It’s no secret. You can spot it from a mile away. In fact, if your nose is as big as ours, you can probably smell it from a mile away. I’m Jewish. So when it comes to deli, you can bet your Channukah gelt that I’m gonna be a harsh judge. So I knew that it was going to take a lot for Junior’s Cheesecake, who made it’s home at Mizner Park this summer, to impress me. But just like Passover services, I’m gonna make you sit through some reading before I reveal the good stuff.

So far, so good. Warm me up with pickles and coleslaw, and you have my attention. Any deli who doesn’t do this, should just start calling themselves Subway. Well played, Junior’s!

It was hard for me to not choose the Matzoh Ball Soup, but I’m a sucker for French Onion Soup, and Junior’s version with Rye Crouton and Swiss Cheese definitely let me know I made the right choice. Hearty, melty, and certainly melted my heart!

Another staple that you absolutely cannot pass up are Cheese Blintzes. Junior’s serves theirs with Strawberry Sauce and Sour Cream. This is the kind of dish that can cure any ailment. It feeds not just your stomach but your soul. Junior’s got it right by frying them but still keeping them light and fluffy. I would bet that any NFL player on their knees would rise up and run straight towards these babies. Maybe we need to start placing them in the endzone!

Pastrami Smoked Salmon Salad. Say those 4 words and it will have any Jewish girl kvelling harder than taking her to Tiffany’s. The salad is also served with Mixed Greens, Grilled Portobello, Bacon, and Pickled Onion. I 110% mean it when I say that this smoked salmon is THE BEST smoked salmon I have EVER eaten. The flavor was such perfection. I will say, that because the salmon was so good, that the greens were almost just an afterthought and I completely ignored them. Junior’s does have a Pastrami Smoked Salmon appetizer, served with Club Rye Toast and Mustard Dill Sauce, and I would recommend this over the salad version because all you’re really gonna want to focus on is that insanely delicious smoked fish.

The only way that I can describe the Hungarian Beef Goulash is that if I were on death row, this is what I would ask for as my last meal. It’s insanely incredible. Trust me, this is what love feels like.

But I would of course also request a side of the Disco Fries, which are perfectly cooked fries topped with Melted Mozzarella and Mushroom Gravy. If you’re wondering how I got on death row, it’s because I killed for these. Because I would. OMG.

And if you’re like me, you go big before you go home. So order the “Something Different” sandwich – Brisket of Beef on Potato Pancakes with Mushroom Gravy (or Au Jus if you please) and Apple Sauce. Don’t even worry about how you’re gonna fit your mouth around it. With brisket this tender and flavor so epic, you WILL find a way to make it work. Worth every last bite.

And how can you leave without at least tasting one of their famous cheesecakes? At my server’s recommendation, I went for the Chocolate Fudge Layer Cake. Unfortunately, they don’t have “extra stomach” on the menu, so I couldn’t finish it all. But it was so good that trust me, I tried. WOW.

This was a meal that I won’t forget, ever. Truly the definition of comfort food. Bring your biggest appetite, and come get comforted at Junior’s.

***I received complimentary noms in exchange for this post, however, you cannot bribe me with food, so all opinions are my own.