This shikseh's off to celebrate Passover with a good-old corned beef, mustard, and rye at Baltimore's effective nod to a Jewish New York deli, Attman's. Attman's delicatessen, has withstood the test of time--86 years worth--with its taller than tall corned beef sandwiches, award-winning knishes, and its near infamous kosher hot dog with fried balogna.
Since 1915, people have been schlepping out to this Little Italy stand by. The neighborhood's seen better days (I would be slightly leery of parking on the street after dark), but the deli's main hall is booming with packed patrons and smelling of stacked sandwiches just as it always has.
Prove you have chutzpah by pushing your way to the end of the line and calling out your order (there is no menu--just randomly posted signs) and don't forget to bus your own tray. Attman's has a surprising array of real robust sandwiches; you won't find anything but hearty fresh bread piled with the highest quality meats and served with the all-important zesty sour pickle. Despite names like Tongue Fu and Gay Liveration (which an actual New York deli would probably scoff at), there are no cutesy designer sandwiches here. At Attman's there is no substitution for a few quality ingredients; this is the real deal.
If you're into more traditional Jewish fare, there are knishes, latkes, matzo ball soup, kosher hot dogs, fresh bagels and lox, brisket, borscht, whitefish salads, and homemade ruggelach and bread pudding for dessert. The corned beef itself has become a local legend: juicy and salty without being fatty and sturdy bread to contain it all. There's a good reason the street Attman's is on is nicknamed "Corned Beef Row."
The d??cor is appropriately tacky, narrow and noisy. An adjoining room allows patrons to sit among photos of stuffed celebrities, most of which I failed to recognize. Attman's oozes with character, which can only be expected from a restaurant that's become a neighborhood tradition after 86 years in the business. The walls are lined with "Best in Baltimore" awards and various other tchotchkes related to Baltimore.
An unexpected surprise was that the service was not intimidating or pretentious, a usual characteristic of the big-time New York delis, where their first question is, "Are you a tourist?" The staff at Attman's Deli pushes you along, but only so they can serve you quickly and efficiently. Attman's commits another faux pas, that of ---gasp--microwaving the meat to heat it up. Though this Baltimore mainstay may hypothetically be small beans up in the Big Apple, it's right at home in Charm City, just chalk up this tiny indiscretion to my being a tri-state area snob.
Attman's has the added plus of being an ideal lunch spot. With prices between $5-11 (something big-time New York delis can't compete with), this makes lunch less than the price of a cab ride out to Attman's. Consistently named the best deli in the Baltimore area, you'd have to be meshuggeh not to go, hon.
