This Florida Food Truck From Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives Is Reviving A Bygone Era

A thriving delicatessen scene isn't exactly what Orlando, Florida, is known for; Mickey Mouse, for sure, and perhaps great golf courses, but not many visitors specifically travel there for corned beef on rye. At least, not until The Pastrami Project was featured on Food Network's hit show, "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" (DDD). The Pastrami Project is a food truck that sets up and serves at only one location in the bustling city (versus setting up shop in different parts of town), making it a little easier for customers and fans to stop by for lunch. On the company website, owner George Markward explains, "The Pastrami Project is a food truck whose goal is to deliver the taste of a bygone era to Central Florida."

The Pastrami Project serves up the kind of traditional Jewish deli fare you'd find in New York City. There are sandwiches piled high with pastrami, corned beef, smoked turkey, and tuna salad. Lox is layered on top of bagels spread with cream cheese, onion, and capers; there are freshly fried latkes, meats sold by the pound, plus plenty of Dr. Brown's sodas. What makes the menu even better is that all the food is made in-house, including the cured meats, soft rye bread, and various sauces and dressings. In a world where it's easy to buy pre-made and pre-packaged ingredients, especially when you're trying to meet high demand, Markward believes in the value of slow food, knowing that care and quality make a difference and keep customers coming back.

So, what is it about old-school Jewish deli food that is worth reviving? According to The Pastrami Project owner George Markward, lots. His method of making every menu ingredient in-house is "To remind many of a taste of their youth, when the delicatessens and appetizing stores on the Lower East Side made these items from time honored recipes; to introduce a new generation, in a new city, to food that requires no fryers, no artificial preservatives, [and] no pre packaged meats." Clearly, the public is excited to partake. Markward told "DDD's" charismatic host, Guy Fieri, that he expected business at his food truck to increase by about 300 to 500% after appearing on the Food Network show. It actually jumped 950%. We even ranked The Pastrami Project as one of the 12 best Florida restaurants to be featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives."

To make his pastrami, Markward cures his brisket for a week before applying a spice rub. He then smokes the meat, chills it, and finally steams it before slicing and serving it. For his Russian dressing, he uses red caviar, since the sauce was originally made with the bougie ingredient (in Russia, caviar was once considered peasant food). The braised brisket sandwiches are served with a house-made donkey sauce (a sauce created by Fieri) on fresh rye bread that's baked right in the food truck. In addition to sandwiches featuring these meats, The Pastrami Project offers items like Reuben egg rolls, Reuben tacos, and brisket cheesesteak on pita bread.