It’s easy to forget that on top of being a great glove in center field for the Yankees, Harrison Bader is a legit New Yorker. That means along with being a good ballplayer, the man knows his food. Specifically, he knows his delis.
Case in point is his appearance on the YES app’s new show “Home Plate,” featuring celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson. On the show, the man behind Harlem’s Red Rooster visits the favorite eateries of various Yankees and other New York-adjacent athletes.
With Harrison Bader, Samuelsson visited Liebman’s Kosher Deli in the Bronx neighborhood of Riverdale. They made pastrami with the owner and enjoyed some delicious matzah ball soup, along with other deli staples like knish and stuffed cabbage.
Harrison Bader sure played the hits when he went to Liebman’s. I’ve lived in that neighborhood before and can vouch. The pastrami and matzah ball soup are phenomenal.
Except people tend to get hung up on the deli classics. Everyone knows and expects good pastrami on rye. What almost no one realizes is that kosher delis are also measured by their take on the classic baseball snack:
The hot dog.
Sure enough, Liebman’s makes a great frank. Better yet, they keep it simple. The hot dogs themselves are all beef (naturally, because kosher) and not overly salty. The ketchup’s sweetness pops as a result and if you want to get fancy, you can always add cole slaw. They taste great grilled or broiled and are worth the trip all the way up to West 235th Street and Johnson Avenue.
If you can’t make it to the Bronx, don’t worry. Liebman’s ships nationwide on Goldbelly for all your deli needs. Not bad at all from the last Jewish deli in the Bronx.
Next question, when is Harrison Bader taking me?
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