Lucky, indeed, was the man who first tasted a Reuben sandwich. That marriage of warm corned beef, sauerkraut, Russian dressing and melted Swiss cheese within slices of buttered, grilled rye bread ranks as one of the world's finest flavor combinations. Great ingredients in ideal proportions make it authentic.

Zaidy's Deli gets its Reubens right.

So, who should be surprised? Zaidy's has had oodles of practice dishing Reubens, latkes and chicken noodle soup. Gerard Rudofsky originally opened this place downtown in 1985 before relocating to the present Cherry Creek address. Historic black-and-white family photos adorn the walls of the always-busy eatery.

The huge three-meal menu offers everything from waffles to dinner specials to desserts. I don't go to Zaidy's to experience food innovation, just to be fed.

I love eating breakfast at Zaidy's because they have a way with spuds. They make the best corned beef hash ($4.50 with one egg and toast) in town. Boiled spuds are sizzled long enough to create a nice crust. The latkes ($6.25) are perfectly browned discs of shredded potato and onion sidekicked with sour cream and applesauce.

Zaidy's cheese blintzes ($6.95) are another classic deli comforter. The soft eggy crepes are filled with sweetened cottage cheese. I love them with a little sour cream and a lot of blueberry preserves.

The eatery also does a decent job with blueberry pancakes ($4.95) and an adult fried egg sandwich ($6.75) on a Kaiser bun with smoky bacon, Swiss cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato and red onion.

Get to Zaidy's early for lunch unless you want to stand in line. Good luck finding a parking space. On a recent icy afternoon, the restaurant bustled with Denverites of all stripes warming themselves with housemade soups and chili (all soups $2.95 cup/$3.95 bowl).

The chicken noodle soup is just mild clear broth packed with odd-cut carrots, celery and boiled chicken meat so you know a real person cut them, not a machine. For authenticity, you can add a huge soft matzoh ball or try the creamy mushroom barley soup.

So what does a deli know about ''chili?'' It depends on your definition. If you mean red kidney beans, ground beef and enough chile powder to justify the name but not to impart much heat then this is ''chili.''

The lunch tables are properly set with a jar of apricot preserves and a plate with dill and half-sour pickles and a little bowl of sauerkraut.

If you love sandwiches, Zaidy's has them all, from a bleu cheese burger ($7.25) to turkey and chopped liver ($8.95).

Fans flock here for the meaty classics. The hot corned beef, brisket and pastrami sandwiches that come in two sizes: normal Cherry Creek ($7.50) or the overstuffed New York portion ($9.50). Some straightforward creamy cole slaw is a must along with a heavy pastry-bound knish ($2.50) densely jammed with mashed potatoes and cheese.

If you are a true cardiac adventurer, choose the latke Reuben ($8.95) with a filling of good fat-on pastrami plus sauerkraut and Russian dressing.

The best culinary epiphany I've had during my Zaidy's encounters was a simple smoked sable bagel ($9.50). The reddish fish filet fell away as thick, slick, smoky, oily and thoroughly appetizing flakes. My guests and I created glorious hors d'oeuvres with a piece of toasted bagel with butter, cream cheese, capers, red onion and tomato.

On the three nights a week Zaidy's is open for dinner, a few blue-plate specials are added to the menu. Satisfaction is a barbecued half chicken ($9.25), liver and onions ($8.95) or my favorite, stuffed cabbage ($8.95). The fall-apart leaves filled with moist, crumbly meat are set in a sweet, chunky tomato sauce. It's not pretending to be something it isn't.

The meatloaf here is, well, meatloaf ($7.95 dinner plate, or hot or cold sandwich): a bland soft slab of very cooked ground beef, crumbs, carrots and onion. It needed lots of ketchup.

The dinner specials come with salad or soup, a vegetable and potato or kugel. The veggie on all our plates was simple steamed broccoli. One guest complained that it was ''too plain'' without butter, sauce or even salt but another guest loved the simplicity. The baked noodle kugel is a true treat, as is the potato and carrot kugel.

Zaidy's is as much a bakery and take-out counter as a dining spot. The bakery produces a huge list of goodies ranging from a respectable New York-style cheesecake ($3.95) to classic lemon bars ($2).

My favorites are the black and white cookie ($1) coated in white and dark chocolate glaze; the caramelized cinnamon walnut rugelach ($1); and the sinfully rich poppyseed cream cheese strudel ($3.95). I crave the chunky banana pudding filling the deli's Boston cream pie ($3.95) variation, but the cake itself is always too dry.

I appreciated the pot of coffee ($1.75) on the table so I didn't have to beg for continual warm-ups. This java is not shade-grown, free-trade, house-roasted or Ethiopian Harrar but it's good enough.

The no-nonsense servers are a wonderful, experienced bunch who can carry a dozen plates at a time to three tables and still remember that you wanted milk — not cream — for your coffee.

This deli will never earn kudos for nuanced, inventive cuisine or elegant service. It wouldn't be doing its job if it did. Zaidy's — ''Grandpa's'' in Yiddish — provides care and comfort for everyone. Zaidy's doesn't re-invent the wheel. They just keep it well-buttered.

Zaidy's Deli

• Grade: B+

• Address: 121 Adams St.

• Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Tuesday; 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday

• Food: deli

• How much: $3.75-$9.75 breakfast; $3.95-$10.95 lunch; $6.95-$9.25 dinner

• How loud: moderately loud when busy

• Reservations: yes

• Information: 303-333-5336

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