You Gotta Eat: Canter's Delicatessen

Well stacked: Canter's thick sandwiches are well worth the bread

By Brock Radke

A buddy's girlfriend recently asked him what it is we talk about all the time. It's not that we talk that much; she was just wondering how her girly chats of clothes, diets and whatever else women talk about compare with the conversations between men.

So he told her: sandwiches. Sandwiches dominate about 75 percent of our conversations. She didn't believe him. But it's true.

Las Vegas is not a deli town. Despite all of our transplants from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and all other meat-havens in between, most of the local populace gets its sandwich fix from the ever-expanding franchise options (my buddy seems partial to Subway, but I favor Jimmy John's). More authentic delicatessens can be found sprinkled about our suburban strip malls, but there are none that stand above the rest.

Enter Canter's, an icon of an eatery and a Hollywood fixture for the last 75 years, famous for its corned beef and pastrami. Canter's opened inside Treasure Island in 2003 but soon shut down to make way for a trendy, Jordan Mozer-designed renovation. It reopened in April, and now the hip, 125-seat deli sits near the hotel's sports book, enticing tourists with its ultra-modern look and promises of stacked, salty sandwiches.

The food easily backs up the reputation, founded when the Canter brothers opened their restaurant in 1924 in New Jersey and elevated to legendary status when they relocated to Southern California seven years later. Once you order, you can take a seat in a comfy leather booth--or, if your ass is narrow, in one of the bubble-chairs at the counter--and start salivating.

There are plenty of cholesterol-raising options on the menu: Hebrew National hot dogs, chopped liver, a great cheeseburger and some rich cheese blintzes. But the sandwiches are without question the best bet, and size doesn't necessarily matter--there will be plenty of meat piled on no matter what you order, but it's the little things that set Canter's apart, such as the soft, sourdough rye bread, some mustard-tinged coleslaw, and the crisp, tangy pickles.

The Canter's Delight packs on pastrami, corned beef, ham, turkey and Swiss cheese, because why wouldn't you want as much of the menu as possible? The Reuben, available in corned beef, pastrami or turkey with loads of sauerkraut, is another winner.

Everything seems to be perfect here, right down to the matzo ball soup and home-baked danish, but there are a few flaws. These aren't the cheapest sandwiches around. Alone they run around eight bucks, but tack on some of that great slaw or potato salad and a beer and you've dropped almost $17.

Also, there's a mustard issue. Sure, the hot/sweet and deli-style Beaver brands they keep on hand are tasty, but how about some more variety? And for some reason, Canter's, open from 11 a.m. until midnight, doesn't take phone-in, take-out orders, which merits a cry of deli sacrilege. Luckily, the food is worth a trip through the casino.

So come on, Las Vegas, the real stuff is here now. Give up your Port of Subs and get with the program.