Federal Delicatessen

I have certainly been long overdue for a visit to 'The Fed' - Al Brown's New York styled, Jewish cuisine inspired Deli. I have peeked in many times while dining next door at Depot, but until this glorious Sunday morning a few weeks ago I hadn't yet made it there to it eat.

The first thing that hits you is the amazing interior and the detail throughout. From the beautiful ceiling panels to the fine red stitching against green leather chairs, the entire place is a work of art. You feel like you've jumped into a beautiful, retro film.

James, Paddy, Emma and I and squeezed into a booth and let onslaught of food and drink begin. I started with a 'Pickled Mary' which is The Feds very pickley, but very delicious, take on the Bloody Mary. Oddly, I was the only going for a cocktail while the others went for bottomless cups of coffee.

 

It had just turned 12pm so we chose from the brunch menu, and the food came thick and fast. Paddy was delivered a ruby red grapefruit and a pastrami loaded toasted Ruben, while Emma went for the famous Best Ugly bagel with lox, cream cheese, capers and red onion (which by now all of you bagel lovers should know of). 

To share we ordered a small poutine - fries covered in cheese curd and draped in gravy, which disappeared from the table worryingly quickly.

James went for the 'Mish Mash': a delicious pastrami loaded hash with an egg on top, and a smear of mustard. Like all of the other dishes, this one looked and tasted amazing, and was so filling he could barely finish it.

Last of all, I chose the chicken salad sandwich with 'chicken skin cracklin's, berg, and dipping gravy'. And wow, it was good. Usually a chicken sandwich would be about the last thing on a menu I'd order, but the crackling and gravy sold me. It was creamy, crunchy, fresh and absolutely moorish when dipped in it's own little gravy pot.

The verdict on the food was all around deliciousness- but it's the whole experience of bottomless coffee, unashamedly simple food, amazing decor and great service that makes a meal at The Fed so damn good.

Depot

Before Al Brown conquered the world (well, at least Auckland) with his fabulous bagels, he captured the Auckland food scene with his flagship restaurant and oyster bar Depot. Suddenly, cheap cuts of steak, wine in tumbler glasses, and fish sliders became the height of fashion.

Depot has been around for a few years, but you'll still find lines out the door on any busy night. But on this Tuesday night James and I lucked in and were granted a seat right away- boo yah!

We started with the complimentary flatbread and a jug of Moa beer to share. We had some tough decisions with the menu, but the one thing we can always agree on are the snapper sliders. These are remarkable delicious, and set off perfectly with a pickled lemon mayo and watercress.

The other dishes that made the cut were the lamb ribs with skordalia (thick puree) and cumin paprika oil, along with the skirt steak with tabacco onions, iceberg wedge and habanero mustard. The rib meat literally falls off the bone as you pick up each piece, and the skirt steak- a notoriously tough cut of meat is beautifully tender and tasty. Although they're delicious, both of the meat dishes we tried were quite rich, so I would recommend grabbing a salad on the side, or mixing it up with some more of the seafood dishes on offer.

The food at Depot is consistently good, and showcases the best of NZ produce and seafood. The service is great, the setting casual and the prices are very reasonable. Unfortunately you can't book at Depot so it's not ideal for large groups, but it's my favourite easy date night haunt and impresses me every single time (I'm sure the sliders are brainwashing me).