Deli Man 2015

Kyle Smith, New York Post: Deli man, your legend will survive anything, even Houston. Read more

Kerry Lengel, Arizona Republic: In the food-film canon, it aims to the be "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" of Jewish cuisine, and if it doesn't quite reach those poetic heights, it's still an affably informative documentary. Read more

Peter Keough, Boston Globe: In balancing the more objective cultural history of delis with a personal profile, Anjou serves neither well. Perhaps he should have chosen one course or the other. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: "Deli Man" is a delicious little concoction, a consideration of the history of the Jewish delicatessen and how it reflects Jewish culture in America. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: An unexpectedly charming documentary directed by Erik Greenberg Anjou that is warm and piquant as well as informative ... Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: A fairly thin subject for a feature film, but the characters and stories have charm. Read more

Jordan Hoffman, New York Daily News: [P]ickled in a nostalgic brine Read more

Ben Kenigsberg, New York Times: This documentary goes heavy on the schmaltz, in all senses. Read more

Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: Gruber's sense of a calling to tradition is a common denominator among the many deli owners we meet in this fun and interesting film, mostly stressed-out men who somehow find deep satisfaction in being part of a long history. Read more

David Lewis, San Francisco Chronicle: For the most part, good food and good cheer are the order of the day here, and the chatty, old-school Ziggy serves as a reliable - and touching - tour guide. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: When some staffers explain, "The rules are simple, buy good food, prepare it well, but above all be a mensch," they're pretty much describing Ziggy. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The audience gets a crash course in kreplach, pastrami and matzo-ball soup. Nothing fancy here - no tarragon top notes, says one of the interviewees - but big portions and good company. Read more

Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail: Anjou is not chintzy with the upbeat schmaltz - again with the bouncy klezmer music! - but his chatty story on the decline of the urban eatery's ubiquity is not just about chopped liver, but the loss of Jewish culture. Read more

Bruce Demara, Toronto Star: Heartfelt and heartwarming, Deli Man is documentary filmmaking at its tastiest. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: The film is content to portray classic "appetizing" as the work of defiant outliers-not exactly untrue, but only part of the story Read more

Chris Packham, Village Voice: Large of body and personality, Ziggy seems genuinely to have stepped across time from mid-century New York, or emerged bodily from the authenticity of an ethnic tradition. Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: Like a fat slab of pastrami, "Deli Man" is the cinematic equivalent of comfort food: warm, generous and made with love. Read more