Elina Shatkin of the Los Angeles Weekly’s online LAWeekly.com is conducting a “30 Sandwiches in 30 Days” marathon – and Day 12 was none other than Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant versus Oinkster. Here’s Elina’s take on our delicious #19:

Want to look like a dyed-in-the-wool Angeleno? Next time you visit Langer’s, sit down and order the #19 without glancing at the menu. Better yet, don’t order the #19. Order any other sandwich at Langer’s as long as it features pastrami — and don’t look at the menu.

Langer’s pastrami, however, needs no accoutrements….It is sliced thickly, more like a slab of brisket than the thin, curling pastrami at most sandwich shops, whether they’re of the artisanal or drive-through variety. The meat itself is tender and warm, modestly seasoned but intensely meaty, peppery without the overpowering sense of spice. It comes on rye bread so crusty, it makes Andy Rooney look like Pollyanna. Yet the bread, in a true miracle of nature’s duality, is somehow exceptionally soft and chewy.

Her verdict?

There can only be one winner. It’s Langer’s. Still #1.

Thank you, Elina! We’re proud of the award and are grateful for your poetic descriptions of our beloved pastrami!

Click here to read the complete review.

Food blog and leading food app for smartphones and tablets LocalEats.com has published their Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant review and listing:

Declaring a favorite Los Angeles deli may be as dangerous as proclaiming love for the Giants in Dodger Stadium. You can say with certainty, however, that since 1947, Angelenos have flocked to Langer’s somewhat precarious neighborhood —just west of downtown, across from MacArthur Park — for what many claim is the world’s best pastrami sandwich. Even a scattering of New York’s corned beef connoisseurs cede to the superior tender layers of sugar-cured and seasoned meat, while curbside service and a recently added subway stop on the Metro Red Line have helped everyone from downtown heavyweights to Hollywood’s most elite nosh alongside their kosher-style-loving brethren.

We even made it to their “Top 100” list – thank you, LocalEats! Click here to view the listing, and make sure you download their app for your smartphone or tablet.