Gerry Urbaniak’s 8th Street Deli

After many entries, I drew a reader’s name to join me for my eighth week.  Jen and Tim Benacci were chosen, and I was excited to meet them for lunch.  My final stop on my local favorites tour brought me back to Gerry Urbaniak’s 8th Street Deli in the Colony Plaza.  Jen and Tim met me there around noon on Monday, and we were ready to eat.

I didn’t need a menu, seeing as how I was there for the ox roast.  I couldn’t force lunch upon my guests, so I let them order what they wanted.  Jen decided to go with the Chicago Special, and Tim got the delicious Pastrami Reuben.  I have been in Erie for eight years now and have never had “ox roast” so I was excited to eat this award-winning sandwich.

>For those of you who aren’t familiar with ox roast, prepare yourself; it is not from an ox.  Ox roast is simply thinly sliced roast beef.  A lot of the time, is a tougher, fattier cut of meat, and the thin slicing helps tenderize it.  I have had many of the sandwiches from Gerry’s, and this one lives up to the others.  It was massive.  The roll was fresh and had a perfect texture.  The beef itself had good flavor, but the au jus and horseradish it was served with really put it over the top.  The horseradish has an amazing kick that hits you right in the sinuses.  It may be a little strong for some people, but I couldn’t get enough of it.  The au jus had a rich beefy flavor that really brought the sandwich to life.  The roll absorbed all of the saltiness from the jus and made each bite perfect.

Though I have never had ox roast before, I have had plenty of roast beef sandwiches, and this one is really near the top of the list.  Everything about this sandwich was delicious, and I highly recommend it to anyone.

As for the other sandwiches, the Chicago Special is pastrami, turkey and Swiss cheese on toasted rye bread. Jen got the secret sauce on the side and really enjoyed the sandwich.  This is one that I would love to try in the future.  I have had the Rueben sandwiches from Gerry’s, and they are all delicious.  The pastrami goes incredibly well with the homemade kraut.  This sandwich is also a fantastic choice.

I want to give a special thank you to both Jen and Tim Benacci for reading my blog as well as joining me for a meal.  Thank you again to Gerry Urbaniak’s Deli for the fantastic food and great service. Next week will be my overall review of my “Erie’s Favorites” tour.  Remember to come back and vote for my next food choice as well.

Until next time,

Andrew – Beard vs. Food