Chronicle Critic Lauds the Classic Sandwiches at Otherside Deli

Chronicle critic Jessi Cape reviewed Otherside Deli this week, and found excellent sandwiches from the former food truck. Now a “simple, cozy” brick and mortar at 34th Street, Cape named several menu standouts from the New Jersey-style deli.

Cape didn’t try to describe the breakfast pork roll (“thin-sliced delicacy grilled with eggs and cheese on a Wholy bagel”), but did offer that it makes getting out of bed something to look forward to. Her favorite sandwich was the Roddy, Otherside’s take on a patty melt:

with a pile of tender pastrami, gooey American cheese, grilled onion, and Russian dressing on toasted rye, with the very zesty spicy pepper relish add-on. It’s the kind of sandwich you’ll daydream about for days.

Cape called the meatball sub “very, very tasty” and the cheesesteak “way above par.” She also lauded the deli mustard, calling it “highly addictive.”

Texas Monthly barbecue critic Daniel Vaughn reviewed Whitfield’s trailer this week, finding unique pickled sides. The trailer, operated by Kasey Studdard, a former UT football star, and Scott Fogle, an alum of Stiles Switch, also turned out solid barbecue. (Josh Watkins, formerly of The Carillon, is no longer with the trailer, Vaughn reports.)

Vaughn recommends starting with the pork ribs, which have a “peppery rub with a hint of sweetness.” He also called the smoked turkey “juicy” and appreciated the balance of salt, smoke, and black pepper on the brisket.

However, he was most impressed by sides like pickled strawberries, smoked vegetables, and notably, the red potatoes:

Orbs of fried red potatoes, on the other hand, were spectacular. The potatoes are boiled until tender, then smashed and deep-fried until the outside is crisp, but the center remains fluffy. Brushed with smoked beef tallow and sprinkled with salt and a splash of vinegar, they’ll make you forget all about potato salad.

He did wish for a combination of the pickled options and a bit more seasoning on the smoked vegetables, but overall predicted the trailer would be a destination come spring.

Vaughn also did a feature on the pork ribs at The Brewer’s Table, calling them a “masterpiece.” Chef Zach Hunter shared the process, which involves several stages and leftover bits from the restaurant’s other dishes. The ribs are first cured, then left to rest for two weeks, smoked for an hour, left to sous-vide for 10 hours, and finally finished on the grill.

Before the finishing grill, the ribs are slathered with a “liquid toffee” of beer vinegar, squash scraps, and caramelized palm sugar, and then finished with the chef’s “garden dry rub.”

Of the ribs, Vaughn says:

The finished product has the qualities of smoked ribs, bacon, and ham all at once, with meat that barely clings to the bone. Hunter said the texture and the aesthetic of this dish have been an extended work in progress. “I’ve been thinking about this dish for, I don’t know, the last seven or eight years,” he said. It shows—they’re a masterpiece.

He also enjoyed the “colorful mix of seasonal pickles” that accompanied the ribs.

• Restaurant Review: Otherside Deli Offers Out-of-This-World Pastrami and Corned Beef Sandwiches [Chronicle]
• All coverage of Otherside Deli [EATX]
• All coverage of Whitfield’s [EATX]
• At the Brewer’s Table, Don’t Miss House-Aged Pork Ribs [Texas Monthly]
• All coverage of The Brewer’s Table [EATX]