Corned Beef At New York Deli In Columbia

Corned beef from the New York Deli

Styrofoam plate on a cafe table right next to a parking lot.

That isn't where I'd expect you to find an exceptional sandwich, but I'm really captivated by the corned beef sandwich at the New York Deli in Columbia.

The deli sits on Snowden River Parkway in the same shopping center as Linda's Bakery and House of India.  It appears to be a Korean-run place, but I have enough hope for Jewish-Korean mixtures that I ordered with real expectations.

New York Deli delivers.  It's good light rye bread with right meaty, salty corned beef in between.  Sometimes, especially back in 2010 when I first ate there, I have gotten thick-cut meat.  On my last visit, the corned beef was almost shaved.  Either way, it's a special sandwich, and it's one of my favorites -- along with great finds like the gyro at Maiwand Kabob and almost anything at Bon Fresco Sandwich Bakery.  (Start with London broil, corned beef or turkey.)

What other sandwiches do people recommend?  I don't eat lunch in Howard County often, so I'm eager to share ideas with the regulars.

Sandwiches In Howard County: The Bready Competition Pita & Rye Joins This Weekend

Corned beef and Italian from
New York Deli in Columbia

The new kosher deli Pita & Rye is working out the kinks and aiming for an official opening this Sunday morning, and that got me thinking about the sandwich landscape that the new joint is joining.

Taste is personal, and sandwiches are super-personal.  Just check the comments on prior Pita & Rye posts to see people split in their preferences for meat and bread.

But there are certainly some Howard County spots trying to put out exceptional sandwiches.  They're selling food that I couldn't just assemble from the stuff that I can buy at the supermarket -- and that's important because I can get okay bread and pretty-good meats to pack in my own brown bag.

Pita & Rye has two angles that appeal to me -- falafel and special corned beef.  As far as I know, no one else sells falafel sandwiches around here, and I'd love hot fried chick peas if they come with some flavorful salad and dressing.

New York Deli Covered With Praise And Cliches By WPost

The New York Deli got a writeup in the Washington Post yesterday.  I was already impressed by the Columbia deli's corned beef, and I'm newly impressed by the amount of attention the WPost is paying to Howard County.

The WPost interviewed owner  Diane Chiaro, and it talks up the corned beef that Chiaro makes on site.  I can't actually tell if the writer ate there.  Much of the piece compares the New York Deli to stereotypes and mentions how it is "sandwiched" into a "bland strip mall."  No.  It's on the end, and that's a run-down shopping center.  But a shopping center with House of India -- far from bland.

New York Deli in Columbia

One sandwich doesn't make for a comprehensive review, but one sandwich has made me a fan of the the New York Deli in Columbia.

The New York Deli opened last year on Snowden River Parkway, and I discovered last week that they're making their own corned beef on site.  Harold's in Edison, NJ ruined most corned beef for me because its spectacular meat make most commercial beef taste like cardboard.  The New York Deli isn't Harold's, but it's hot corned beef sandwich plays in a similar league.

Go hot sandwich with the soft marbled rye.  You'll get a full sandwich with thin-sliced corned beef.  Lean corned beef, but with a meaty flavor and the brittle texture separates corned beef made by experts from those made by industry.  The rye bread is soft and thick.  Not my normal preference, which only reinforced the quality because I thought it really improved the sandwich.  Good mustard.  Good pickle.  Overall, it's my favorite straight deli sandwich tn Howard County.  (I have eaten many sandwiches that never reached the blog because there is no fun in smacking down a place for serving average food.)

I loved the New York Deli atmosphere.  Because it's on the south-bound side of Snowden, I stopped there knowing that I wanted to visit Pars Market before going home to eat.  I told the woman at the counter that I wanted a hot sandwich, but I had to do an errand before I ate.  She said told me to change my plans.  No sugar coating.  No prevarication.  She said I was going to love the hot sandwich so I should endure some U-turns on Snowden and get the sandwich right before I went home.  So New York attitude.  So right on the money.

Next time, I'm going for the reuben, although I'll eat it there.  You can't even wait 10 minutes when the sandwich is hot, filled with sauerkraut and greased with Russian dressing.

New York Deli also got a rave from elgringoviejo on Chowhound.  Elgringoviejo is one of the best Howard County voices on Chowhound.  He knows his stuff and writes with an experienced, practical voice.  He liked the sausage sub.  New York Deli delivers, which would be nice for anyone who works nearby.


New York Deli
9359 Snowden River Parkway
Columbia, MD 21045
410-290-3773


NEAR:  New York Deli is in one of the shopping centers between Oakland Mills Parkway and Broken Land Parkway.  You can only access from the southbound lanes of Snowden.  New York Deli is in the first shopping center in that section -- the one with House of India, not the one with Akbar and Pho Dat Trahn.