Scott K.
Yelp
*Manhattan in the Desert Soars High Like a NY Skyscraper*
In a New York minute ~~ everything can change...and so has my perception of this Desert Deli because I never knew it existed...and have always been faithful to Sherman's in Palm Desert.
Leading off: when I first walked in the place sorta reminded me of my old favorite deli, Junior's in West Los Angeles, that closed down years ago.
(Base hit up the middle)
Batting 2nd: nicely greeted by a friendly host. I asked to be seated in a booth...and loved when the kind young man said "of course."
(Standup Double)
Batting 3rd: was quickly shown to a cozy booth in a corner with a nice view of E Palm Canyon Dr, from a lovely lady who handed my wife & I menus and asked if we'd like some water...and were told our waitress would be with us shortly.
(RBI Double of the Wall)
Batting Cleanup: our outstanding waitress, Dianna, welcomed us and asked if we'd like to order any drinks? Diet Pepsi (bummer they don't offer Diet Coke) for the Mrs's...and a Dr Brown's Black Cherry Soda for me. Haven't had soda in years so I was craving a Cream Soda...but lucky for me, my 2nd favorite Dr Brown's soda (Black Cherry) was the last of the Mohicans.
(Solo Homer)
Batting 5th: I'm a sucker for Brisket Plates so it was a no-brainer...and as much as I love baked potatoes, I was craving potato latkes because I dig 'em and haven't had em in a while. And was curious how their's stand up to all the rest. Wifey's not too keen on deli food like me (tho she's originally from New York and appreciates a good NY style deli) she went with the 1/2 Rotisserie Chicken, Baked Potato and we both ordered steamed veggies.
(Standup Triple)
Batting 6th: our food arrived in the right amount of time -- not too quickly -- not too long -- from a nice masked man wearing gloves (where's his batting helmet? I thought to myself) and right away we were blown away and brushed-back with how much food filled the plates and in our faces.
(RBI Double)
Batting 7th: my brisket was pretty good, not the best. Some of it was tender...some it was chewy...most of it was juicy...and thankfully not too salty. The Potato Latkes were outstanding and so was their sour cream and Apple Sauce and cheated with extra dairy and ate all the sour cream. Wifey's 1/2 Chicken was HUGE, tasty, cooked perfectly and she was a very happy camper. The baked potato was perfecto. Our steamed green & yellow zucchini along with the carrots were pretty good yet flavorful. But they were a little watery from the steam and some sort of oil that was definitely not olive oil.
(RBI Triple)
8th inning: I rounded 3rd base & cleaned my plate but wifey needed extra-innings & a to-go box which became her lunch the following day...and what my granny always calls PlannedOvers.
(Homer)
Batting 9th: while waiting to pay the check, I noticed how quickly the place filled up with what appeared to be mostly regular customers -- which is always a great sign. Then my wife & I witnessed something that was a game-winning hit and very heartwarming that sealed the deal how outstanding the customer service is at the entire restaurant -- a cute older gentleman was alone and assisted with a rolling walker, was exiting at the front entrance, that's a big glass heavy door...and out of nowhere the host appears to assist the elderly man outside.
(Inside the Park Homerun)
Post Game Show:
Extentsive menu with lots of comfort (and non comfort) food options to please anyone's palate. Portions are large and reasonably priced...
A beautiful looking dessert counter/bakery and full-service deli located in the front of the restaurant within a comfortable setting...
Water glasses refilled without asking, dirty plates removed from table in a timely manner, waitress & bus team checked on us frequently without being overbearing nor intrusive...
Nice decor for a deli, great acoustics and not too noisy. The stadium is well-built and fairly large with lots of seating capacity & comfy booths, a counter with a full-bar...and an abundance of parking in their private lot...
Bathrooms were clean & well-maintained...
Team Manhattan in the Desert knocked it out of the park from the top of the order down to the bottom of the lineup...
Looking forward to coming back one day in the near future to try their breakfast/brunch and sampling some of their DDDD =
Decadent Desert Deli Desserts...and perhaps updating my review from a solid 4-stars to a Big League High 5.
Grandslam I'm a Fan