Sherman's Deli & Bakery in Palm Springs: A Pastrami Oasis

When I headed to Palm Springs, the last kind of food I expected to have was juicy, piping hot pastrami on rye with pickles at this local institution, Sherman's Deli & Bakery. The sun was so hot that there were few people walking on the streets so the place looked somewhat deserted from the outside. But once inside, it was hopping. Pastrami is my litmus test for delis, ever since I fell in love with the meat at Katz's in New York City way back when.

The pastrami meat was good with just the right amount of saltiness but while the first half of my sandwich was pretty good albeit having some difficulty biting into the massive heap of pastrami. This sandwich was taller than any other pastrami sandwich I've had, perhaps with the exception of the one in Carnegie Deli in New York, although if you've ever seen that place's cheesecakes on display, that place seems to pride itself in ridiculously large portions.

One thing I didn't like once I bit into my second half was that the pastrami suddenly got super fatty. I hate biting into stringy fat because it doesn't taste good to me. So I had to deconstruct the sandwich and try to eat only the lean parts. The pickles were good too, complementing the meatiness with its tanginess.

Hence the mess you see to the left. I did have a beef with the rye bread though, which I thought wasn't as fresh on the edges (that's what happens to days-old bread). That's why I left those on my plate.

There were several options for mustard and I had the grainy one, which was good. The potato salad that came with it was mayonnaise-y with just the right amount of tartness from the vinegar. It was good.





My companions got a roast beef sandwich and a french dip sandwich with fries and while I didn't taste the sandwiches (the fries were fine but nothing special), they looked decent. I wouldn't really order those anyway because I'm a loyal pastrami-ite. While decent, Langer's remains my favorite deli in LA.

Tacos in Riverside: Good to Great, and then Inedible

The strangest thing happened on my way back from Riverside. I stopped by a very promising looking fish taco joint called Tacos Los Compadres (don't ask why I went for fish tacos in an inland city) and for like two bucks, I got the best and crispiest fish taco I've had in a long time. The fish was just out of the fryer, piping hot, whose temperature was tempered by the cold tomatoes, crunchy lettuce and white sauce on top.

I relished that taco so much I returned a few months later and ordered two fish tacos. The first one was just as good as I remembered it. But then it happened. As I bit enthusiastically into the second taco, I had a serious case of cognitive dissonance. Naturally, I first rationalized the seemingly inedible fish that tasted like lead and not at all fresh and fleshy like the one I had had exactly one second ago was just a bad first bite.

But then the second bite was just as bad. The fish tasted so bad I had to spit it out and couldn't eat the rest. So sad. I told the friendly guy at the counter but not sure I'll ever return. There are simply too many taquerias to be lax in quality control.

On another trip to Riverside, I went to Mr. Taco after some message boards raved about its namesake goodies. I had the carne asada and al pastor tacos with rice and refried beans. The carne asada was nothing special and the al pastor was definitely better than average but not mind-blowing.

I liked that the pork pieces were nicely charred and flavorful. Did you know that al pastor came from shawarma that Lebanese immigrants brought to Mexico? Cool random factoid of the day.

The salsas were also deep in flavor and spice, which I liked.

The rice was far too dry but the refried beans were fine. It's hard to go wrong with refried beans with a gooey layer of cheese on top, after all. 

I probably won't return since Riverside is so vast and I'd prefer to try other new places in search of that perfect taco, whether it'd be one filled with fish, carne asada or al pastor.

I was disappointed that Mr. Taco didn't have any jamaica, which is usually my drink of choice when I down tacos. It did have a watermelon agua fresca that was refreshing and probably a bit better for me, but I love me a tall glass of bright red jamaica any day.

I dedicate this post to my dear friends who are living in places where getting decent Mexican food is like a hunt for the Holy Grail. Believe me, as someone who's been there, I feel your pain. This is incentive for you to come visit!