly with each other and with customers. They really seem to have developed a good culture. I hope this continues as they expand. 

Overall impression

Overall, I really enjoyed mamaleh’s. I’ll definitely be coming back in a couple weeks to explore more of the menu. I can’t wait to get my hands on some of the lox, corned beef, pickles and maybe even a bagel or two.

I hope everyone has a great week! Until next time, Bye!

• Dining