At Brent's Deli in Northridge, a beloved local institution since 1967, you'll find massive portions of classic Jewish comfort food, with their black pastrami Reuben stealing the spotlight.
"This old-school deli is one of our favorite restaurants in all of LA, and also the best all-around deli. There are always large groups of neighbors swapping gossip, book clubs fighting over plot points, and regulars who haven’t cracked open the menu in three decades. Speaking of the menu, there are over 650 items on it, so you’ll need to come in with a game plan—or just borrow ours: The black pastrami Reuben (swap in curly fries), stuffed cabbage, split pea soup, the latke and blintz sampler, and a nap in the car." - brant cox, sylvio martins
"Brent’s is widely considered one of the best places for pastrami in the greater Los Angeles area along with Langer’s. The Valley restaurant’s grilled Black Forest pastrami Reuben is a prime place to start for delving into the city’s deli culture, with machine-sliced stacks portioned into thick mounds between crunchy sauerkraut and toasted rye bread. The strip mall location feels plucked right out of the ’70s, and everything from the matzo ball soup to the deli meats is top-notch." - Rebecca Roland
"Brent's certainly has its iconic dishes—black pastrami reuben, stuffed cabbage, and a latke and blintz sampler—but this isn’t one of those delis where the quality drops off if you stray from a few specialties. Every page of this encyclopedic, 650-item menu hits—and that's exactly why we put it at #1. Plus, the people-watching is unmatched. Come any day of the week, and you'll find this Northridge institution packed with families, hungover college kids, book club gatherings, and solo diners who haven’t opened the menu in three decades." - brant cox, garrett snyder
"Movie Pairing:Goodnight Mommy (Hulu) “JFC, this movie is terrifying. After undergoing intensive facial reconstructive surgery, an Austrian mother returns home to her two twin boys, who become increasingly convinced that she’s been replaced by a sinister intruder. Hilarity ensues. Just kidding - the next 100 minutes contain a horrific, stomach-churning mix of suspense, gory pyrotechnics, and straight-up torture - which is to say, by the end of it, you’ll be in need of some comfort food when it all becomes too much. My advice? Place an order at Brent’s, a classic delicatessen in The Valley, and go extra hard on the matzo ball soup.” - Kat Hong Watch the trailer." - brant cox, kat hong, brett keating, james montgomery
"Dish: Matzo Ball Soup There are plenty of worthy competitors for the crown, but our favorite bowl of matzo ball soup can be found at Brent’s Deli in Northridge. Why? It starts with the glistening chicken broth, simmered to perfection, and filled with carrots, shredded chicken, and silky smooth noodles. And in the middle of it all, a softball-sized chunk of matzo sitting royally like Dev Patel in The Green Knight. Do you see it? Has that image formed in your mind? No? Fine, just refer to the actual photo above then. That’s the last time we try to get creative in these captions, damn." - brant cox, kat hong, nikko duren, sylvio martins
