Trip to Zaftigs

Before I started my Fridge & Pantry Experiment, I made clearance to spend some money on a trip to Zaftigs in Brookline, MA. I gave myself a limit of $20 and license to go crazy on some good Jewish deli food. On our last Summer friday, my co-worker/work spouse/good friend Lisa and I headed out for some yumminess and to start off the long weekend on a good note!

Here is the cool mural right outside Zaftigs.



Zaftigs is a hopping place. At 1:30pm it was pretty packed but we were quickly seated to a nice window-side table.





They bring out a nice plate of bagel chips and cream cheese dip to get you started. The bagel chips were poppy-seed ones. They were thick and crispy and delicious! The cream cheese was very unique and had a great tangy flavor. I asked the waitress what they put it in and she told me it had herbs and finely chopped black olives mixed in. Mmmm...





Lisa and I were both ordered the Lupo sandwich. Heck, we came to the restaurant already knowing that we were going to order it, but we still perused the enormous menu anyways.





You may be asking yourself, "what is the Lupo sandwich"? It's a big slice of heaven is what it is. Lupo is an open-faced sandwich that consists of two potato latkes and a heaping, helping of thinly sliced lean brisket. It's served with vegetable gravy, a side of horseradish and a pickle.




You get a choice of sides. Fries, coleslaw or potato salad. My friend Lisa told me that the potato salad at Zaftigs was exceptional so there was no question that I was going to get that!

I happily dug into my plate, knowing full well that one of the potato latkes and half the brisket would be another meal. It was a superb dish. The latkes were thick yet surprisingly crispy. The brisket was to die for. Extra lean, tender and delicious under the gravy. The vegetable gravy had mushrooms, onions, green beans and carrots. I could taste the white wine they used in it. I would love to try making that some day. I put a little horseradish on here and there. The meal was so rich that it was nice to bite into a fresh pickle every now and again to cleanse the palate. The potato salad was excellent but a bit heavy on the mayo. I like my salads very light.

Overall, I came out very happy with the experience. Next time I go, I'll have to try their breakfast options. Challah french toast? Yes please! They serve breakfast all day too!

As far as cost, this was very extravagant. The Lupo was $13.50 and with tax and tip, I shelled out $17 total. At least I could split it into two meals and had enough leftover from my $20 budget to get some iced tea. The caffeine was necessary because the food was so heavy it was threatening to knock me out until next Tuesday.

I enjoyed this experience but now its back to business...