Buy Local: Al’s Famous Deli does right by buying Detroit

Posted by DominiqueKing | Filed under Royal Oak, food

Al Winkler must be doing something right…and Detroit’s “Mr. Deli” is doing the right thing by Detroit.

Winkler, with over 40 years of success in the deli biz, owns a handful of Bread Basket Delis around town, as well as one of our favorite sandwich stops–Al’s Famous Deli on Woodward in Royal Oak south of 14 Mile.

The big-as-your-head sandwiches taste great and are a great buy for your buck, but Winkler makes sure that as many of those dollars as possible stay right here in the Detroit area.

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I noticed an open letter to deli customers from Winkler taped to the counter at Al’s Famous Deli sometime last winter. I read the letter while waiting for my food and found a manifesto of sorts–a call to action if you will.

More after the break…

Winkler looked around and saw his beloved Detroit in a sorry way as more and more people lost their jobs in the face of a seeming indifference from Washington politicians about how the sorry economy affected people here in the Detroit area.

Winkler decided he could make a difference, and that we all could make a difference, by making a renewed effort to Buy Michigan and, in particular, Buy Detroit.

Detroit delicacies like corned beef made and pickled by United Meat, pickles from Topor’s Pickle Company, Better Made Potato Chips, Faygo pop and baked goods from the company’s own Detroit bakery on Woodward are just a few of the things you’ll find on the menu at Al’s Famous Deli or one of Winkler’s Bread Basket Delis.

The delis cook about 20,000 pounds of corned beef each week to meet demand for it by the sandwich or by the pound to take home, and Al’s Famous Deli earned the Metro Times’ “Best Corned Beef” title in 2009.

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Winkler’s “Buy Detroit” manifesto still hangs on the counter at the Royal Oak deli, where I re-read it the other day as we waited for our Turkey and Pastrami “sky high” sandwiches with an order of Mish Mosh chicken soup. You can read the letter on the front page of the Al’s Famous Deli web site, too.

The deli menu warns diners that “our portions are excessive” and suggest sharing your sandwich with a friend if you have a smaller appetite. They are not kidding!

Did I mention that the sandwiches are as big as your head? There must be at least a half pound of meat on the “sky highs”!

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The folks at Al’s cheerfully offer to split sandwiches for you at no extra cost. Or you can do as we do and eat half of your sandwich one day, and save the rest of it for the next day.

Depending on the day, you might get a free Faygo or Better Made potato chips with your sandwich, or you many get a buck off on your choice at Al’s Famous Deli.

You can get your order to go or eat in the deli’s small dining area. Sit at one of two tables or one of the dozen stools scattered around the deli and kibitz with the staff or watch traffic stream along Woodward as you eat.

Are you a Wayne State student or member of the WSU Alumni Association? Be sure to take your One Card with you and get ten percent off your order at Al’s Famous Deli (at least Tim made a few bucks back from his recent tuition bill this way!).

We like Al’s emphasis on “Buy Detroit” and “Buy Michigan”, and we love the food. That makes it an easy decision for us to “Buy Al’s”!

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  3. Buy Local Update
  4. Buy Local: Shop fresh at Franklin Cider Mill
  5. Buy Local: Engage all five senses at Eastern Market

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Permalink | September 20th, 2009

2 Responses to “Buy Local: Al’s Famous Deli does right by buying Detroit”

  1. Brandon Says:
    September 21st, 2009 at 7:01 pm

    Great to hear about a local business making a conscious effort to buy locally instead of just looking at the cost of food staple alone. Will definitely stop and try this place out the next time I’m in Royal Oak.

  2. DominiqueKing Says:
    September 22nd, 2009 at 5:02 pm

    If everyone made an effort to be more supportive of their neighbors by buying from local businesses, maybe those businesses could afford to hire more local folks, eh?
    I’ve noticed a lot of local food product in area groceries and produce markets, but it was really nice to find an eating place that made the effort and spotlighted local product, too.

    Besides, I was happy to see Al take over that deli ‘coz I was looking for somewhere near home where I could get my chicken Mish Mosh soup!

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