Mind-Boggling Variety From Ziggy G’s Deli

Deli alert: There’s a new nonstop deli on the Strip, “Dispensing Delectable Deli 24 Hours Daily & We’re Delighted to Deliver!” Nicky Blair’s has headed for Las Vegas and Ziggy G’s has moved right in.

“A clean machine,” says a New Yorker friend, who has made noshing in delis a lifetime project. “The chicken soup is pretty good. The pickles are not too toxic. And the half pastrami sandwich is big enough to kill a horse at $4.95.”

Ziggy G is David Ziggy Gruber. (He’s the guy on the menu cover holding a chicken-in-the-pot in one hand and a hefty sandwich in the other.) “Our family has been in the deli business since 1927,” Gruber told me over the phone. “We had a deli on Broadway called the Rialto between 48th and 49th. Walter Winchell used to write his column there every morning.”

And what a menu he’s got, mind-boggling in its variety--more than 400 items, which you can eat any time of the day or night. Think of it! You’ll find all the usual deli sandwiches, plus combos with catchy names like “Tongues for the Memories” (triple-decker tongue, corned beef and turkey) and the killer “The Zellagabetsky (The Sandwich That’s Bigger Than Its Name).” For this eight-decker, a crowbar may be required.

You name it, Ziggy’s got it: pickled herring, smoked fish, kreplach, chili, Thai salad, blintzes, burgers, Philly cheese steak, Southern fried chicken, spaghetti and turkeyballs marinara. At 3 in the morning, you may not be able to fathom the entire menu. That’s OK. The wait staff is patient. And just about anything you can think up is probably already on the menu. Not to worry.

* Ziggy G’s, 8730 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. (310) 659-1225; fax (310) 659-7757. Open 24 hours a day. Valet parking and validated parking in lot next door. Major credit cards accepted. Smoked fish appetizers $5.50-$10.95; sandwiches $4.95-$12.75; entrees $6.95-$22.95.