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Hank & Harry's Delicatessen Brings New York Style Deli Back To Miami Beach

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MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) – At Hank and Harry's Delicatessen off Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, the oversized sandwiches are made fresh to order and the bread is baked on the premises.

The charming eatery is the brainchild of Miami restaurateur Buzzy Sklar and his business partner Richard Booth.

"What we did was a hybrid breed of a New York classic Jewish deli and a New York Italian deli and brought them together," Sklar said. "We brought the best of both New York style delis to the shores of Miami Beach!"

So what's in a name? Hank and Harry are actual people who passed away in Sklar's family. Their pictures are on the wall paper.

Chef Michael Stern mans the kitchen.

CBS4's Lisa Petrillo asked him what's the key to a good deli sandwich.

"It's just make with love," said Stern.

Petrillo also asked Stern about being on Lincoln Road and the competitive factor in that area.

"The nice thing is we are the only game in town on Miami Beach as far as a New York style deli," he said.

Sklar said Miami Beach was the home of the deli.

"We had Wolfie's, we had Rascal House, we had Pumpernicks. All these amazing delis are gone. So basically Richard and I wanted a place to hang out, a place that had great food. We wanted a place to fill the niche."

Every sandwich, whether eaten on premises or take-away, has a half a pound of meat on it.

First up, Petrillo tried a classic Reuben – hot corn beef and pastrami on grilled rye topped with melted Swiss cheese with Russian dressing.

"It's as if I were to be in New York at one of those amazing delis and it's right here off Lincoln Road!" said Petrillo.

"I'm trying save you the flight," said Sklar.

"You saved me the flight because it's a pastrami sandwich that I grew up on in New York. This is a true New York pastrami sandwich," said Petrillo.

Next, Petrillo's favorite sandwich: the classic tuna melt.

"So being the tuna connoisseur, how do you rank this?" Sklar asked Petrillo.

"This is phenomenal. I'm coming back for more. Not too much mayonnaise, no fillers. It's how I like it," Petrillo said.

And finally, the one-pound Godfather sub, loaded with ham, salami, pepperoni, cheese and more.

"Sometimes when you have a sub it's like a mound of meat. Even though this a monster, it's sliced thin. It doesn't feel so overwhelming," Petrillo said.

Hank and Harry's Delicatessen, an instant classic where old favorites never go out of style.

Hank and Harry's is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more info, visit: handhdeli.com.

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