Hello Foodie Friends,

Founded in 1981, by Jay Brown and Mark Jay Katzenberg, (the two “Jays” who combined their names to form the brand that has become synonymous with Deli) TooJay’s has become a Florida institution, serving diners traditional delicatessen fare for 35 years. Now in 26 restaurants throughout the state, the original location was established on the island of Palm Beach, where it is still open and flourishing today.

In addition to all your favorites from corned beef piled high on thick slices of freshly baked rye to classic Reubens and chicken noodle soup; TooJay’s offers a host of lighter entrées as well as a diverse catering menu, a famed selection of freshly baked desserts, and homestyle comfort food entrees.

I was recently invited to dine at TooJays to experience their brunch. My friend had never been to a TooJays before and for me, it’s been a while since I’ve had something other than my usual bagel, lox and cream cheese – so this was something that we both were looking forward to.  Upon our arrival, we were greeted warmly by the hostess who, once I informed her we were there for our 10:30am tasting, smiled and acknowledged that Eddie the GM was expecting us. Eddie came by to say hello and after we were seated let us know that we were free to try whatever we wanted from the menu. Our server Macie soon came over and asked if she could get us started with some coffee or Mimosas. We graciously accepted her offer of Mimosas. We were off to a good start. The breakfast menu had lots of interesting items to choose from and was categorized as follows: Omelettes & Eggs, Morning Specials (primarily a variety of French Toasts & Waffles), Breakfast Sandwiches & Wraps, Fish Platters, Baked Goods & finally A la Carte (offering everything from bacon, blintzes, corned beef hash to fruit salad). Although not on the breakfast menu, my friend and I decided we were interested in trying TooJay’s chopped liver, served with a side of veggies.

The chopped liver was presently nicely but the texture was a little too dense in our opinion and seemed to lack a little in flavor that maybe I’m used to in the way my mom has always prepared hers using tons of grated onions and chicken fat.

We decided to create our own omelette next selecting corned beef hash, spinach & provolone cheese which came with a side of home fries. This omelette was delicious. The corned beef added a nice little crunch element inside and provided the right amount of saltiness which played nicely with the spinach and cheese. We really enjoyed this dish. The home fries, although we had asked for them to be cooked well done/crispy didn’t quite live up to our expectations. The potatoes, in my opinion, had a heavy, dense consistency, although the grilled onions and peppers added a nice flavor.

The Nova Salmon Benedict caught my eye. It was made with poached eggs on an English muffin (which did an excellent job mopping up all that wonderful Hollandaise sauce in its nooks & crannies) with smoked Nova salmon, red onion, tomato & capers, topped with Hollandaise sauce. Another outstanding dish. A wonderful cross between a lox, bagel & cream cheese and an eggs benedict!

To get a full range of what this famous deli has to offer, I insisted that my friend try one of their sandwiches. We chose the classic hot pastrami which was seasoned, cured and piled sky high and served on our choice of bread, thickly sliced challah. This dish delivered on all accounts.

Although we were sufficiently satisfied from all that we had eaten, Macie asked us if we’d like to try any of their desserts. We had to try the famous Black & White cookie, how could we not?!?

As we were on our way out, we were each presented with a little surprise, a bag with assorted rugelach to enjoy later that day (or in my case the next morning). What a sweet and thoughtful gesture!

My friend and I had a really great experience at TooJays and I am thankful that I was invited to come in and really take a look at what these guys are doing here. My eyes have been opened and I can now see that they are way more than the bagel, lox & cream cheese and deli sandwiches that I have come to associate them with. Click here to take a look at their menu and see for yourself and you just may become a fan (or bigger fan) as well!

The menu at TooJays is really quite extensive. Beyond the numerous delicious traditional and classic delicatessen breakfast, lunch and dinner favorites, you’ll find a number of classic comfort food items reminiscent of a good ol’ diner. Enjoy a Mimosa like we did to kick start your morning or enjoy a glass of wine or beer with your lunch or dinner. TooJays has it all.

TooJay’s has locations in these areas:

Palm Beach, Jupiter, Boynton Beach, Boca Raton, Plantation, Coral Spring,  Wellington, Stuart, Vero Beach, Melbourne, Orlando, Lake Mary, Ocee, Altamonte Springs, The Villages, Tampa, Lakeland

The TooJays that I visited is in Boca Raton, located at 2240 NW 19th Street #700

(561) 392-4181

They are open Monday – Sunday  8am – 9pm.

Until we eat again…

I send you delicious wishes, xo

Denise