Deli Divine has a masterfully executed menu of Jewish deli classics

Sauce 75: the essential St. Louis restaurants right now

With Deli Divine, prolific restaurateur Ben Poremba is filling the gap for an authentic Jewish deli in St. Louis city.

The restaurant’s masterfully executed menu of classics does more than just hold space – it holds its own in the inevitable comparison with favorite delis in Chicago and New York. Pick your favorite: pastrami, corned beef, gefilte fish, rye and pumpernickel bread can all be had.

There’s a panoply of Reubens to choose from, a plethora of kugels and knishes, egg salad, chopped liver – the list goes on and on.

Much of Deli Divine’s fare is also available to grab and go, so you can enjoy the deli experience at home. Buy bagels by the dozen, meats by the pound and smoked fish by the quarter-pound. Don’t miss the market at the back of the deli, which sells babka, halva and much more.

Poremba aims not only to please palates, but to create a sense of neighborhood and community while honoring the deep tradition and history of the Jewish deli. Deli Divine rises to each of those challenges – and succeeds.

5501 Delmar Blvd., Suite 5535D, St. Louis, 314.987.3354, bengelina.com/deli-divine

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The Sauce 75 is a photomosaic of the best in St. Louis dining in 2024. This list is a celebration of the diverse skills, techniques and culinary traditions that meet across our region. In sum, it tells a story about where St. Louis has been, where it is now and where it’s going next. Many great and good St. Louis restaurants have not made the cut. (Seventy-five is a lot fewer than you think!) Restaurants are constantly growing and evolving and go through ups and downs. Newly opened restaurants can take time to find their feet: There are a few exciting new places we’re cheering for, but which we feel haven’t yet fully hit their stride. Read the entire list here.