All in Good Taste: Mamaleh's

“I don’t just want potato latkes … I need them,” I told my roommate Saturday morning. One of the things I miss most about home is my weekly trip to the local Jewish deli. For weeks, I had been dreaming about matzah ball soup and noodle kugel. After a quick Google search, we hop in a car and are at Mamaleh’s Delicatessen in less than 15 minutes. This Kendall Square eatery has more of a high-end diner vibe than that of a small town deli. The restaurant is quaint and has a large bar counter with an area where costumers can buy soup, pies, meat, schmears and homemade bagels. We are seated at a small table overlooking the street. Behind us, a large cartoon pickle poster reads, “Mamaleh's Presents: Pickles the Great.”

We start by ordering two milkshakes; I choose chocolate, and my roommate settles on a black and white. Milkshakes are not a Jewish deli staple. However, the remainder of the menu appears relatively par for the course. I struggle to decide between Nana’s noodle kugel and Abraham’s potato latkes, but I ultimately choose the latkes. My roommate, Ana, picks the chicken salad sandwich, which is made with gribenes, apples, herbs and red onion and is served on a challah roll.

Our milkshakes arrive and are good but unremarkable. We are both pleasantly surprised by the extremely reasonably priced menu. Both the latkes and the sandwich are only eight dollars apiece. The restaurant is still fairly busy even at the odd hour of 3 p.m., and while the service is timely, the waitress is brisk and efficient almost to the point of indifference.

When the food arrives, I happily dig into my three potato pancakes, which are served with sour cream and applesauce. The latkes are crisped to perfection, and I tell Ana without hesitation that they are the best I’ve had (And that includes my two favorite New York delis). The three pancakes are enough to satisfy me, but for the most part, a second side or appetizer would be necessary for a filling meal. Ana says her sandwich is noticeably fresh, and she loves the pairing of the challah bread with the chicken salad. She describes her meal as satisfying and simple in the sense that it was “just what she wanted.”

Our afternoon at Mamaleh’s finally satisfied my craving for deli food. Before we left, I stopped at the deli counter to pick up four of their house-made bagels and some cream cheese. We both enjoyed the ambience of the small restaurant and the practical prices. Our meals were unexceptional, but in many ways, we weren’t searching for mind-blowing food, but rather an unpretentious meal. Kendall/MIT can be accessed from the Red Line or a 15 minute car ride. If you are planning on going at a more popular time, a reservation would be necessary.