Between haute cuisine in Yorkville and late-night take-out on Yonge, sometimes you just need some weekend afternoon comfort food. And if you live at 44 Charles, you find it across the road at The New Yorker Deli.

This isn’t a corporate eatery styled with the requisite New York flair. You definitely feel the love for the iconic American city, as well as a love for what delis like this represent: a simpler time when home-cooked staples stuck to your ribs and the coffee refills were endless. The friendly staff are genuinely welcoming, cracking jokes while they make recommendations. This is the sort of place where the regulars gab with the staff, and newcomers quickly become regulars.

The walls

While its address may read Bay Street, the restaurant’s heart clearly rests in the Big Apple. Inside, it’s lovingly decorated with the paintings and posters you’d see in a late-night diner in Manhattan, mixed in among carefully curated vintage film memorabilia and head shots – see if you can spot some classic actors hanging on the walls during your meal.

The mustards

Each table boasts no fewer than five different bottles, ranging from sweet honey to fiery wasabi. Don’t feel compelled to sample each on your first trip, your waiter can advise you on which pairs best with any entrée like a mustard sommelier.

The crowd

And at the tables, retirees read newspapers next to Bay Street execs running in for a quick bagel and smoked salmon platter (with a delicious twisty bagel and all of the fixings). Kids struggle to overcome mountains of French fries. All are greeted with the same enthusiasm.

And of course, the food

The menu’s huge, and everything’s fantastic, but if we had to choose, it’d be the corned beef. Keep in mind that the portions are epic – you’ll be bringing leftovers home, more often than not. Whatever you choose, pair it with a milkshake. It’s a house specialty and it’s served in a metal shaker a la 1940s Brooklyn malt shop.

Visit The New Yorker Deli at 1140 Bay Street, just across from Indigo.