Kenny & Ziggy’s is hidden in the smorgasbord-like offering of the Galleria area restaurants in one of the satellite strip malls in the area. The restaurant seems deceivingly small stuck between the other shops, but upon entering you realize how large the serving floor is. A friend of mine I hadn’t seen in a while joined me for dinner, and we were promptly seated.
The menu is a bit loud and intimidating, but just zone in on a section and you’ll be able to focus. The chips and salsa of Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen are pickles, which I’m assuming they make fresh in-house. I’m not much of a pickle person, but I had a bite since my friend was devouring them. They were crisp and had a unique pickle taste, so if you like pickles, I’m sure you’ll be happy they are free. We decided to split the Hot NY Spinach Schmear with Bagel Chips. For the price, I should’ve guessed it was worth its weight in gold. You get a ton of schmear, given the name, that spreads well. It’s very rich and for two people who can eat, its a hearty helping. The (cream?) cheese is the predominant flavor and drowns out any spinach taste or any seasoning at all, so the crisp bagel chips mush it all together.
My friend ordered the Knish Knosh, which she describes as “a reuben on top of a potato knish”. Imagine a pile of meat topped with potato gratin and a blanket of melted cheese… are you still with me? It was delicious, but definitely not for the faint of heart. I had a roast beef sandwich since I want to judge places that claim themselves as (New York) delis by something simple. This sandwich did not disappoint. The rye bread holds up on its own against the pile of peppered roast beef, which is full of flavor. Each bite is as good as the next, which to me is a wonderful sign of good food. The meat doesn’t mush into itself and proves to be a bit of a challenge. Sandwiches are served with a side of potato or macaroni salad, of which I had the former. Nothing too special there, but it tasted freshly made.
We vowed to get dessert, lured by the spinning lazy susans full of cakes, pies and eclairs loitering by the entrance near our table. After debating and some coaxing by our server, we settled on Kenny and Ziggy’s Famous Torte, a veritable stack of cheesecake and chocolate mousse on an Oreo cookie crust. I’m not a fan of cheesecake since it’s usually too rich and dense for me, but the mousse helped to cut a bit of it. It was a bit much for me, but if you love cheesecake, you’ll love this as well.
The service is also very good – our waiter was very attentive to all of the tables in his area. There is a meat/bread display, but it’s not a true ‘deli’ where you can order that stuff for home use, I believe. They do cater and have a to go menu, though. Just be prepared to have a Texas sized platter with a New York attitude!