Joan and Ed's Deli, Natick, Mass.

Joan and Ed's Deli in Natick, Mass., always satisfied.

Pretty much everyone loved Joan and Ed's except for a few malcontents including the proverbial whiners complaining about Boston having no delis comparable to New York City,

First located at Shopper's World in Framingham and then at the Sherwood Plaza in Natick, Joan and Ed's represented everything good about dining out: large portions of food, reasonable prices, an upbeat atmosphere, and long-time staff -- including Joan and Ed-- that took every effort to get to know their customers. Joan and Ed's made a fine pastrami sandwich, awesome chicken soup and matzoh ball soups, potato pancakes that would make grandma proud, and desserts out of huge display cases that were not only delicious but huge. I will always remember the Devil Dog cake!

Joan and Ed's also served as a general restaurant, offering excellent chicken, steak and seafood dishes.

Remember the pony-tailed man working the front counter?  He always seemed slightly gruff and intimidating, but ultimately was a very nice person that has a place in our unofficial customer service hall of fame. The guy never made a mistake.

Joan and Ed's sadly closed in 2010. The location is now occupied by Zaftig's Deli, another fine deli that has a great local reputation. I would still take Joan and Ed's, though. In its 33 years, Joan and Ed's hit a home run with virtually everything they did -- what a great run! We miss it very much, though.