A decade ago, when I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area from the East Coast, there were no good Jewish delis (much less a decent bagel place.)
Today, that’s changed. We have Boichik for bagels, and places like Wise Sons and Pyros Pastrami (may it rest in peace) brought excellent Jewish deli food to the Bay Area.
But now, there’s a new contender in town. We’ve only tried it twice, and we’re already comfortable declaring it the best Jewish deli in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The place in question is Loveski’s Deli. Originally located in Napa, Loveski’s just opened a more easily reached location at Marin Country Mart in San Rafael.
It’s amazing!
We visited on two separate occasions to try it out. The interior of the Larkspur location (which opened in early 2024) is bright and cheerful, with white walls and a giant, two-toned mural of a running bagel.
The whole place has a crisp, retro feel. It’s not stuck in the past–everything feels very clean and modern. But the open kitchen, bar stools surrounding a counter, and other touches evoke an East Coast diner.
Honestly, as an East Coaster, this level of intentional design feels strange in a deli. Most New York delis are anything but intentional; they’re cluttered with decades-old signs, stacked with boxes of Italian rolls, and are often charmingly dingy.
Loveski’s is none of these things. It evokes the deli experience but takes it in a new direction.
That’s true of the interior. But it’s also true of the food.
Good deli food should acknowledge its roots, and not stray too far from them. Loveski’s does this, with a classic Reuben sandwich (it’s not a Kosher deli…) called The Tribute featuring the iconic mix of pastrami, rye bread, coleslaw, cheese, and Russian dressing.
Loveski innovates, though, by making each of those items exceptionally high quality and–like the decor–intentional.
Many East Coast delis serve greasy mounds of pastrami on slightly stale rye bread. I’m not complaining–I love those sandwiches, which evoke nostalgia as much as good taste.
But Loveski’s approach is refreshing. They apply the West Coast’s food sensibility–namely, make everything fresh, using amazing ingredients and with great care–to the classic elements of a delicious sandwich grounded in decades of Jewish tradition.
Again, no part of The Tribute is exactly innovative, conceptually. But the incredible execution of this basic, timeless sandwich is where you’ll find the Bay Area’s spirit of food innovation very much alive.
The rye bread is fresh and perfectly toasted. The slaw is clearly made in-house using local ingredients. The pastrami is a revelation–smokey and sliced thick, it’s unctuous and powerfully flavored without being even the slightest bit greasy.
All of it–the bread, the fresh slaw, the thick pastrami, the cheese, and the Russian dressing–come together to make a sandwich that feels like a perfect blend of East and West Coast. It’s traditional, but elevated.
If the Reuben is good, the matzah ball soup is even better. Again, matzah ball soup is a simple dish–the very example of Jewish comfort food. This is something your bubbe would whip up if you were under the weather.
But the way that Loveski executes it is perfect. Their matzah ball soup is covered in fresh dill, and the broth is rich and creamy, loaded with schmaltz (the literal kind). The matzah balls are small, light and fluffy.
Lots of delis serve matzah ball soup as an afterthought. At Loveski’s, is worth a trip.
In addition to amazing lunch and dinner items, Loveski’s has a small “larder” section selling bespoke Jewish food items, like halva and artisan matzah.
In another homage to the classic deli experience, they’ve got a nice selection of Dr. Brown’s sodas, a century-old staple of the New York deli scene, served alongside local craft brews.
That’s what makes Loveski stand out–balance. The restaurant holds multiple sides of the Jewish food experience in perfect balance.
There’s the retro interior, with a modern, minimalist flair. The classic drinks, but trendy new ones, too. And the classic dishes you’d find in a deli (latkes, Reubens, matzah brei, that amazing soup), executed with the kind of precision and perfection that would make Thomas Keller happy.
I haven’t seen that done before at a deli anywhere. Boichik achieves the same ideal, making classic bagels with modern robots. But most delis are either stuck in the past or impossibly innovative, contaminating everything with sourdough and locally-foraged mushrooms.
Loveski’s knows its place in the canon of Jewish food. But it’s not afraid to modernize and innovate through the execution of those classic dishes. It’s perfectly balanced. And perfectly delicious.
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I will truly be impressed & grateful if you can find for me just ONE kosher deli in Marin county. I know Oakland Kosher Market sells deli & Pars market in the east bay, but know if none in Marin except my kitchen, tyia