the general muir

today was my day to try the general muir across from nih. it's an upscale deli---an interesting concept. te menu is full of traditionaldeliitems, some with a twist. the décor is bright and sunny, a far cry from the flouresent ambience of a new yorkdelilike katz's or the stage. the service was a little reserved but efficient. i tried the veggie reuben, one of those deli-with-a-twist items. it has two kinds of cheese and sauerkraut. the role of the meat is played by sliced beets. it's a pretty inspired idea; the beets give a meaty taste and texture. the only drawback, and it was a minor one, was that the beets, being much more slippery than meat, kept sliding out of the sandwich.

the misfit foodies go mishugina (crazy) for the new jewish delicatessen, the general muir! chef todd ginsberg joins ben and jennifer johnson of the west egg cafe for another popular and tasty venture. ginsberg, a jersey boy with a dream of opening adelihas moved on from bocado where his double-stack burger gained notoriety. what’s in a name? the uss general c. h. muir, ap-142 transport ship was launched november 24, 1944. the general muir takes its name from this ship, boarded by holocaust survivors, jennifer’s mother and grandparents, arriving in new york following world war ii. hanging on the walls are photos of the owners’ ancestors. the restaurant honors and continues their food traditions. counter service or table service? breakfast, lunch, dinner, brunch, cocktails, coffee or dessert? what a wonderful array of choices. i gathered with the misfit foodies for dinner at the general muir.

you can find the general muir at 1540 avenue pli'm, ste b-230, emory point, atlanta, ga 30329 in the heart of emory village. parking is along the streets (a bit limited) or there are a few lots if you don't mind walking (i'd advise this as the area is quite busy). i had heard about the general muir from a few friends and have been wanting to visit - unfortunately it's in a part of town where i don't frequent. i had an opportunity (wife out of town) and a craving for an exquisite burger in mind so made the muir my destination one late afternoon. i had heard and read about the general muir taking general menu queues from a traditional new york style jewishdeliso i had a specific image in mind at the outset. i was literally blown away by the interior of this place on arrival - much more upscale than anydelii've visited - this place would make an awesome date-night destination (but note that they do close by 9:00 pm during the week).

if you're into breakfast, you cannot have missed the west egg café in west midtown and chef todd ginsberg replicates his success there with the general muir, an authenticdeliexperience. in a tribute to the new york jewish deli, meats are cured and smoked in-house and bagels are hand-rolled and kettle boiled. if you are from the new york/new jersey area or have visited often, you will find you are uniquely able to appreciate this gift to the atlanta foodie community.

fantastic brunch. crisped pastrami hash is my favorite dish. hot, fresh coffee-- awesome house blend roasted locally by batdorf & bronson. i always get stuff to-go from thedelion my out. the bagels are hands-down the best in town and freeze well. i'd say the desserts are some of the best i've had, as well. interior is beautifully designed and patio is spacious and pleasant.

a greatdeliin the metro. we were there last month for lunch. the reuben was the stuff of my dreams- the meat was thick and tender. the matzo ball soup is amazingly good. the pastrami sandwich was killer as well. great pickles and sides. this people is the real deal. dinner must rock as well.

not the real deal!. this is not a real ny styledelijust a southern version of one. pastrami sandwich had large pieces of fat disguised as meat. it is fine that the meat be fatty when cooked as this gives flavor but the meat should be trimmed well before serving it in a sandwich. i don't like biting into fat! my husband ordered a turkey sandwich which was mostly bread along with a thin slice of turkey + paper thin slices of portobello mushrooms, creme fraiche and arugula. now i ask you, what nydelihave you ever seen such a sandwich served at?? disappointed to say the least! the only fhing ny about this place are the high prices- we paid almost $40 incl. tip for 2 sandwiches, cole slaw, potato salad ( had no taste) and one soda. won't be back, sorry!

it’s a moderndeliwith a similar atmosphere to the optimist in the sense that it is very open, clean, and has a nice bar. we skipped over the appetizers this time, but during my last visit we devoured the chopped liver with ease.  on this occasion i opted for the fried chicken because my server used the fear of loss sales tactic saying that

best local deli. having dined at some of the finest deli's in new york, miami, boca, chicago, and toronto, i can honestly say this place is head and shoulders above every otherdeliin atlanta. once you've dined here you'll never be satisfied by goldberg's again.

the menu is limited, but what they have is well executed.

best way to describe the place: fresh, local, and chef driven meets classic new york style jewish deli.

food - 8/10 - zingerman's and carnegiedeliare still better
service - 10/10
ambiance - 10/10 - probably the cleanestdelii've ever been to

maybe after my next trip to atlanta i can attest to the quality of the general muir’s breakfast, pastrami poutine, or if the burger that chef todd gingsberg popularized at bocado survived the trip. however, based on this first look at the general muir, i’m pretty sure that goldberg’s is no longer my go todeliin atlanta.

i made it over to the general muir yesterday for brunch and i left content and full. for those of you that don't know, the general muir is the new jewishdeliconcept by the folks at west egg and the former chef of bocado. it's located in a new retail district on the emory campus and across from the cdc. the menu is made up primarily of jewishdeliitems like bagels with smoke/cured fish, matzoh ball soup, and the "what would a jewishdelibe without a" pastrami sandwich. i got the latter and i think it's safe to say it's the best pastrami sandwich in atlanta. but consider this - is there any competition? if you say jason's deli, i'll smack you in the mouth i'm neal diamond. the pastrami comes stacked high with some mustard on rye, as it should. overall it's a delicious sandwich but once you've had langer's  (which i consider to be the best sandwich on the planet) to compare to, well it's no comparison at all, really. the pastrami was peppery and had the unctuous fatty flavor/bits that

the general muir, a jewish-styledeliin emory point across from the cdc later this year. quite frankly this was the highlight of the day as we discussed recipes for kreplach soup and the merits of sweet vs. savory matzo brei. let’s just hope they keep the pickle jars stocked and the pastrami plentiful, because whether my little foodies like it or not we will become regulars! it’s in our blood.