Uncle Pinkie’s Deli offers Jewish classics

For those deli-heads craving pastrami-by-the-pound and noodle kugel, bagels and smoked fish spreads, Uncle Pinkie’s Deli, a new gathering place for Jewish deli classics, has debuted in downtown Boca Raton.

Uncle Pinkie’s comes from chef Eric Baker, who opened the deli on 293 E. Palmetto Park Road, next door to his trendy American gastropub Rebel House.

Inspired by Baker’s Eastern-European heritage and youth on Long Island, Uncle Pinkie’s Deli — no surprise — fits right at home among the New York transplants and retirees of Boca Raton.

His market and deli, which quietly opened in late February, specializes in real-deal pastrami, roast beef and corned beef brined and smoked on-premises as well as open-faced bagels, sandwiches and deli cuts and smoked fish sold by the quarter-pound and halfpound. Uncle Pinkie’s market offerings are confined to two appetizing cases near the register filled with chicken, tuna and smoked trout salads ($6-$10 for half-pound, $12-$20 per pound), chopped liver ($7-$14) and a trio of cream-cheese spreads ($4-$7 for half-pound, $8-$14 per pound).

The shop is small and adorned in distressed white shiplap, and the dining room’s far wall is covered with Baker’s family

photos: 100 small, framed black-and-white portraits and wedding photographs of his grandparents, David and Mazie.

Family heritage is a strong undercurrent at Baker’s restaurants, including Mazie’s, his now-defunct West Palm Beach bistro. At Uncle Pinkie’s the name survives in sandwich form with the Mazie Melt ($15.50), Baker’s version of a Rueben/Rachel served on housemade rye with Russian dressing, sauerkraut and Swiss.

There is also the Italian Uncle Frank ($14.50), a hero roll stuffed with roast beef, mozzarella, creamy horseradish and giardiniera, which is basically Italian relish. And there’s Ada’s Dip ($15), a French dip loaded with sweet-andsour-marinated brisket and caramelized onions. But mostly, dishes lean toward Jewish deli classics, including noodle kugel ($7), truffle knish ($9) with potatoes and leek, rugelach ($8 for six pieces) and smoked trout topped with cucumber and pickled shallots on an open-faced bagel ($14.50).

Deli cuts ($5.50-$12.50 for quarter-pound, $11-$25 for half-pound) include turkey, pastrami and roast beef. Meanwhile, its all-day breakfast menu features plain or everything bagels ($2.50-$5) and egg sandwiches on bagels, challah buns or Kaiser rolls ($7.25$10.25).

The arrival of Uncle Pinkie’s fills a noticeable void in South Florida’s deli landscape. Local delicatessens have flopped in recent years — and long before the pandemic — after shutdowns of Burt Rapoport’s Rappy’s and Juniors of Brooklyn — both in Boca Raton. The Onion Roll, a Lauderdale-by-the-Sea deli popular on the Sun Sentinel’s 33,000-member Let’s Eat, South Florida Facebook group, also perished in the pandemic last October. And the TooJay’s Deli chain emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy last fall after shedding multiple delis in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Uncle Pinkie’s Deli, at 293 E. Palmetto Park Road, in Boca Raton, is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-noon Saturday and Sunday. Call 561-353-5888 or go to UnclePinkiesDeli. com.

AMY BETH BENNETT/SUN SENTINEL The noodle kugel at Uncle Pinkie’s Deli.

SENTINEL PHOTOS AMY BETH BENNETT/SUN Uncle Pinkie’s Deli, from chef Eric Baker, has debuted in Boca Raton with corned beef by-the-pound, bagels, smoked fish and kugel.

Uncle Pinkie’s Deli has opened in Boca Raton next to chef Eric Baker’s Rebel House.

Potato latkes at Uncle Pinkie’s Deli in Boca Raton.

Truffle knishes at Uncle Pinkie’s Deli.

The menu board at Uncle Pinkie’s.