Carin Solganik

When my wife and I moved to Dayton from Cleveland we found many things here that we loved, but we missed our regular visits to Corky and Lenny’s delicatessen. When I learned that Corky and Lenny’s was one of the inspirations for this Dayton restaurant I knew I had to try it.

Owner Lee Schear says he’s always wanted to bring an authentic New York deli to Dayton. He recruited Carin to set it up after she retired from Heinen’s Grocery store in Cleveland. “Before starting this restaurant I went to New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Houston, Las Vegas and elsewhere” she said “and I learned something at every stop about how to run a deli and how to source the best ingredients. I got lots of recipes from the delis I visited and had Lee taste them all. We ended up using all the best, which is where the restaurant’s name comes from.”

I tried their Ruben, and loved it. This will be definitely be one of my regular lunch stops. I’m looking forward to trying their cheesecake and comparing it to the cheesecake I loved at Corky and Lenny’s. Carin said she went through a lot of versions before choosing a cheesecake recipe. It’s made to their specifications by Sweet Butter Bakery in Cincinnati. They also carry baked goods from Cleveland’s Davis Bakery.

I tasted two of their soups and thought they were great. Carin told me they make their soups using stock they make themselves. They also make their own deli salads and even their own mustard. Carin says they’re doing everything they can to bring the best possible New York style deli food to Dayton.