The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 2 premiered in early December. Part of the promotion for the new season of the Amazon Prime show that takes place in the ’50? Free pastrami sandwiches at delis around the country. (Spoiler: they were great!)
But what’s extra delightful about the new season is that pastrami sandwiches are a part of the plot! The show is so Jewish, we could have expected this, but still. We love a good pastrami plot point.
In episode 8, Midge takes her friend Imogene out to lunch at her favorite Jewish deli. Imogene, who isn’t Jewish, is overwhelmed by the menu options. We’ve all been there.
She has no idea what to order when the waitress stops by their booth.
Midge, the Jewish deli expert, decides to order for her. Her order? “My dear friend Imogene here will have hot pastrami Reuben on rye, chicken in a pot, potato knish, matzah ball soup, cheese Danish, a lime rickey, and a couple of black-and-whites for dessert.”
Here it is broken down frame-by-frame (with some links to our favorite recipes, so you can recreate Midge’s order at home):
Pastrami Reuben on rye: a true staple of the Jewish deli. And, coincidentally, the “Maisel” sandwich that the Carnegie Deli pop-up restaurant created is a pastrami sandwich. We have recipes for everything from pastrami sandwiches to pastrami tater tots.
Chicken in a pot: what a comforting New York deli classic. Basically, it’s an enormous pot of chicken soup. Short on time? Make chicken soup in an instant pot!
Potato knish: another staple of the New York Jewish deli. And in our opinion, they are worth making from scratch. (Watch our video on how to make potato knishes!)
Matzah ball soup: need we say more? We would honestly be shocked if Midge didn’t order matzah ball soup at the deli. Not to toot our own horn, but we have the perfect matzah ball soup recipe.
Cheese danish: This is the one not-Jewish-food item in the order. Danishes are, well, Danish! (But we do have a recipe for making an Entemann’s danish at home.)
A lime rickey: a classic soda fountain drink from the mid-century, typically made with gin or bourbon. Weird that she’s ordering it for her pregnant friend, but it was a different time.
Black-and-whites: the perfect end to any meal at a Jewish deli. As Nosher Editor Shannon Sarna wrote, “the black and white cookie is an iconic, delicious symbol of New York and beloved by Jews.” Amen! Make your own using her recipe.
Last but not least, Bromo-Seltzer: because what Jews don’t need to relieve an upset stomach after a nice meal?
We’re off to create Midge’s deli order in our home. Bye!
