This award-winning restaurant group has a variety of restaurants, all with a distinctive style, while also offering incredible food and friendly service. This particular restaurant, located at 308 1/2 Wilson Street, gives a big nod to the New York-style Jewish deli. I'm very happy they did, because New York is much farther than Santa Rosa from where I live in California.
The indoor dining option allows for a swanky, posh diner feel with high tables, dark wood and leather-bound stools and booths, while the outdoor dining option is a bit more casual with picnic-style tables and large umbrellas for shade. But the food tastes equally good whether indoors or out, and the to-go deli section also allows extra smoked salmon, bagels and more, to purchase and take home.
https://grossmanssr.com/
Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.
Crispy Corned Beef Reuben Croquettes. Delicate walnut-sized balls of corned beef and gravy. These had a nice crisp shell on the outside and a bit of ooze on the inside. The "special sauce" reminded me of a Russian dressing with some sweetness, creaminess and tanginess.
Chicken Schnitzel. A flattened piece of chicken thigh was breaded and fried in butter until crispy and golden. I loved the way the fries were cut, keeping them crunchy longer and adding more surface to hold onto the spices, which included fresh garlic, cumin and black pepper. The fried capers, onions and lemon slices were also a great complement to the succulent and juicy chicken.
Smoked & Pickled Fish Board. All my favorite ways of prepared fish were on this plate. The smoked mackerel and salmon were wonderfully aromatic, flaky and savory. Then the pickled herring with pickled onion was tangy and zesty. The salmon rillette was creamy and the house-cured salmon was buttery and smooth. The pastrami-cured salmon was a new one for me and the beet-red color and spice flavors worked just as well in fish form as it does in beef form. The sides of cream cheese, sprinkles of capers and cured salmon eggs and bread basket full of bagel, sourdough, and matzo made every bite interesting, balanced and delicious.
Smoked Meat Board. Served with the same loaded bread basket as the fish board, this was a meal for a very hungry person or three. The pastrami and corned beef were savory and tender, the "old world" beef foot long hot dog was indeed a foot long and also a much better version than the one from the grocery store lunch meat aisle. The smoked turkey advanced into a sandwich the next day along with the chopped chicken liver topped with caramelized onions and hard-boiled egg. The dill pickle balanced out all the savory delights and I was happy through several meals across several days.
Challah. A delightful version of this eggy bread was from the bakery attached to the restaurant. The inside had a beautiful yellow hue, the texture was pillow-y and seeds sprinkled on top gave it a nice texture. This bread enabled me to make a few delicious sandwiches using all my leftovers from the fish and meat boards.
As a lover of all things from the sea, I would definitely return for the fish board. As a curious eater, I'm also looking forward to trying out the other interesting and varied menu items each time I visit.
