DECENT DELI

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Dec 21, 2007 | by NATHANIEL GLEN

For all its sophistication, all its money, and all its decadent $45-just-for-the-soup restaurants, New York has only managed to export its most bluecollar meals: the floppy New York pizza slice, the humble bagel and the Jewish deli sandwich.

Of them, the sandwich is sometimes the hardest to find. In its classic form, it consists of a skimpy swipe of mustard and two woefully inadequate, thin slices of bread pulled into the orbit of a massive heap of hot corned beef or pastrami. The whole thing is held together by one slender toothpick poking from the top as a sort of monument to the futility of fitting the thing in your mouth. But where can you find such a beast? The Jewish deli is one of the few ethnic-restaurant niches the corporate world has yet to conquer. To get a real sandwich, depending on your tastes, the pickings are slim, unless you go to Denver or other cities with large Jewish populations. So I was delighted when I spied an ad for Cathy's Deli. There, under the words "Best Corned Beef & Pastrami in Town" was a pinup of that awesomely meaty sandwich, toothpick and all.

I had to go.

Unfortunately, like everything from Michael Bay flicks to mail- order brides, the real thing rarely lives up to the ad.

The little restaurant in a new strip of shops in the North Powers retail megaplex has sunny yellow walls and hip corrugated metal accents that make it look more like a smoothie bar than a stereotypical bleak Jewish deli. (One of my favorite delis, Katz's in New York, makes most third-world airport waiting areas look cheery by comparison.) But so what? The owner of Cathy's, (that would be Cathy Anderson) is from sunny California. And besides, as far as I was concerned, she could nail Cabbage Patch dolls to the wall as long as the pastrami was good. But the pastrami ($7.99 for a combo) was only OK, lean but not flavorful, and the service felt clunky.

At the counter, Cathy hands diners a multiple-choice sheet, where they mark what kind of bread, meat, cheese, condiments and sides they want, then what style of sandwich -- melt, dip, Reuben, wrap, etc. The whole thing can be confusing. It's not unusual to see a line of people studying their forms and finally getting to the cash register only to go through everything again with Cathy.

"I was never any good at these kinds of tests," a friend said as he handed over his sheet. "Don't worry," said Cathy. "The first time it's hell. But after that it's easy."

Maybe. But the whole thing seems unnecessary. The sheet could turn into a lovable quirk if the sandwiches were really excellent. But like I said, they're only OK.

The Reuben had two slices of marble rye crisped on the grill and stuffed with just the right gooey dose of sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing and pastrami. But the pastrami, on several occasions, was so stringy that one bite pulled most of it out from the bread.

The stack of corned beef we ordered on pumpernickel was so thin it didn't warrant a toothpick. The bread was thick and doughy. Neither had a very memorable flavor. Service is slow, despite what seems like twice as many workers as needed behind the counter. If you go for lunch, expect a wait.

It's not that Cathy's is bad. Some dishes are pretty good. The matzo ball soup and the half-dozen other daily soups are made in- house, and the fresh-fried, crispy potato chips are a real treat. The brisket is slow cooked in the back, and the list of sides includes refreshing options such as cucumbers in rice vinegar.

The staff, which six weeks after the place opened still ran around the kitchen like the Marx Brothers, has made huge leaps in skill and efficiency.

But it may not be enough.

North Powers Boulevard is a shark tank of sleek, fast, casual dining. Competition is fierce. "Pretty good" probably won't keep the doors open among well-tuned corporate predators such as Chipotle or Rock Bottom Brewery. I hope I'm wrong. I want Cathy's to stick around long enough to live up to the gorgeous sandwich featured in ads. I want a place with thin rye and the highest quality kosher meat in town. I want the area's few independents in the northeast corner of town to hold their tenuous beachhead. But like one friend said after walking out from a so-so lunch, "You want to root for the underdog, but come on, they have to do their part, too."

details

CATHY'S DELI

2 Out of five (scattered, unexceptional)

Address: 4037 Tutt Blvd. Phone: 597-8888 Entrees:

$3.49-$11.99 Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays Vegetarian: Salads Liquor service: No Plastic: Yes