Maven’s Delicatessen
Fresh baked bagels, thick cut past me, crispy potato pancakes. There is nothing like a classic New York style deli serving the ultimate combination of nourishment and nostalgia. And there's a new place to get all those classic old world flavors: Maven’s Delicatessen in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
We're in the Blackstone Plaza, right on the Pawtucket - Providence line. And according to the sign Maven’s was established in the year 5783 (that's according to the Jewish calendar). It really opened up in December of 2023, so this restaurant is pretty new, but it feels like it has been here forever. It looks like it's been around for 100 years. Maven’s was founded by Jason Sugarman. He grew up in the restaurant business. He's always been obsessed with delis, and so he decided, ‘I'm going to create the ultimate Jewish deli, and I'm going to do it right here in his own home state of Rhode Island’. They do everything the old fashioned way. It is all made from scratch. They cure their own meats, they bake their own breads. This restaurant is pretty new, but it is classic and nostalgic through and through.
Maven’s has a big menu and lots of options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but I want to start with the sandwich that defines this place, the Reuben. And I want to specifically recommend the Pastrami Reuben. If you don't know, pastrami is the king of all deli meats. I mean, just look at that beef. Look at the nice peppery bark on the outside. Then they stack it up nice and high, along with some sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, their house made Russian dressing, and it's all served on some toasted rye bread. And yes, of course, they make their own rye bread right here. So when you take a bite of this, you have that great peppery crust on the outside, really buttery, savory beef. And they keep some fat on it that enhances the flavor and also makes that texture just melt in your mouth.
Of course, a New York style deli, they're going to have the corned beef. And the corned beef here is spectacular. Most places you get a corned beef sandwich, it’s very lean. It's sliced very thin. It is the exact opposite here. This corned beef is sliced super thick, and it is definitely fatty. You can order it lean if you want. But who wants that you're at a deli. Just get the fat. Just give me a big stack of corned beef, some nice spicy deli mustard, and some fresh baked bread. And that is my kind of sandwich. Lots of meat, lots of mustard, good bread. We got a new king of corned beef here, folks.
To start your meal with something traditional and tasty, I definitely recommend the knishes. Knishes are a traditional Jewish food. It's like a turnover or a dumpling. Of course, they have the traditional potato knish, which has mashed potatoes on the inside, dough on the outside. You gotta smear some nice mustard on top. My favorite starter is definitely the beef knish. So this has that fresh made dough, inside it is stuffed with a combination of smoked pastrami and corned beef and potato, and they serve it in a pool of the juices in which that brisket is cooked. I've never seen anything like it, and I've never tasted anything like it. This knish is knuts!
If you come into Maven’s for breakfast, you might want to get some French toast or some pancakes. Specifically, the potato pancakes. It's made with real fresh shredded potatoes. They're formed into little disks. They are deep fried in oil, so they come out nice and golden, really crunchy, really crispy. Traditionally, they're served with some sour cream and some apple sauce, so you just smear some sour cream over the top. Top it off with a little bit of that apple sauce. It is just the ultimate Jewish deli bite.
As for the French toast, it's not just your regular everyday French toast. This is challah French toast. I think challah makes for the best french toast because it is naturally sweet and you can cut it super thick. So you just batter it. You got some egg, some vanilla, some cinnamon on the griddle, nice and toasty. Throw on some fresh fruit, sprinkle it with powdered sugar, little bit of maple syrup drizzled over the top, and that is one sweet way to start your deli day.
For a lot of people, when you think about a Jewish deli, you think about bagels. These are authentic New York style bagels, and they make them right here. They are big, crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Here is the ultimate bagel platter, known as the Maven’s Lox Plate. You get a fresh, toasted bagel, a smear of cream cheese, and it comes with all the traditional accompaniments, some tomato, capers, red onion, cucumber, and most importantly, the lox itself. They actually cold smoke this right here in house. And then you can assemble the ultimate breakfast sandwich. I like mine with an everything bagel, chive cream cheese, all the toppings and lots and lots of lox. You just can't beat this. You cannot beat this bagel. Perfection. You know, just a few years ago, a lot of people thought delis were dead. But if there's one thing that Maven’s has proved is that the New York style deli is back, and it is better than ever.
