The Jewish delicatessens of Houston street are no local secret. Katz's has achieved a near epic reputation as a haven for lunch meats and Jewish deli staples. Nearby Russ and Daughters has achieved a reputation as the local gourmets market of choice for smoked fishes. All of these places are excellent sources of the foods they specialize in, but to me Yonah Schimmel will be the Jewish eatery of choice. Its not so much that Yonah Schimmel outdoes Katz or Russ's (its knishes are the best in the city, but it doesn't offer half the foods that the other two do). Instead Yonah's wins in my opinion because of its authenticity. Its the only one of the delis where the man behind the counter has an eastern European accent, and the eatery had remained operated by the family of it's original namesake. The dining room is pleasantly nostalgic if not a little shabby, and the menu, while limited to Knishes, has enough variety of knishes to satisfy most of your moods. The Knishes are freshly baked and delivered by dumbwaiter to the dining room where they are served by the slightly surly but certainly authentic Mr Schimmel himself. Unlike Katz's Yonah's hasn't become a brand name, and unlike Russ's it hasn't began to cater to the rich. Its not the best offering of Jewish food (except for the Kinishes) but its my personal favorite and Ol' Dirty heartfully endorses it next time your near Houstan and First Ave.
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