From the outside, Delicatessen would appear to be one of those restaurants that thrives on
serving undersized portions of overpriced dishes on fancy white plates. The walls of the sleek, contemporary dining room are made of glass -- so diners can look out onto one of New York City’s trendiest corners: Crosby and Lafayette in SoHo. And sure, while you could easily order the tuna tartare or the nicoise salad, most diners flock to Delicatessen for the meatball recipe Chef Michael Ferraro adapted from his father, or one of the 12 different mac and cheese options presented with the cheese bubbling over the sides of a classic red casserole dish -- like the ones Mom has at home.
Dishes that used to be relegated to the menus at 24-hour diners on the other side of the Hudson are suddenly as ubiquitous at fine dining establishments as foie gras. Sure, you can still find high-end options -- but show us an upscale American restaurant that doesn’t also have a “signature” burger, or an updated take on deviled eggs, and we’ll show you an empty dining room.
That’s because over the last decade, “comfort food” has become “New American.” The defining flavors of our cuisine haven’t been built by classically trained chefs -- they’ve been honed over generations in home kitchens, covered with cheese, and baked at 350 degrees for an hour. At a time when cooking has become more of an aspirational hobby rather than a necessary life skill, being able to serve up dishes with the care and love “like mom used to” is an incredibly powerful thing for restaurants to harness -- and they don’t seem like they’ll be letting up on their grip any time soon. https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/how-comfort-food-became-a-cornerstone/food-and-drink
