Sometimes the best things in life are right under your nose. Case in point: Bernstein’s Delicatessen has been at the end of my street for over twenty years and although I often walk through the little strip mall where it is located and see how full it is with happy diners, I rarely find the excuse to visit. But this day was different.

I truly had a difficult time making up my mind. I was interested in the Fried Chicken and Waffles but also did not want to miss out on their amazing hand-cut fries OR their potato latkes. Luckily, my lunch date was very accommodating, so I didn’t miss out on sampling anything.

“Chicken & Waffles” is clarified on Bernstein’s menu in parenthesis as being “Fingers & Pancakes”. Since I love sweet and salty combinations, it was the perfect choice. The chicken was tasty and the pancakes acted as a sponge to soak up the blueberry compote AND the chipotle maple syrup! Every forkful was a complex combination of tastes.

The big surprise came in the form of the Warm Corned Beef Sandwich. If you have never tasted house-made, hand sliced corned beef, you do not know what you are missing. Biting into the sandwich was an entirely different taste experience than the countless corned beef sandwiches I have eaten over the years. The texture of the meat was soft and tender and there was no unpleasant salty taste.  I struggle to find an accurate word; perhaps the one that I am searching for is: sublime.

Bonus upon bonus, I also got to pick at the perfect hand cut fries and the potato latkes with applesauce. Entering the attached store to pay my bill, I decided to pick up some homemade chicken noodle soup from the deli freezer, meaning that I was able to bask in Bernstein’s deliciousness on another day.

Kath’s quote: “The corned beef is exquisitely done, and as tender as a young lady’s heart, all owing to my skilful cookery; for I consulted Mrs. Hale (Sarah Hale’s cookbook) at every step, and precisely followed her directions. To say the truth, I look upon it as such a masterpiece in its way, that it seems irreverential to eat it. Things on which so much thought and labor are bestowed should surely be immortal…..”- Nathaniel Hawthorne (1844), fending for himself while his wife was away.

Live simply, laugh often, love deeply.

As I sat waiting for my husband to arrive for our lunch date, I had a great opportunity to soak up the quaint surroundings of this little place -Luda’s Deli at 410 Aberdeen Ave. at Salter in Winnipeg’s colourful North End.  Day time TV was displayed over the front door for ambiance, perhaps, or to comfort and entertain the diners who were there for a meal on their own.  Two merry old gentlemen walked in with the salutation: “Hi ya girls!”  I was to learn that the “girls” were Kristie who takes care of all of the tables by herself and her look-a-like Mom Tracey who is in the kitchen and at the till.  Both are big-eyed, full-lipped Ukrainian beauties. Shouts go back and forth when someone known to them arrives and in some cases hugs and kisses are exchanged (at least this was the case on the day that I was there).

Come noon, the place was full and I observed two finely dressed businessmen walk in, look at the full room and announce that they would try again tomorrow.  They were unsurprised and not put out, in the least.  By this time, I am thinking that Tracey’s home style cooking must be something else and we were not disappointed!

Coffee and water is self serve, which is a good thing because Kristie is too busy taking orders and ladling out soup-on this day the choices were Bean and Bacon or Borscht. We sampled the latter and loved that it was chock full of match stick sized beets that were the perfect texture.

“Kristie’s Clubhouse” was a delectable combination of tomato, lettuce, crispy bacon and sliced turkey.  The wedge of meat had been put right onto the grill to warm it and pop up the flavour.

Sauerkraut and corned beef equally shared the space between the pumpernickel rye bread from nearby Gunn’s bakery and was as delicious a Reuben as I have ever tasted (and that includes Montreal and New York). The plentiful hand-cut shoe string fries were worth noting as well.

Kristie patiently explained, when I asked if the diner had been named after Luda, that the word is Ukrainian for “the people”, in other words this popular little place represents the  “neighbourhood” and there are various menu items named for different real life persons.  I wonder what they would put into a “Kathryne”.

Take cash and go early to avoid disappointment.  Parking is only on the street and there are a couple of steps up to enter the premises.  The businessmen determined that doors open at 7 am for breakfast and lunch from Monday to Saturday.  They may be closed on the weekend over the summer.

Kath’s quote: “Food is a subject of conversation more spiritually refreshing even than the weather, for the number of possible remarks about the weather is limited, whereas of food you can talk on and on and on.”-A.A. Milne, ‘Lunch’

Love-that is all.