My name is Saul, which if no one told you is an old Jewish man’s name.
Saul is the sort of man who — to me — you’d expect to find retired in Miami wearing Birkenstocks and a Hawaiian shirt, holding a lox bagel while simultaneously complaining about the quality of the salmon. Trust me. Try being Saul at age 11 on a playground at a Northern California public school; my name was pretty much unknown except among a few Christian kids who knew the difference between King Saul versus Solomon. And I only have “Better Call Saul” to thank for anyone pronouncing it right nowadays.
Recently I heard the name “Saul’s Restaurant & Delicatessen” in Berkeley, and knew I had to visit because I thought, “This must be an old Jewish man’s restaurant, he’ll know good salmon.” It turns out I was right: Saul Lichtenstein, who the restaurant was named after, is so old that he is no longer with us.
His daughter Andra named it after her father in 1986 when she acquired the deli through a partnership, and the namesake remains even though ownership changed hands just last year. Andra still visits, and I needed to go; I wandered in one day after the millionth person recommended Wise Sons, which I’ll explain in a bit why this is somewhat ill-advised.
On a rainy day not long ago at Saul’s, I found a respectable corned beef sandwich, lox bagel and matzo ball soup, along with an amazing grape soda. “Respectable” for me resembles American Ashkenazi fare found in the Midwest (Corky & Lenny’s in Cleveland) and East Coast (Carnegie Deli, naturally).
Basically: it’s a sandwich you can’t fit in your mouth that’s served on rye, with a jar of pickles on the side, and a huge, salty matzo ball that almost defies physics with how fluffy and soft it is.
Nothing at Saul’s was quite the right size — I’m looking for a heart attack on a plate — but it all tasted great. I’ve never had toasted bread on my corned beef sandwich, and I felt robbed that it didn’t come with pickles. (Apparently you can order them individually for $1.50.) Other notable orders included a latke with applesauce and sour cream, a chocolate macaroon, and rugelach:
I realize my little adventure looks more like a fast-track guide to gaining several pounds, but really I schlepped out that day because I’ve been dying for good Jewish food. In more than a decade living here, I have heard only of “a place near Union Square” (maybe David’s Delicatessen) and Wise Sons, which is a chain that has somehow convinced enough locals to stay open and spread good word of mouth. Almost everyone recommends it.
And while calling Wise Sons terrible is probably a bridge too far, I also struggle to remain polite. It’s edible in the same way a Starbucks barista could hypothetically offer a packaged reuben and ask, “Do you want me to heat that up for you?”
My boyfriend — who like me, is a Reform Jew — described most offerings here as “a bagel that’s been cinnamoned” or “beef that has been corned,” which is to say: bland.
I expect some sort of telegram from Wise Sons for badmouthing them without notice, so rest assured that at least I gave them a college try with half a dozen visits, one catered event, and a recent outing just for this story. I tried nearly the same menu items as Saul’s, including the same sandwiches, soup, and dessert.
They describe various preparation methods to make the food great at Wise Sons; unfortunately, it just didn’t taste that way. I was surprised to learn this chain has only operated since 2011, back when people lined around the block for its creations. Maybe this is just a bad chapter for a relatively new business.
Far be it for me to not pull out a search engine, but on a brighter note, there are at least a few options left to explore on my bucket list since I began my recent quest. Here are some other Jewish-inspired spots I still need to try:
One Market
1 Market St., San Francisco
— Serving “Mark ‘n Mikes” NY-style deli food, a pop-up that appeared in 2020. Currently serving Passover meals through April 13th, and the brisket sandwich looks amazing.
Oakland Kosher Foods
3419 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland
— Established in 1962, this butcher and deli serves up knishes and big sandwiches that look pretty promising.
Don’t forget your bagels:
I am by no means a bagel aficionado, so take my advice with a grain of kosher salt.
- Schlok’s at 1263 Fell St., San Francisco
- House of Bagels at 5030 Geary Blvd., San Francisco
- Boichik Bagels at 3170 College Ave., Berkeley
- Poppy Bagels at 5004 Telegraph Ave., Oakland
- I’m also not against various local Noah’s Bagels and Posh Bagel options
Saul Sugarman is editor in chief of The Bold Italic.
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