Nate’s is back downtown!

Three years ago, Nate’s Deli closed its doors on Rideau Steet. Owner Dave Smith was 77 and had been serving Smoked Meat for 50 years at Nate’s Deli. When it closed and before wreckers sent the place into memoryland, Nate’s was going through 1,500 pounds of smoked meat a week and making 24 pounds a day of its own chopped liver. Of course, smoked meat lovers could turn to Nate’s Express, on Antares Drive by Hunt Club, who seemed to imply that sharing a name made them the successor. Unless there is another connection I’m not aware of – besides serving smoked meat, that is. But much to Ottawa’s smoked meat afficionado’s pleasure, the original Nate’s, Dave Smith, got bored with retirement. So last year, Smith partnered with Scott Singer to transform Our Family Kitchen on Merivale Road (which was a Cora’s before that) into Nate’s Deli Family Kitchen. So…

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Caplansky’s Deli is smokin’!

I’ve been wanting to meet up with Toronto Star reporter and beer expert Josh Rubin for some time. The opportunity finally arose today before my flight back to Ottawa, which was around 4PM – meaning that I had some time to kill in the afternoon. @starbeer suggested that we meet up for lunch and a pint at Caplansky’s. Caplansky’s Delicatessen first opened shop in 2008 when owner Zane Caplansky (check out his blog) simply got fed up relying on visits with Montreal friends to get his fix of Smoked Meat Sandwiches – so he opened his own kitchen in the Monarch Tavern. After a very successful year, he had to relocate to a bigger location – on College just west of Spadina – and opened his very own full establishment. Despite that, Caplansky’s feel like it’s been there forever. A bare brick wall covered with old pictures, neons and newspapers’…

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