Best kosher deli

Far from the cluster of Jewish businesses in Brookline, in a part of town that long ago abandoned a similar identity, you'll find the American Kosher Products Company. The Mattapan eatery not only cures its own corned beef and pastrami, but also has a rabbi on-site to make sure everything is, well, kosher.

Getting there is half the fun. To enter, you must go to the back of the building, walk through a service entrance into a meatpacking house, then head to the back and hang a left, where you'll find a half-used deli counter and some fading menus. A man named Leon Weiner -- whose father opened the business in 1955 -- will most likely take your order. We suggest a corned beef, lean and sweetly meaty, piled Shaquille O'Neal-high on a bulkie roll. Other options include spiced beef, rolled beef, and take-out cuts of poultry, veal, and lamb. Oh, and don't forget to bring home a few frozen knishes to get the most out of your expedition.

American Kosher Products Company, 1188 Blue Hill Avenue, Mattapan, (617) 296-5605.