With apologies to Dinah Washington, as miserable as I felt leaving work yesterday, today was different. Not only did we have enough meat to get us through a very busy lunch but the new smoker finally arrived around 5 pm and it seems to work great.  Its chugging away right now and we’ll see in the morning how we did.  Goodbye Bradley and Hello Smokeshack.  You gotta love good ol’ American manufacturing.  Took three of us to shlep it up the stairs.  This things solid.  I’ve got nine big fat briskets going and I intend to feed another nine when I get to work in the morning.  Run out?  I’ll show you run out.

And to top the day off, we got a mention in Now Magazine’s “Best of T.O.” edition.  Of all the thousands of eateries in this city we get a mention right there with the best of the best.  I’d say I’m speechles but I’m clearly not.  Who woulda thunk it?  I really wish my Uncle John was around to see this.  That man could fress with the best.  I know he’s watching and loving every moment.

We finally got health inspected today and everything went just fine.  This looming inspection was hanging over me like a dark cloud and it was nothing to worry about.  The dishwasher needed adjustment and a cutting board needs replacement but we’re otherwise in fine shape.

Unfortunately, things got worse after that.  Instead of my new smoker arriving as expected this morning we got nothing.  And because I was expecting it we decided not to smoke a new batch of meat.  With a heavier than expected lunch rush we were left meatless from 3 p.m. onwards.  It was agonizing to have to apologise to all those people.  We had smoked turkey on offer, 2 great soups, poutine some say is the best in the city but most people want the smoked meat and I can’t blame them.

Then, just as we were hoisting the new sign into place above the entrance, my mom walks in with 5 of her colleagues.  ”Shit happens,” she said in a nice way clearly aware of my discomfort.  I was busy handing out 2 for 1 coupons to the disgruntled masses only too aware of what this latest smoker miscue was costing me.  Worse was the realisation that I owe a lot of people meat this weekend and I’m not sure I can deliver.  At least I could point to my mom and say we even stiffed her.

Then I got Sax’s latest post from SaveTheDeli.com and it put me in my place.  In telling the story of Moe Pancer’s Sax reminded me why I got into this business.  Its not easy.  It takes integrity, determination and passion.  Customers will kvetch (some are born to do so).  And some nights will suck.  I left not feeling the love but after making a fire and reflecting about my day with a friend I’m now more determined than ever.  These are simply the pains of starting something new. Birth pains out of which will spring the long and hopefully occasionally happy life of my most cherished dream.  

“Life is difficult,” Scott Peck said.  And he never owned a deli, poor man.

David Bowie may not have come in the other day by Geddy Lee did and so did Steven Page and Don Henley did too.  I didn’t recognise the latter but Craig and Corey insist its true.  Today M&S book publisher Doug Pepper brought in Michael Wex (”Born to Kvetch”, “Just Say Nu”) and tonight Howie Beck came in with the usual post-basketball suspects.  Last night Brian Greenspan dined with Bob Waxman and a few things became clear:

1. I am the world’s most obnoxious name dropper

2. My little deli in a dive bar attracts an incredible crowd (or as Joyce Chapnik put it: “It has tum” – yiddish for flavour.

3. To make fire, one needs fuel, oxygen and a spark.

So David Bowie was in for lunch today.  Not really.  But if he had he still wouldn’t have made the list of weird and wonderful things to happen at my little dive bar deli.  First, one of my guys lost the keys to open so I had to start earlier than planned.  The only reason that was an issue was that I had planned on hanging out at my eMac to see if I won a new smoker on eBay.  As it turned out I had to hang out on the old blackberry but I did indeed win.  I used my Uncle Harvey’s advice: “When in doubt, offer a multiple of chai (18).”  Can I get a ‘mazel tov’?

As many are aware I’ve been limping along using a Bradley Smoker.  Actually, thats not true.  I’ve been using 5 Bradleys because they break once a month.  Yes, I realise that if they read this they’ll void my warranty but so what.  No one reads this rantfest.  So here I am trying to make a go of this little business and the key to it all, the bloody smoker craps out every 4 weeks.  Its kind of like a girlfriend. Anyway, it failed me yesterday so I decided to scrape together some dough and take a flyer on eBay.  Got me a Cookshack.  Can you tell I just watched Apaloosa?

Anyway, I’ll have her shipped up here and loaded up into the deli in a week or so.  Until then I have my backup smoker going but demand being what it is, we’re running the smoker daily.  Plus I bought 4 huge turkey breasts today (or 8 because they come in pairs) so I need to make way in the smoker for double duty.  The new machine should be just the ticket and if things keep going as they have been I’ll be smoking day and night.

The other news today was that four of my key people are going to be less available than I’d like.  Adrian’s got a job at a bank, Richard is apprenticing to be a chef at George, Megan needs december off to study and Mike is going to be a pizza cook/film maker in Alberta.  The good news is that Heshy Goodfield, a bona fide butcher and meat mavin, is joining our crew as is Naomichi Kobayashi.  Maybe I should have entitled this posting: “The Unusual Suspects”.  

My point? The only constant we have in life is change. If that makes you angry or sad thats really too bad because from my experience things tend to work out just fine.  Life is short.  Too short for some and too long for those I owe money.  Out with the old and in with the new.

Its been a funny week.  First Toronto Life calls me a “Smoked Meat Messiah” and then hordes of hungry Torontonians flock to the Monarch to see what the fuss is all about.  We’ve been run off our feet and pushed to our limits but still we slice and fry and serve. 

Evan Solomon came in with his dad today – both giving us their approval. Senator Jerry Grafstein came in after spending time in New York to say that our meat is better than what he had there.  Brian from Texas was in this evening and raved about our Southern Style deli flavour and texture.  John from Chippy’s was back making me laugh and kvel, Jesse Vallens and and his dad Michael came in 20 minutes apart – both getting takeout.  Christo was back with more biker friends for a fresser and fries.  Wes bought a jar of my mustard to take back to Japan after enjoying a fresser and a half. Lots of old friends and even more new ones.

And while I loved every moment and all the kind compliments, nothing tops the thumbs up and hugs I got from my nephew and poutine mavin Benjamin. I love that kid more than anything.  And he loves me too.

Did I even spell that right?  Who cares – read on.  This was a week I will never forget kicked off by BB eating two fressers in one sitting, not once, not twice but three times in five days!  I am in total awe. Then we got our new menu thanks to Bobby Wham.  Oh man, he hit this one out of the park.  Perfect is a word one should use sparingly but in this case… its… well… justified.  Just in time too because Toronto Life’s November issue named us “Toronto’s Best Smoked Meat” (on the efing cover no less).  They also printed a stellar review (p.107) in the same issue.  The result?  In a word: exhaustion. But why limit oneself to just a word?  This is my rantfest so here goes:

I work with the most incredible people in the world.  New kid Adrian and I slaughtered a lunch rush Friday that was our biggest ever until we did it again the following day – 20% bigger.  More impressive perhaps was the way drummer boy Ariel and Tamar the Star handled the floor on Friday and Vegan Megan (yes, it rhymes) did the same on Saturday (still 20% bigger).  I can’t say I was all that surprised when Megs called in sick today. Not only did she kick some serious ass in the dining room, she even brought in smoked tofu and tofurkey samples for the whole class.  I guess we ran the poor girl ragged, either that or the tofurkey didn’t agree with her. Can tofurkey agree with anyone or anything?

Today was challenging.  With both Megan and Jason out sick Ariel stepped up to pick up the slack in the morning but nobody was available to help out this evening.  What’s an exhausted deli boy to do? This one, and I’m looking at you McCain, unties his apron, tucks away his deli hat and picks up an order pad leaving Adrian alone to fend for himself in the kitchen.  Was there a problem?  A hitch? A glitch? A knitch? Not from us (and now I’m looking at Richard but we won’t go there).  

There was even a happy ending in the form of uber-food goddess Bonnie Stern who sent her daughter in to have lunch and bring takeout home for her Thanksgiving preparing self.  Ms. Stern was kind enough to call me and heap praise on my meat, my knish and my Grandmother Molly-inspired borscht.  Bonnie Stern is someone I simply love and respect more than words so to get that call made the sore feet, cut hands and aching back worthwhile.  

Speaking of Thanksgiving… special thanks to Sam and Elias for dropping in. Dave and Susan for bringing the kids.  The Coopers for driving down from Thornhill.  JD for being JD. The very pregnant lady for coming so I could induce labour.  Josh for coming on his birthday. Jesse for bringing his dad Michael. And Sax because the world can never have too many menchs.  Menchim?  Here’s gravy in your eye.   Mmmm…. gravy.

Tonight, instead of telling you what I think of me I’ll let you read two messages I received the last couple of days.  The first is from a customer named Kurt and the second from the CBC’s Evan Solomon.  Evan and my friend Natalie Ruskin were comparing notes and reviews on my food and Nat asked Evan if he’d mind if I posted his comments on my blog.  He told Natalie that, at this stage in his career, being featured on my blog would be an honour. 

The only further comment I’ll make is this: the kindness and generosity shown by Kurt and Evan and all who say such wonderful things to me and my team is the force that propels me out of bed each morning and keeps me going 12, 13 and 14 hours each day.  Toronto, I don’t care what anyone thinks or says: you rock. Caplansky’s patrons: you rock hardcore. Thank you for supporting us, for your patience and your grace.  

From Kurt: (note from Zane: this is unedited and posted without permission)

Subj: Your Awesome Deli

Hi Zane,

I just wanted to take the time to tell you how great your deli is.  My fiancee and I basically get to eat out one day a week, and although we try to mix in as much variety as possible – ie one week it’ll be BBQ, the next thai, the next Indian, etc. – we’ve found ourselves eating at your place 3 out of the last 4 weekends.  Your sandwiches have absolutely been on par with Schwartz’s, your fries are the best I’ve EVER had, and the portions are very generous.  (I also pulled you aside a few weeks ago and told you the same thing.)

We discovered your website today, hence the EMail.  I have to believe that in the coming months you are going to become ridiculously successful.  I wish you the best of luck, and I imagine we’ll be stopping by to eat at your place very, very often.

From Evan:

Well N(atalie): I finally took the deli dive at Caplansky’s. As I wrote to (David) Sax: It was a very tasty, deeply satisfying sandwich–hickory smoked, unique taste, fresh, moist, the homemade mustard adds a new twist, and not altogether unpleasant….though it does take a turn away from mustard expectation.  The dipping sauce for the fries was meaty, fatty and delicious. The kind of authentic gravy I crave. All in all a very delicious, deep tasting, historically based but

modernized smoked meat that adds to the tradition rather than merely trying to imitate or, worse, simply act as an attempt at gastronomic nostalgia. I will be back.