Several restaurants can satisfy your yen for pastrami

Q: My son and I tried to get our pastrami sandwich fix at Roxy's at Crossroads Mall recently but the place was dark. Word has it they've closed. Can you confirm? What have you heard?

- J.H.A. Heise

A: The word you heard was right, Jay. You and your son can proceed to sit shivah for the Crossroads food court version of Roxy's Deli, former Eastside source of Glick & Froyd's pastrami. If you happen to get hungry while in mourning, why not send someone over the bridge to Roxy's Deli for take-out (1909 First Ave., Seattle; 206-441-6768) or head for the sit-down version, Roxy's Diner, near the Seattle Art Museum (1329 First Ave., Seattle; 206-381-8800)? Or do as I do when the jones for a pastrami sandwich and half-sour pickle has me in its clutches: Go to the original source, CasCioppo Brothers meat market in Ballard (2364 N.W. 80th St., Seattle; 206-784-6121, ext. 3). Self-proclaimed "Pastrami King" Peter Glick no longer makes his pastrami on the premises (it's now custom-made at one of the country's largest pastrami manufacturers), but you can still order a sandwich at CasCioppo's counter and knock it back with a bottle of Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray Tonic, the perfect thirst-quencher.

If you're wondering what prompted the closure of Roxy's Crossroads location after a mere six months in business, Robert Berry, Roxy's manager, has the answer: "It was dead! Sales were dismal. We had no business. The hours we kept were dictated by the mall, and we had to staff the place till 9 p.m. whether there was any business or not." Competition for food court dollars was stiff, says Berry. "When it was busy and a line started to appear in front of your store - Boom! - the customers moved over to another, less crowded spot. They didn't want to wait. Peter (Glick) decided it wasn't worth his time and his money to keep the mall store open, figuring it was better to concentrate on his Seattle stores."

Q: I'm looking for a restaurant that has trains as its theme. I understand there's a place around here with small trains that ride around on a track. Do you know its name?

- Debby Larson

A: Hmmm. Let's see. . .The train cars at Andy's Diner are full-size and stationary, and the vintage cars on the Spirit of Washington Dinner Train are far from small. Model trains tool about overhead as part of the decor at Billy McHale's - the family-friendly steakhouse chain with nearby locations in Alderwood, Factoria, Federal Way, Redmond and Renton. But my guess is you're talking about the Iron Horse Restaurant near Pioneer Square (311 Third Ave. S., Seattle; 206-223-9506). The joint's been around forever, charming choo-choo fanatics and the pre-pubescent set with its 300 scale-model engines and cars. Talk about special delivery! The food here - basic burgers, sandwiches and such - arrives by rail. Four hundred feet of mini-track allows the kitchen to propel your burger and fries to the table like so much coal on a coal car. Toot! Toot! Oh porter? Pass the ketchup, please.

Q: Do you know if Chef Astolfo from the gone-and-lamented Virazon has resurfaced in any other Seattle restaurant, or is likely to?

- Barry Fishler

A: No, Astolfo Rueda hasn't resurfaced in another Seattle restaurant, nor he says, is he likely to. When he cooks these days, its for the enjoyment of his wife and and 2-year-old son. At Virazon, the French-born chef de cuisine - whose professional career began at the tender age of 11 - knocked my jaded socks off with his classically inspired cooking. And when I learned that Virazon (formerly located where Roxy's Diner now sits) had closed, I did some serious lamenting, too. Anyway, Barry, I have an idea: Perhaps we can convince Astolfo to invite us to his house for dinner. I'll bring fresh lobster, you bring the wine, and he can don an apron and make us happy. Sound like a plan?

Nancy Leson's phone number is 206-464-8838. Her e-mail address is: nleson@seattletimes.com.