Fullerton Reviews
Roscoe's
Famous Deli
is brought to you by the owners of Hero's Bar and Grill, which was one
of the only restaurants in Downtown Fullerton during its dark
pawn-shop-days, and a favorite of mine. Roscoe's has been a long time
coming, being developed for more than two years before opening just
recently. Because of this, and because Jerry's
Famous Deli and New York's (and
Las Vegas') Stage
Deli are both favorites of mine,
I had very high hopes for Roscoe's. Perhaps too high.
Perhaps the the problem is that when I think "Deli," I'm thinking about
what is popularly known as a "Jewish Deli." Such a Deli has a huge menu
with at least 100 items, if not three times this. Of course there's
cold sandwiches with freshly sliced deli meat (aka "cold cuts," where I
grew up) on fresh bread, but there's also breakfast dishes, hot
open-faced sandwiches, bagels with lox and cream cheese, matzah-ball
soup, and so forth. There may even be full dinners with steak, fish,
burgers, or even pizza.
And compared to this, Roscoe's menu comes up at little short. The menu has
exactly 15 items, and all of them are (mostly cold) sandwiches. True,
they are piled so high with freshly-sliced meat that you'll want to
remove some in order to get your mouth around them. And true,
my ham and my wife's turkey were very tasty. But what we're really
talking about here is a sandwich shop, not what I would call a deli.
Whenever I go to a deli for the first time, I always try a beef brisket
sandwich and matzah-ball soup to get a feel for the joint, but not at
Roscoe's. And not to be a cold-cut snob, but I wouldn't say that
there's anything special about the meats Roscoe's uses; I can (and do)
buy better cold cuts from my local Stater Brothers or Henry's Market
for around $7 a pound.
Side dishes are limited to 5 different salads (like potato, macaroni,
bean, etc.), a crock of chili (probably Hero's excellent recipe), or a
cup of the soup of the day. A half pickle comes with each sandwich. Not
liking salads like this, or pickles (see my
deal about this), I can't really
comment on how good they are, but I will note that you can't get fries
or even chips on the side of your sandwich, which is a little unusual.
In other respects, Roscoe's is a jewel. The decor is classy, with
marble-topped tables, a marble bar/counter, rich dark wood benches and
booths, and fine white tile floors. There are two dozen novelty soda's
available, such as Mexican Coke and Pepsi, Bubble-Up, Moxie, and my
personal favorite, Sioux City Saspirilla (known as White Rock Root Beer
to us New Yorkers). There are plenty of beers on tap too. In short, I
love the decor and atmosphere at Roscoe's.
Simply put, I just wish the menu offerings matched the stylish
environment.
Highs:
Great atmosphere and soda selection. Good sandwiches.
Lows:
Not much of a deli menu. The meats don't knock my socks off.
Bottom
Line: A great sandwich shop,
if not really a deli.
Roscoe's
Famous Deli, 116 W.
Commonwealth, Fullerton, CA 92832. 714-879-2153
The city of Fullerton, CA is going through a bit of
a restaurant renaissance. Downtown Fullerton was, as recently as 5
years ago, the Orange County capital of pawn shops and antique stores,
but not anymore. Now it seems the city's managers want you to get your
hair done at one of the 6 downtown salons, then eat at one of the more
than 12 downtown restaurants, then get sloppy-drunk at one of the more
than 6 late-night bars, and then maybe sober up at one of the two or
three coffee-houses before driving home.
But not me. I don't
have to sober up to drive home. I don't have to drive home. I live
right-smack the heart of Downtown Fullerton in a 100-year-old building,
mere footsteps away from all the new dining and drinking action. I've been living in the heart of Downtown Fullerton for more than 10 years - perhaps longer than anybody else in this town except my wife. Nobody
sees it and experiences it like I do.
And given that I'm a
professional reviewer of stuff, and an amateur eater (I've been eating
at least twice a day for years now), I've taken it upon myself to start
reviewing Downtown Fullerton restaurants like no one else can.
And
now for the fine print: I have no relationship with anyone owning any
of these establishments, except that I'm casual friends with the owners
of the Reagan Vintage Arcade, the (former) Hub Café, and The
Cosmopolitan bar . And no, it isn't that I have a lot of friends;
they're just owned by the same people.
And Thing Number 2: I
don't like vegetables. Sorry, I would like to like vegetables, but I
just don't, so don't write me and tell me about they problems I'll have
later in life due to my diet. I work out. I take vitamins. I otherwise
watch what I eat. I just don't like almost all vegetables, and most
fruits. Oh, and fish too.
And Thing Number 3: This is my
blog, not yours. If you don't like my review, post a comment. If you
don't think I'm being fair, then write your own review on your own
blog.
Ultimately, my goal here is to be a useful resource for
people wanting to know about the dining scene here in Downtown
Fullerton. If all you are looking for is a simple list of restaurants, addresses, and phone numbers, click here. I hope you enjoy the show.
