I have lived most of my life in the City of Côte Saint-Luc so when it came time to go to a restaurant close by for dinner or pickup, the Famous Delly Boys always won out. Owners Sonny and Chico made some great smoked meat sandwiches and had other signature items such as the pizza burger. The iconic spot shut its doors for good in 2015 after 53 years in business.
Three years ago Emmanuel Darmond purchased the kosher Sorsky’s Deli at the Quartier Cavendish food court and he renamed it the Deli Boyz. “It is a nostalgic name,” Emmanuel told me when I stopped by recently for a bite. “The spelling is different and we do not use the word ‘Famous,’ and we think it has caught on.”
I would tend to agree. Emmanuel is a remarkably charismatic gentleman, a happily married father of four who knows all of his regular customers by name. As he grills a burger or puts together one of his popular combo plates, he is busy cracking some jokes and chatting about the news of the day. “It is not just a good meal here,” one regular told me. “We get a show from Emmanuel!”
Emmanuel also operates the children’s play area at the end of the food court. He recently brought on Doudou Dahan, the owner of the food court pizza and sushi spots, as a partner in the Deli Boyz.
The menu has some nice choices. You can get a smoked meat sandwich combo on rye or a baguette. Emmanuel treated me to the former and I must say it was quite good. Sonny and Chico would approve! There is also corned beef, pastrami, club sandwiches, Philly steak, meatballs, chicken schnitzel, spaghetti and meat sauce, hamburgers, chicken burgers, paninis (salami or turkey), wraps, salads, fries, onion rings, pogos, chicken nuggets and soups. These places can probably best described as a cross between the Famous Delly Boys and the old Cattleman.
Weekdays the Deli Boyz is a favorite spot for students at local Jewish day schools, Bialik and Hebrew Academy. “On Fridays, there is a gentleman who sponsors lunch for a bunch of Bialik students,” says Emmanuel.
You can order from Deli Boyz via Uber Eats. Take out is popular and the place caters parties, synagogue and business functions, school and camp events and assembles shiva platters.
Deli Boyz is located in the food court of Quartier Cavendish at 5800 Cavendish Boulevard. It is open from 11 am to 8:30 pm Sunday through Thursdays and from 11 am to 2 pm on Fridays. For more information call 514-303-2699. You can also find them on Facebook.