February 17th, 2008

If you've lived anywhere near the Five Towns in the last 30 years or so, you've probably had food from the Woodro. I'm talking about the Jewish version of soul food here - the simple, hearty, artery-clogging foods of Eastern Europe.

Onion-and-schmaltz-laden potato knishes, spicy pastrami, fluffy rye bread, and the yummiest corned beef in the world. All washed down with Dr. Brown's cream soda, of course. It's the best kosher deli (the best deli, period) I've ever been to, and an absolute institution in the neighborhood. Walking in to their rather unassuming stripmall storefront, you're struck by a wonderful mix of smells. Roasting chicken, frying latkes, pickling spice, matzah ball soup; I expect there are parts of heaven that smell just like it. Though the menu's expanded a bit over the years, the overall smell hasn't changed since my first memories of the place.

There used to be a few of these kinds of delis around here, though the Woodro was always the best. But times have changed, and the flavors of the neighborhood have changed as well. Kosher delis are few and far between. The stripmall now contains a variety of eating options; an Italian place, a little cafe, there's even a new pan-Asian place just a few doors down. The counters used to be manned by older men, heavyset, with heavy accents (Polish, Russian, Brooklynese). Now, the men slicing the pastrami and rye are young, and for many, the old country is down in Latin America. The growing religious community shuns the place, because while the Woodro keeps kosher, they don't close for Shabbas. The once-bustling tables in the back are largely empty, though the takeout business still seems brisk. But the corned beef's still rich and meaty, the pickles are vinegary and crisp, and the chicken soup cures all ills. Thankfully, some things never change.