Canter’s

The Canter family moved their deli into the Esquire, a Fairfax Avenue cinema that had shown Yiddish films, in 1953, and the third and fourth generations run it now. Vinyl booths and the autumn-leaves ceiling have hardly changed. The sandwiches are pastrami, corned beef and brisket, with matzo ball soup alongside, and the bakery case sells rye, rugelach and black and white cookies to take home. Next door to the dining room is the Kibitz Room, a cocktail lounge added in 1961 that serves the full menu and puts local bands on at night.