Atlantic City Weekly

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Kiss Me, I'm Jewish

Giant deli sandwiches and Dr. Brown's sodas among the treats at Fitzpatrick's

By Sharon Harris-Zlotnick --> IN TIME FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY, you may need the luck of the Irish to get a table during the day at Fitzpatrick's Jewish Style Delicatessen. Weekend breakfast and weekday lunchtime are particularly busy times, and it is not unusual to see people waiting to be seated at the Somers Point restaurant.

The name may seem odd because it combines two distinctly different cooking styles, but owner Bill Hurst knew it would spark conversation and draw attention when he and his father, Carl, bought the business in 1989 from Brian Fitzpatrick, whose wife was Jewish. Once Fitzpatrick assumed the business from his own father, his wife helped introduce a new cooking style and menu. Fitzpatrick's is Jewish-style, but not kosher.

Hurst moved to the Groveland Center on New Road in 1994, but expanded in 2001 by breaking through into the adjoining store and doubling his space. He now can seat 128 at 30 light wood booths and tables.

The restaurant is open and spacious, and several ceiling fans circulate the air. Good acoustics prevent hearing the conversations at neighboring tables. The grill and display cases showcase the cooking, along with the meats and deli salads available for sandwiches and salad platters. Beverage choices include such old time deli favorites as Dr. Brown's sodas and a New York style egg cream.

I invited John, a personal trainer, for lunch knowing that he would motivate me to eat healthy. Working out with him has been a bonus since I have sampled great food over the past few months for this column. We arrived around noon, and saw some open seats, but within 30 minutes, the turnover of tables was constant.

Jamie, our server, thoroughly knew the menu. John ordered a triple scoop salad platter for $9.50, which included chicken, shrimp and tuna salads on a bed of lettuce with hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes and olives. She asked John what type of lettuce he wanted because they use leaf unless requested otherwise. He ordered spinach as the salad base.

Breakfast is served throughout the day, so I decided on eggs. Diners can choose a three-egg omelette, three fillings, home fries and toast for $7.25. I opted for a mushroom, tomato and provolone cheese combo, grilled tomatoes instead of the potatoes and dry rye toast. I also requested the omelette cooked loosely.

While waiting, we saw several giant deli sandwiches being served around us. Whether it was corned beef, roast beef, turkey, tuna or chicken, the portions were large and the cole slaw and potato salad looked fresh. The French fries also looked delicious.

I could not hide my surprise when I saw the plate with my omelette. Jamie made sure it was done loosely, but the portion was very small, especially for the cost.

John's salad platter was a different story. The wonderful chicken salad was fresh and not drowning in mayonnaise. He also liked the tuna salad, but wasn't crazy about the shrimp salad, which was overflowing with mayonnaise. We learned that Fitzpatrick's makes everything else but the shrimp salad on site. John described the plum tomatoes as fresh and ripe, as was the spinach.

Fitzpatrick's has a selection of cold salad platters for $5.95 to $9.50, plus a huge variety of deli sandwiches for $4.75 to $7.95. The menu includes such favorites as pastrami, egg salad, baked ham, chopped chicken liver and salami. Grilled Reubens can be made with a choice of corned beef, turkey or pastrami, complete with melted Swiss cheese and sauerkraut and Russian dressing.

Other varieties include tortilla wraps, grilled sandwiches, eight-ounce hamburgers, chicken breast sandwiches, combination sandwiches, double decker sandwiches, open face sandwiches and "Fitzssants" on a croissant.

Side orders such as lettuce and tomato, bacon, extra meat, fried onions, onion rings and cole slaw and Russian dressing will add another .50 to $3.25 to the final bill.

A large glass dessert case sits in the center of the dining room filled with goodies like fresh pies, chocolate puddings and cakes.

Fitzpatrick's serves dinner from 4 to 8pm, Tuesday through Friday. Seafood, beef and chicken platters, served with soup or salad and two sides, are priced from $10.95 to $14.95. Diners may bring their own bottles.

Fitzpatrick's Jewish Style Delicatessen is located at 501 New Rd. (Groveland Center), Somers Point. The phone number is 653-8155. They open daily at 7am and close on Saturday and Monday at 5pm and Sunday at 3pm. No reservations necessary. Major credit cards accepted. Free parking on shopping center lot. Entire menu is available for takeout, and a full catering menu may be designed for any party or meeting.