NOVEMBER 16 • 2023 | 39
J
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Southfield. He joined the deli
business at age 15.
By 1990, Lou was looking to
start his own deli. “It all came
together — the right place,
at the right time, at the right
price,” said Jerry, when Lou
found Mati’s, an established
deli of four years, up for sale.
The restaurant is uniquely
housed within a late-1920s
Shell gas station on Monroe
at Tenny streets, a half mile
south of Michigan Avenue.
The art deco-style building
features a white subway-tiled
exterior with black trim,
decorative glass blocks and
turquoise paint. There is
outdoor seating at wooden
picnic tables under turquoise
umbrellas in season.
A mural made of Edward
Hopper’s moody 1942 painting
Nighthawks, depicting a late-
night diner, draws immediate
attention. The 900-square-
foot restaurant also displays
framed restaurant reviews and
memorabilia in the left corner.
A large wall menu that’s been
hanging up for 37 years is
adjacent to the order counter
on the right side of the room,
in front of an open kitchen.
Guests sit at small tables or
the front window countertop.
For a large order, especially
serving more than two diners,
it might be best to choose the
counter and spread everything
out. The portions here are
generous.
“We are best known for our
corned beef and rye bread,
which we also sell by the loaf,”
Jerry said.
Since the demise this year
of Star Bakery in Oak Park,
the main supplier used is
Superior Bread Company
in Livonia. My favorite deli
sandwich choice, here titled
“Ellen’s Favorite,” consists of
hot corned beef (from distrib-
utor Sy Ginsberg), coleslaw,
Swiss cheese and Russian
dressing, on double-baked
Jewish rye. The sandwich
pleased me more on my sec-
ond visit, because then I knew
to order the corned beef lean.
This extra service is done
without charge, by the way. I
also requested my “senior dis-
count,” worth 5 percent of the
bill. Jerry said to ask for meat
to be trimmed and the senior
discount, if applicable, when
ordering.
Besides regular deli sand-
wiches, the menu lists “Mati’s
Favorites.” These choices
include “Brittany’s Ticket,”
focused on roast brisket
of beef; “Hank’s Delight,”
combining corned beef and
pastrami, and “Brian’s Wish,”
highlighting the restaurant’s
popular chicken salad. Two
of the “Lite Sandwiches” are
egg salad and grilled cheese.
Under the “Low Sodium
& Cholesterol”
heading, Mati’s
offers the healthier
options of chicken
breast, chicken
pita and veggie
pita. The latter pita
pocket includes
broccoli, tomato, lettuce, pea-
pods, mushrooms, red onion,
low-salt cheddar and low-cal
Ranch dressing.
Mati’s makes seven salads,
with Greek, Peking chicken
and Caesar among them.
I thought my potato salad
had just the right amount of
crunchy celery and a light,
tasty dressing. Chili is offered
daily, along with cream of
broccoli and chicken noodle
soups — add a large, fluffy
matzah ball for another $1.50.
Other soups rotate. Variety
and value are found in the
Combo: a bowl of soup and a
half-sandwich.
Referring to more items,
knishes made from a family
recipe are crispy outside with
a soft mashed potato and
cheddar filling. After trying
one of Lou’s Cream Cheese
Brownies, the taste made clear
why they’re award-winners.
Carryout and catering are
other parts of the business,
and dining room hours are
10 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays and
until 3 p.m. Saturday.
As everyone at Mati’s Deli
adjusts to the new era without
Lou, his son offered a public
message: “Want to support
us? Come in and order a
sandwich and leave the girls
a tip.”
Lou Weinstein was interviewed
about Mati’s Deli in a YouTube video
recorded shortly before his passing.
To access, input the title on a browser:
“KiwaniTalk – Mati’s Deli with owner
Lou Weinstein.”
Mati’s Deli
1842 Monroe Street
Dearborn, MI 48124
Phone: (313) 277-3253
Matisdeli.com
** ½ out of ****
Reuben
sandwich
A grilled cheese
and tomato soup
combo
BY ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER