89.3 KPCC Offramp: Langer’s Deli and Artist Marinus Welman

The famed paintings that hang in Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant, created by artist Marinus Welman in 1968, were the subject of a fascinating segment on Southern California Public Radio’s premiere weekend magazine program, Offramp:

Langer’s Delicatessen has been around for over 65 years now. The MacArthur Park-adjacent institution’s serves matzo ball soup, lox on bagel and the famous Number 19 sandwich. Past the hordes of pastrami-loving diners that line the booths you’ll find three paintings: they show a Langer’s Deli 45 years into the past.

Off-Ramp Kevin Ferguson found out the paintings are the work of a Dutch born painter named Marinus Welman who is still painting today. He went to Langers to investigate. Norm Langer, the deli’s owner says despite please to sell them, the paintings are a treasured part of his “public collection.”

Click here to read the complete article

Click here to visit Marinus Welman’s site

Huell Howser Archive at Chapman University

Chapman University in Orange invited us to visit the grand opening of the Huell Howser Archive on campus, including a display of many of the items from his extensive and eclectic collection. We took some photographs so that you can enjoy them as much as we did during our visit. It’s a wonderful reminiscence of this great man and his body of work, ranging from his home in Tennessee and his first broadcast experience at WSM in Nashville, to his many found-art objects from his travels and of course, his complete archive of video programs from the entirety of his career.

We are grateful to have been a part of Huell’s “Visiting…” series in 2010, and we are honored to have been invited to the grand opening celebration of his Archive at Chapman.

We encourage you to learn more by clicking here to visit the Chapman Huell Howser Archive site, and make plans to visit it yourself to learn more about Huell’s great and extensive career.

The Club Sandwich Club: Langer’s Club Sandwich

The Club Sandwich Club and its contributor Tom Jakubowicz recently paid a visit to Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant on the eve of a jet return to Europe, because they had been told that the best club sandwich in Los Angeles was to be found at Langer’s Deli. The verdict?

…you will only like Langer’s Club House Sandwich, if you are a club sandwich traditionalist. This means, that a club sandwich for you includes mayo, bacon, lettuce and tomatoes ONLY. It is very true to the place, Langer’s is a delicatessen restaurant with a lot of heritage and if you are expecting any fancy twists, or boiled eggs, or anything, you should look elsewhere (or add them to your order).

Bottom line: “22 out of 25 (Deli-cious!)”

Thank you, Tom and Club Sandwich Club, for the nod – we’re honored!

Click here to read the complete review with delicious looking photographs!

Jewish News One: National Pastrami Day at Langer’s Deli

Lindsey Mastis of Jewish News One visited Langer’s Delicatessen on National Pastrami Day to provide her viewers with a taste of the world’s best pastrami at one of America’s classic Jewish delicatessens.

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Order Langer’s Hot Pastrami for the Big Game This Sunday

Nothing goes with football like the one-of-a-kind taste of world-famous Langer’s hot pastrami — and you can bring that taste home for the big game this weekend with one phone call to 213-483-8050!

Langer’s has everything you need for the ultimate in football food — hot pastrami, deli meats, cheeses, salads, bread, even dessert — it’s all here, waiting for you and your fan friends and party guests.

Call us at 213-483-8050 now and we’ll help you custom-design a menu that’s perfect for you and your guests. Then we’ll have everything ready for you to pick up on either Friday or Saturday, so that it’s ready to serve on Sunday for the big game!

Call now: 213-483-8050 and say, “I want Langer’s for my football party!” We’ll take it from there!

Celebrate National Pastrami Day at Langer’s Monday Jan. 14th

If it’s January, then it’s time to celebrate the greatest delicacy ever known to humanity – pastrami!

Monday, January 14th, is National Pastrami Day, and we invite all our friends to come celebrate this auspicious occasion by visiting Langer’s any time – including the 14th. There’s nothing better than the delicious taste of Langer’s hot pastrami on any of our famous sandwiches, including the renown #19 – hot pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and cole slaw on double-baked, crispy-crust rye bread.

We’re not sure who invented National Pastrami Day, but we sure agree with their good taste!

We’ll see you all soon at Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant.

Huell Howser, 1945-2013

All of us at Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant mourn the passing of one of Los Angeles’ greatest broadcasters ever, Huell Howser.

Huell was kind enough to feature Langer’s in not one but two productions he filmed back in November 2010 – one on “cow tongue” and the other on pastrami.

During our shoot, he was the ultimate in graciousness, just a pleasure to be around and work with, and the kindest person you could ever hope to know.

We send our condolences to his family, his coworkers and employees, and his fans everywhere.

Truly, his passing is a great loss to Southern California.

– the Langers

Jonathan Gold: Langer’s Corned Beef

Pulitzer Prize-winning food journalist Jonathan Gold of the Los Angeles Times visits a new specialty deli in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles called Storefront Deli, and draws an interesting comparison between the two approaches to corned beef:

For its final trick, described as a mere corned beef sandwich on the blackboard menu, Storefront attempts the most difficult feat in the Los Angeles deli lexicon: the fabled and fearsome Langer’s No 1, the pastrami/coleslaw combo often considered the single best delicatessen sandwich in the United States. And it is a formidable effort: Storefront uses corned beef instead of pastrami — they don’t do the smoky thing — but theirs is a strong cure. Storefront’s beef is as juicy as Texas barbecued brisket and cut thickly; the unseeded rye molds to the meat more readily but is nearly as crunchy at the edges as Langer’s rye; the coleslaw is crisp, cold and tart. Does the Langer’s sandwich still come out on top? It does. The smoke and the synergy of the No. 1 continues to defeat all comers. But Storefront makes one hell of a corned beef.

Thank you, Jonathan, for all your support of Langer’s Deli throughout the years. – The Langer Family

Click here to read the complete article

TeMuestroLA: Los Angeles Delis

Spanish-language blog TeMuestroLA has published an article covering “Los Angeles Delis,” and Langer’s Delicatessen-Restaurant receives welcome praise from the writer, Diego Diment (translated):

For many, this writer included, the best Deli in The United States is Langer’s Delicatessen. It is located on the corner of 7th Street and Alvarado, diagonally at MacArthur Park.

For lovers of Delis, the yardstick by which we measure the quality of them is judged through a single menu item: the Pastrami sandwich. Stripped of unnecessary distractions and exotic sauces, lettuce, tomato, or any other ingredient that distracts the diner dance of the three main ingredients: Pastrami (pickled beef), mustard and rye bread. Another factor to consider when judging these establishments is that the meat should always be cut by hand and machine ever.

Click here to read the entire article in Spanish.