Celebrate With A Huge Hot Pastrami: Hot Pastrami Day at Chompie’s

The Dish: Pastrami
The Place: Chompie’s
Location: 4 Valley Locations
Scottsdale: 9301 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale 85260
Tempe: 1160 E. University, Tempe 8528
Paradise Valley: 4550-324 E. Cactus Rd., Phoenix 85032
Chandler: 3481 W. Frye Rd., Chandler 8522

“This tastes just like yours,” exclaimed my husband through a mouth full of veggies and noodles. “You need to have a bite!”

And so I helped myself to a spoonful of steaming chicken noodle soup on the cold evening we visited Chompies’ Paradise Valley location. Indeed it did rival mine. Hearty and warm, broth well seasoned tender chunks of chicken, large pieces of carrots, celery, onion and full of thin noodles. Soul and tummy warming, the true testament to a good bowl of soup. A twinge of jealousy threatened to overcome me and force me to beckon our server over so I could order my own bowl.

Then I came to my senses and realized the sandwich on my plate needed attention – it was huge and would require most of the real estate in my belly. I’d ordered a beef brisket sandwich from the Mile High portion of the menu. It arrived as piles of succulently cooked and seasoned beef heaped onto sourdough bread. It wasn’t gussied up with condiments allowing the beef to speak for itself and it sang with deliciousness. I wisely ordered the half portion and it was so massive the small side of potato salad wasn’t necessary to fill me; but it was delicious all the same. The gravy served on the side for dipping was absolutely incredible. Rich, savory thick, velvety beefy gravy, obviously homemade with with love. I shamelessly ate that stuff with a spoon and then asked for some to go.

Chompie’s has been the Valley’s beloved New York-style delicatessen since 1979 serving up home cooked grub, bagels and divine baked goods and pastries. The menu is overwhelming with endless choices – from breakfast (served all day) to Jewish specialties, there is something to satisfy every appetite. They even boast fantastic kid’s options, sure to please the pickiest little appetites, as well as gluten-free friendly and fitness boot camp menus. But in my opinion the true stars of the menu is the pastrami, imported from New York, expertly seasoned with Chompie’s own special blend of pastrami spice and slow cooked to perfection.

Chompie’s recently debuted new winter menu adds even more choices including six different pastrami dishes. Pastrami is typically made with beef but the fine folks at Chompie’s are thinking outside the box with a NY State Pastrami Chicken Rueben and a Paradise Pastrami Burger seasoned with their special pastrami spice and topped with more NY pastrami, crispy onion strings, Swiss, and 1000 Island dressing – worth every belly-busting bite!

As if you need anymore reason to head over to your closest neighborhood Chompie’s – this Thursday, January 14, is National Hot Pastrami Day and anyone ordering the signature Mile High Pastrami Sandwich will receive a free mini black and white cookie.