KATHY MADER -- DINING REVIEW

Everybody is a little nostalgic for New York right now, and everyone

wants to help the Big Apple. The God’s honest truth be known, everyone

wants things to be the way they used to be, but if the best we can do is

help New York, we’ll do it.

Mayor Rudolph Giuliani says the best way we can help New York is to go

there and spend money. But maybe some of us just aren’t quite ready for

that. However, we have a little slice of New York here in Costa Mesa at

Al’s New York Cafe, right next to 7-Eleven on the corner of 17th Street

and Irvine Avenue.

Please know that I in no way mean to trivialize or make light of a

single tragic thing that happened on that most devastating of days, Sept.

11. But I do want people to know that not only can we share in a little

of what makes New York such a great place -- the food -- but we can also

help New York by giving a donation right at Al’s. Almost the best of both

worlds.

Al’s New York Cafe is a classic New York deli, replete with yelling

from the kitchen to the front of the store and a little of the grime of

New York’s best. However, neither of those things affect the food

whatsoever.

Al’s has a loyal following and will have more, as soon as you eat

there. My friends Karen and Kelly told me about Al’s as a terrific option

for when you want everyone to think you whipped up a killer lasagna in

the time it took you to get home from work. My husband, Brian, swore to

me that their pastrami sandwich was the best he’s ever eaten. With these

kinds of accolades, especially people thinking I made a great lasagna, I

had to go.

And, boy, am I glad I did. The high school students have been in on

this place from the get-go, but then again they know everything. You can

always tell when it is Newport Harbor’s lunch hour.

One of my standards for an authentic New York Italian deli is, of

course, the Italian submarine sandwich (a small is $4), which must

include all of the mortadella, capacolla, provolone and salami of the

East. This one does, on a big, soft and chewy roll. The sandwich comes in

two sizes, and I reluctantly admit that the not-so-small small is big

enough. If capacolla wasn’t Italian for “cardiac arrest,” I could eat one

of these every day.

So in the interest of health, on to the meatball sandwich ($4.50 for a

large), another standard that Al’s lives up to just fine -- like every

Thursday night fine. Obviously the key ingredient in this, and in so many

other dishes, is the marinara sauce. It always surprises me when an

“authentic” Italian restaurant makes a lousy marinara. You can’t build an

empire like that! But that is not the case at Al’s.

The marinara is tangy and rich, and you are pretty happy it comes on

just about everything. I even asked for an extra ladle on my tortellini

($7.25).

And ya gotta talk about the pizza ($7.50 for a 12-inch, add 75 cents

per topping). Having spent a year in New York City eating pizza from one

end of the island to the other, with a few stops in Jersey for good

measure, I know what I like. It may not be what you like, as Californians

tend to like the thicker, chewier crusts originating from Chicago better.

But this is a thin, crisp crust with a lot of cheese and just the right

amount of sauce. This is the kind of pizza that you can eat four slices

instead of two and still try the tiramisu.

Al, of course, will top it with anything you want, including that

California barbecue chicken and artichoke hearts. But when in New York

(or almost New York), go for the specialty of the house. Try the “white

pizza” with olive oil, fresh tomato, garlic, basil, mozzarella and

Parmesan cheeses. This sauce-less pizza shocks the purists but is darn

good eating. And for the information of you purists, this style of pizza

is found all over New York.

Everything Al’s makes is available for catering and delivery, and

always check the specials board, you can get a great deal.

The menu is not news; it has all that you would expect an Italian

cafe-deli to have -- from calzone and special pizzas to antipasto salads,

all traditional pastas and specialty sandwiches. What is news is that

this little remote slice of New York City is right here (and I am

embarrassed to say has been for seven years) in Costa Mesa.

Come in and reminisce about the pictures on the wall, give big and

order big. Comfort food at its best, in every sense of the word.

* KATHY MADER’s dining reviews appear every other Thursday.

FYI

What: Al’s New York Cafe

Where: 1673 Irvine Ave., Costa Mesa

When: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekends How much: Inexpensive

Contact: (949) 722-1212 or http//www.alsnewyorkcafe.com