Reviving The Spirit And Schmaltz Of The Jewish Deli
NPR / The Salt
“It’s nice that we finally have a place that has quality Jewish food, Jewish-American food, I would call it,” Jon says. “We have a couple of other places, but they’re not terribly good, so we’re very happy with it.”
The menu is not exactly what you would find in a place like New York’s famous Katz’s Deli. There’s a grilled eggplant Reuben, smoked salmon pastrami served on bagels imported from Montreal, and a pickle plate…
The 38 Essential Washington Restaurants
DC Eater / July 2013
Jewish deli fare has never been a standout cuisine in D.C. – at least, not until DGS came along. The restaurant puts an upscale spin on such dishes as chopped liver. Chef Barry Koslow makes a mean matzoh ball soup, and the restaurant also has festive cocktails and a solid brunch offering.
Giving Fast Food a Good Name in Washington, D.C.
Heads Up / April 2013
Cured meats are the focus at DGS, or District Grocery Store Delicatessen (1317 Connecticut Avenue NW; 202-293-4400), a modern spin on a Jewish deli. Nearly everything — pickles, pastrami, corned beef, the Reuben sandwich’s sauerkraut, even the crowning dollop of mustard — is house-made. An airy dining room features an open kitchen, brick walls and shelves displaying jars of pickles, while a takeout counter dispenses quick sandwiches at lunchtime.
Trendsetters: The Reformed Jewish Deli
Appears in the April print edition of Food & Wine Magazine.
America’s Best Happy Hours
To help you stay on budget, we’ve put together a list of some of the most delicious happy hours in the country. Far better than the usual two-for-one draughts and free bowls of sweaty snack mix, these fantastic restaurant specials include terrific finger foods, pristine oysters and craft cocktails for less.
100 Very Best Restaurants 2013 & 2014
Taking its place among a new generation of artisanal delis that have popped up in Brooklyn, Portland, and San Francisco, DGS bids to bring corned beef and knishes out of the Sysco age by embracing the from-scratch values that reigned a century ago.
Most Memorable Meals of 2012
Thank goodness that the matzo ball soup is so good. And the juice-oozing pastrami, cut thick à la Montreal’s famous smoked meat. And the chopped liver …
Washington, DC’s New Food Scene
When President Obama built his recent campaign around the theme “Forward,” he could have been talking about the DC food scene. Talented chefs are creating innovative restaurants …
FIRST LOOK: DGS DELICATESSEN
D.C. gets compared to New York City in many ways, for better or worse. It’s a fact of District life and while many take up arms against it, DGS Delicatessen, Dupont Circle’s shining new Jewish deli, embraces it with a wink and a smile.
“We’re respectful of the tradition and food of a New York deli but try to incorporate D.C. style,” says DGS partner and former Tallula chef Barry Koslow. “To us, the Jewish experience started in Eastern Europe, through Western Europe. There are North African influences on the food from there to New York and finally to D.C. There are a lot of classic recipes but we want to make it accessible.”
Fall Dining Guide 2013: Tom Sietsema’s 40 Favorites
by Tom Sietsema
DGS is no standard-issue deli. For starters, the Dupont Circle outpost comes with a bar. Further, the kitchen is more respectful than reverential regarding tradition…I appreciate the way he thinks, and I dig the way he cooks…Today is reflected in the terrific wines selected by co-owner Brian Zipin and the choice cocktails that make DGS as diverting for drinking as for noshing.
Passover Traditions, New And Old
…matzo ball recipe passed down through generations to a modern chef’s personal twist on a traditional dish like haroset. Joining us to explore traditional and modern approaches to the Passover Seder and why the feast is as universal as it is unique to all who participate is Barry Koslow.
A Cut Above
DGS parts company with a city low on culinary history, a place where food folks are often transplants who focus on the future rather than the past. “We’re both fourth-generation Washingtonians,” says Nick. “We grew up with Jewish food. We thought it was an underserved area, especially since DC used to be a capital of Jewish cooking.”
Upscale Deli Fare Is Headed For D.C.
When I arrived last week at 2nd Avenue deli in midtown Manhattan for lunch with Nick Wiseman and Barry Koslow — the owner and chef of soon-to-open upscale DGS Delicatessen in D.C. respectively — I found my dining companions already elbow-deep in an impressive spread of traditional deli stand-bys.
Among the half-eaten offerings, I spied the remains of a corned beef sandwich, a hearty plate of kasha varnishkas, crisp gribnes, a knish the size of a softball, kreplach with fried onions, sweet noodle kugel, fatty cholent, pickles, cole slaw, and countless cans of Dr. Brown’s sodas in at least four flavors.
Slurp Matzo Ball Soup
This isn’t your bubby’s deli food. Chef Barry Koslow smokes impeccable pastrami for a menu that includes classic sandwiches as well as Wagyu brisket, honey-drizzled Hungarian doughnuts and cocktails that play with deli classics, like Cel-Ray soda.
