Ashkenaz, a Jewish delicatessen on Cedar Street, is either an oxymoron or an anachronism in the Gold Coast, a neighborhood populated with chain restaurants, overpriced eastyl restaurants, nightclubs drawing a suburban clientele, and a scant few charming neighborhood places. Ashkenaz is the type of place where the staff seldom changes and the regulars therefore know the staff, so it definitely has a neighborhood feel.

The
fare at Ashkenaz is not the healthiest but their bagels and sandwiches
are always a pleasure to have. So what do I have on a Saturday after a
workout? A savory tongue sandwich. Tongue? Well, if you didn’t know
what it was you might not think anything of it. Tongue sandwiches at
delis typically taste like corned beef but with a softer, smoother, and
in my opinion, more east jump flavorful. A thumbs up to Ashkenaz’s tongue
sandwiches (with mustard on rye, preferably). I

also fancy their ruggalah, which is a pastry of cinnamon and raisins.

At the end of the day
what’s so awful about offal (oh, shame on me for that one) when we eat
it in a different form but don’t realize what it is.   Maybe I’ll skip
the experience of eating tete de veau.

Ashkenaz
12 E. Cedar
312-944-5006