Deli Fare : Heightened health awareness has changed what Southern Californians are ordering at the deli counter

Let’s face it, pastrami is still king of deli fare, even in Los Angeles, as our own poll uncovered. But tastes in deli sandwiches are changing. Lighter meats, such as turkey and tuna, served in smaller portions are showing up in local California-style, Italian, German and Middle Eastern delis.

Most pastrami sandwiches are extremely simple: pastrami and mustard on rye. Non-traditionalists add everything from cheese, coleslaw and dressing to lettuce, tomato and, yes, even mayonnaise.

The distinctions are subtle, but significant, and they vary from restaurant to restaurant. Some afficionados insist on spicy mustard, not American table variety mustard. Dijon mustard, a recent addition to pastrami sandwiches in Los Angeles, is acceptable but is not, according to diehards, authentic pastrami fare. Some delis, such as Nate ‘n’ Al’s in Beverly Hills and Katz’s in New York, in fact, serve their own brand of spicy mustards. Those that don’t serve their own, often rely on Beaver, a brand commonly associated with pastrami mustard. Kosher pickles are a must.

The ideal pastrami is served hot on warm Russian or corn rye, but not all delis comply. And, according to Fred Austin, present owner of Katz’s Delicatessen, only celery or cream sodas qualify as the beverage to wash it all down.

Norm Langer of Langer’s, in business in Los Angeles since 1947, still lists pastrami with or without Swiss cheese, coleslaw and Russian dressing on rye as his No. 1 seller. Greenblatt’s on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood serves pastrami with lettuce, tomato, Russian dressing and mayonnaise or Dijon mustard.

At Nate ‘n’ Al’s in Beverly Hills, the top-selling pastrami sandwich is served on warm Russian rye with coleslaw and Russian dressing. The emphasis is on “warm” Russian rye.

Beverly Hills’ Carnegie Deli, a transplant from New York’s theater district and a recent addition to the deli scene in Los Angeles, serves a sky-high pastrami sandwich containing a whopping 10 to 12 ounces of meat, to which nothing but mustard is added unless ordered. (A less weighty one is being considered to accommodate clientele who were alarmed over the size of the sandwich.)

The most popular sandwich at Carnegie Deli, however, is named after Marvin Davis, the restaurant’s principle investor. The sandwich consists of his favorite things: corned beef and pastrami on a bagel.

Often the type of meat used is the criteria for judging a good pastrami sandwich. If you are an East Coast pastrami eater, you have probably noticed a difference between the texture and flavor of East Coast and West Coast pastrami. The answer lies in the type of pastrami used.

Most East Coast delis serve pastrami from a cut of beef that is fatty and, therefore, more flavorful (fat imparts flavor to meats) than the leaner cuts used on the West Coast. The Eastern meat also is more deeply cured and spiced with black peppercorns. The high fat--and flavorful-- “Black” pastrami, so called because of it is heavily spiced with peppercorns, is available at some Los Angeles delis, including Nate ‘n’ Al’s, Langer’s, and Brent’s in Northridge, among others. According to Austin, peppery black pastrami, despite its fattiness, is far more lean today than it was 10 or 20 years ago

But tastes in deli food are rapidly changing. Many delis, such as Nate ‘n Al’s, Langer’s, and Mort’s in Pacific Palisades report that turkey is closing in on pastrami in popularity. “Roast beef used to be our number one seller, now it’s turkey 20 to one,” said Mort Faberow, of Mort’s, who attributes the shift to less caloric and less fatty meats to concerns over excess fat and cholesterol in the diet.

Mort’s turkey sandwich uses six ounces of light and dark home-roasted turkey, served with lettuce and tomatoes.

Owner Roy Kavin of Greenblatt’s reports that his patrons too are rapidly moving toward turkey. “We used to serve turkey occasionally several years ago. Now we we go through 12 turkeys a day.”

Greenblatt’s turkey sandwich is made with lettuce, tomatoes and Russian dressing and is seasoned with mayonnaise or Dijon mustard. Another version called the Mediterranean (Kavin’s favorite turkey sandwich) contains sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil leaves on rye with mayonnaise. Kavin also reports that smoked turkey is growing in popularity. “We like to serve it with lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise and Dijon mustard on rye,” he said.

Tuna is another sandwich filling gaining in popularity among health-conscious deli diners these days reports David Saul, vice president of Junior’s in West Los Angeles. Junior’s serves a tuna salad sandwich containing white meat (albacore) mixed with mayonnaise, onion and celery.

“We’re seeing a growing trend away from (red) meat,” Saul said. “People are concerned about cholesterol and appreciate the fact that we’ve started using Canola oil, which is exceptionally low in saturated fats.”

Al Canter, manager of Canter’s, which originated in Boyle Heights in 1926 and later moved to its present Fairfax Avenue location, also reports a growing infatuation with tuna sandwiches among his customers. “If (tuna) isn’t number one, it’s definitely up there,” said Canter, whose establishment is known for its juicy, piled-high corned beef and pastrami sandwiches. Canter’s tuna salad sandwich contains white meat tuna mixed with equal amounts of celery and mayonnaise and a touch of lemon juice for zip.

The Italian deli has provided comfort food for many generations in America, with the meatball sandwich epitomizing the Italian deli sandwich. At Sorrento Market in Culver City, the meatball sandwich is prepared by Lydia Vera, owner Albert Vera’s mother, and is served with a dose of motherly “no nonsense.” It consists of an Italian roll or a loaf, one foot to six feet long, dripping with tomato sauce and, of course, meatballs.

Italian deli-markets also are known for their variety of sausages and cold cuts. At Sorrento, one cold-cut sandwich consists of mortadella, cappicola, salami and provolone cheese on a long Italian roll. “We’ve stuck to the typical cold-cut sandwich without lettuce or tomato. That’s how it’s served in Italy,” Vera said.

Schatzi’s German Deli in Santa Monica serves a simple sandwich whose combination of ingredients give the sandwich its tasty balance and harmony. A Black Forest ham sandwich, or ham and cheese on German Rye, with mayonnaise, mustard, lettuce and tomatoes is one of their most popular.

Other delis, such as C & K in Los Angeles, serve a similar sandwich with ham, mortadella, salami and provolone with mustard and mayonnaise. Middle Eastern customers substitute basturma, a Middle Eastern-style lamb or beef jerky, for the sausage.

Healthful Greek gyro sandwiches are fast becoming Greek deli favorites. Made with pressed lamb and beef roasted on a vertical spit (also known as shwarma), gyro sandwiches are topped with chopped onions, tomatoes and a yogurt-garlic sauce and are served in Greek-style pita bread, which is softer than Arabic pita bread. You can use any cold cuts or thinly sliced cooked beef or pork for variety.

In the Middle Eastern vein, Noura’s on Melrose Avenue boasts a popular charbroiled chicken sandwich on pita bread with lettuce, tomato, kosher dill pickles and homemade garlic sauce. The meat and vegetables are cubed to pack into the Arabic bread pocket.

This area’s upscale, California-style restaurants also have entered the deli realm with an expansive, often expensive, experimental approach that glorifies human imagination.

You may find anything from fajita sandwiches (tortillas filled with chicken fillets, red, green and yellow peppers and red onion slivers served with an array of condiments). There are Cajun meat loaf sandwiches, curried chicken salad sandwiches and a legion of meat, fish, vegetable and fruit salad sandwiches whose exotic ingredients run the gamut from shiitaki mushrooms to imported boudin.

At Julienne’s in San Marino, the most popular sandwich is chicken tarragon salad on homemade rosemary-raisin bread served with shredded Romaine lettuce.

Julienne’s take-off on croque monsieur is a grilled sandwich containing chicken, Gruyere, red onion and grilled peppers.

At Chez Allez in Redondo Beach, ham and imported salami, Swiss cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lettuce and tomato on French roll is the number one sandwich. A turkey-jalapeno sausage served on French roll with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and Dijon mustard also is popular.

Fred Segal’s cafe, Los Angeles, boasts turkey, bacon and avocado as their most popular sandwich combo.

The Juicy Wrap, a whole-wheat lavash (tortilla-type) sandwich filled with organic sprouts, humous (sesame seed sauce), tabouli (parsley salad) and cucumbers is popular at I Love Juicy in West Hollywood.

L.A. Eats in Venice serves turkey with cranberry-chili relish, lettuce and tomato on basil bread.

At Tutto Italia Delicatezza in West Hollywood, the grilled lime chicken sandwich is made with avocado, tomato and lettuce on a French baguette. A homemade creamy vinaigrette is served on the side.

One thing’s for sure. Who needs to rack one’s brain when you’ve got delis to give you ideas? All you have to do is take a look at any decent deli’s menu to find sandwich combinations that are sure-fire. Foolproof.

The fine honing of flavors and textures has already been time-tested for you. Take the fare at Carnegie Deli, where sandwich names have been Hollywood-ized for effect but the ingredients speak for themselves. Among them are: Sidney Sheldon (London broil with melted mozzarella cheese on garlic bread); Eva Gabor (triple decker of turkey breast with bacon, lettuce and tomato on white toast); Mia Farrow (pastrami on white bread with lettuce; tomato and mayonnaise); Don Rickles (tip tongue; corned beef and pastrami with coleslaw and Russian dressing), and George Burns (smoked Nova Scotia salmon on a bagel with lettuce, tomato, onion and cream cheese). Go ahead. Use them for your own sandwich ideas.

Following are some of the recipes to pass on to readers for he-man lunch boxes, child’s paper bag fare or club box lunches.

CANTER’S TUNA SALAD SANDWICH

1 (7-ounce) can white water-packed albacore tuna, drained

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Salt, pepper, optional

Rye bread

Mix well-drained tuna with celery and mayonnaise to moisten. Add lemon juice to taste with salt and pepper. Use as filling for rye bread sandwich. Makes enough for 4 sandwiches.

MARVIN DAVIS SANDWICH

6 ounces extra-thin-sliced pastrami

6 ounces extra-thin-sliced corned beef

Double-size seedless water bagel

Mustard

Layer pastrami and corned beef slices on split bagel. Cover with bagel top and serve with mustard to taste. Makes 1 sandwich.

GREENBLATT’S MEDITERRANEAN TURKEY SANDWICH

4 to 6 ounces white and dark cooked turkey, sliced

2 slices rye bread

1/4 cup sliced or mashed sundried tomatoes

2 or 3 fresh basil leaves

Mayonnaise

Layer turkey on 1 slice rye bread. Top with sundried tomatoes and layer of basil leaves. Spread second rye bread slice with mayonnaise to taste. Makes 1 sandwich.

JULIENNE’S CHICKEN TARRAGON SANDWICH

1/2 bunch celery, finely chopped

1/2 bunch green onions, finely chopped

1 bunch fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

1/2 cup mayonnaise, preferably homemade

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon white pepper

4 chicken breast halves, poached and chopped

Herb bread

Combine celery, green onions, tarragon, mayonnaise, salt and white pepper. Mix well. Pour over chicken and toss to coat chicken well.

Use as spread for up to 6 sandwiches, preferably using herb-type bread, such as rosemary. Makes enough spread for 4 large sandwiches.

SORRENTO’S MEATBALL SANDWICH

French or Italian long loaf

Tomato Sauce

Meatballs

Split bread loaf almost all way through. Spoon some Tomato Sauce over cut surfaces. Arrange Meatballs in sandwich. Spoon more sauce over Meatballs. Makes 6 to 8 sandwiches.

Tomato Sauce

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 (1-pound) cans tomato sauce

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil

Salt, pepper

Meatballs

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Add tomato sauce, parsley, oregano, basil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir to mix. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

Add Meatballs. Cook 30 minutes longer or until Meatballs are done.

Meatballs

1 pound ground beef

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1 egg

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Salt, pepper

Combine ground beef, garlic, parsley, bread crumbs, egg and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix well. Form into balls about 3/4-inch in diameter. Chill. Makes enough meatballs for 6 sandwiches meatballs.

NOURA’S CHARBROILED CHICKEN PITA SANDWICH

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 jalapeno chile, chopped

1 teaspoon paprika

Salt, pepper

2 chicken breast halves

4 pita breads

Lettuce leaves, sliced or chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1 kosher dill pickle, sliced

Homemade Garlic Sauce

Combine garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, chile and paprika in shallow pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add chicken breast halves, turning to coat well. Marinate 24 hours.

Charbroil, bake or broil chicken breasts until tender. Cool, then cube. Set aside.

When ready to serve in sandwich, open pockets of pita bread. Stuff chicken pieces into pockets. Top with lettuce, tomato and pickle, as desired. Drizzle with Homemade Garlic Sauce. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Homemade Garlic Sauce

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

Salt, pepper

Combine yogurt, garlic, mint and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix lightly.

C&K; COMBINATION ITALIAN SANDWICH

French roll, split

Mayonnaise

Mustard

Ham, sliced

Mortadella, sliced

Salami, sliced

Provolone, sliced

Spread split French roll with mayonnaise and mustard to taste. Top 1 side of roll with 1 or more slices of ham, mortadella, salami and provolone. Makes 1 sandwich.

SCHATZI’S GERMAN HAM SANDWICH

2 slices German rye bread

Mayonnaise

Mustard

3 to 6 ounces Black Forest ham, sliced

1 or 2 lettuce leaves

2 or 3 tomato slices

Spread both slices rye bread with mayonnaise and 1 with mustard. Top 1 bread slice with ham, lettuce leaves and tomato, as desired, and cover with other slice of bread. Makes 1 sandwich.

MORT’S HEALTHFUL TURKEY SANDWICH

2 slices wheat, rye or pumpernickel bread

Mayonnaise

Mustard

3 ounces cooked dark turkey, sliced

3 ounces cooked light turkey, sliced

Lettuce leaves

Thin tomato slices

Kosher dill pickle

Spread 1 slice bread with mayonnaise and mustard. Top with slices of dark and light turkey. Cover with lettuce, tomato slices and other slice of bread. Serve with pickle. Makes 1 sandwich.

SORRENTO’S HOUSE SANDWICH

Italian bread roll

Mortadella, sliced

Cappicola, sliced

Salami, sliced

Provolone, sliced

Mustard, optional

Mayonnaise, optional

Split bread roll and cover 1 half with 1 or more slices mortadella, cappicola, salami and provolone. Spread top layer with mustard and/or mayonnaise, as desired. Makes 1 sandwich.

CHICKEN FAJITA SANDWICH

1 pound chicken fillets or breasts, boned, skinned and cubed

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Dash garlic salt

Pepper

1/2 yellow pepper, cut into strips

1/2 red pepper, cut into strips

1/2 green pepper, cut into strips

2 green onions, chopped

2 tablespoons oil

1 large tomato, chopped

1 large avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced

6 large whole-wheat or flour tortillas

Drizzle chicken fillets with Worcestershire. Sprinkle to taste with garlic salt and pepper. Cover and let stand 2 hours or overnight in refrigerator.

When ready to serve, saute chicken, peppers and green onions in oil in large skillet until chicken is browned and peppers are tender.

For each serving, spoon hot chicken mixture into warm tortilla and add tomato and avocado, as desired. Fold and eat out of hand. Makes 6 servings.

Note : For pitas, substitute 1-ounce-size whole-wheat pitas for tortillas. Split to form pocket and stuff chicken and other ingredients into pockets.