Friday Roundup
Friday, May 27th, 2011First off, a hearty thank you to everyone who commented on the last post about Howard. In his honor, Caplansky’s Delicatessen here in Toronto is offering a weekend brunch special called a Howard Jack, which is chocolate babka french toast. Worth checking out.
Because I was basically off the grid for a month, there’s a lot I didn’t post. Apologies to those who sent me stories or ideas. Here’s a few recent ones in a quick end-of-week roundup.
Seattle’s ambitious new deli, Stopsky’s, had a soft opening last week, with lines reportedly out the door. After a small espresso fire (who knew that could even happen?), they’re prepping to reopen fully and finally on Monday. The menu is up online and the special on opening day is knish. Check it out, the menu looks sick.
One thing I missed out on was the second annual Deli Summit from the procative thinkers Karen and Peter at Saul’s in Berkely, who debated the future of the Jewish delicatessen once again with help from a who’s who of the new school deli world: Mile End’s Noah Bernamoff, Ken Gordon from Kenny and Zuke’s, and Evan Bloom from Wise Sons across the Bay…with everyone’s favorite cookbook maven, Joan Nathan, in the moderator’s chair. With any luck, video should be posted soon, but a big hand goes out to Saul’s, which is quickly becoming the Aspen Institute of delicatessen thought.
It’s Friday, and that means if you’re in the DC area, head down to Sixth and I synagogue, and get a kosher delicatessen sandwich from Spike Mendelssohn’s recently launched food truck.
And in legal news, a few weeks back the 2nd Ave Deli sued an establishment called the Heart Attack Grill over the naming of menu items. Reports the New York Post:
The Second Avenue Deli filed suit yesterday to beat back a chutzpah-laden challenge to sales of its “Instant Heart Attack Sandwich” and a planned “Triple Bypass Sandwich.”
The famed Jewish-style restaurant says it got an accusatory letter from lawyers for Arizona’s Heart Attack Grill, which specializes in fatty food with a “taste worth dying for.”
The March 29 missive alleged infringement of the medical-themed hamburger joint’s trademarks and “unequivocally threatened” legal action.
London’s Getting a Posh New Deli
Thursday, May 5th, 2011
Hey there. Remember me? Yeah, I know it’s been a long time, but with Passover, life, cars crashing into delis, and Bin Laden getting in the way, I’ve been a bit lazy on these pages. But what are you gonna do…pay me? Exactly.
Still, I come bearing good news. At least for those of you across the pond in the Ole Blighty. Yes, the comedown from the Royal Wedding is still happening, but rest assured Londoners, there is reason to hope, because The Deli West One is launching soon.
Owner Alan Lee is promising a top notch, all class, properly done kosher delicatessen in Marylebone, West London, featuring smoked salmon, salami, pickles, coleslaw, bagels, and of course, salt beef.
Construction is still in progress, but you can follow them on facebook or twitter.
Jay and Lloyd’s of Brooklyn get Chai on their Birthday
Monday, April 11th, 2011
These days, with just a handful of delicatessens left in Brooklyn, once the Jewish deli capital of the earth, it’s a joyous milestone to wish any of them a happy birthday. Today is an especially happy one for Jay and Lloyd’s Kosher Delicatessen, which celebrates 18 years in business, a significant number representing life in Jewish numerology. They’ll be honoring the birthday at 1pm with a little party, featuring Brooklyn food maven Arthur Schwartz, as well as various politicos, including Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, a man who has never missed out on a deli related event as far as I’ve heard of him.
I’ve been to Jay and Lloyd’s before, and I really have a soft spot for the place. Lloyd is a consumate schtick-filled barrel of laughs (see pic below), and the food is damn tasty, particularly the vegetable latke. Plus, there’s a pastel kind of design that harkens back to the Rascal House and those grand old Florida delis. You can’t go wrong.
Mazel tov Jay and Lloyd. Well earned.
Montreal dispatch: Schwartz’s Musical opens tomorrow and Wilensky’s open Saturdays!
Thursday, March 31st, 2011Montreal, oh sweet Montreal, you never cease to bring a deli lover joy.
Two great things are going down this weekend. Some would even say monumental.
First, the hotly anticipated musical theatre adaptation of Bill Brownstein’s book on Schwartz’s is hitting the stage tomorrow at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre. Here’s what they’re promising:
Inspired by Bill Brownstein’s popular book, “Schwartz’s Hebrew Delicatessen: The Story”, comedy duo extraordinaire Bowser & Blue bring the colourful story to life on stage with a full cast of larger-than-life characters who call Schwartz’s “home,” and some of the many customers who pass through its doors. Schwartz’s: The Musical celebrates the eccentric side of Schwartz’s and what makes us Montrealers with lots of humour, wit and heart, while grappling with such issues as the smoked meat and pastrami debate, the food police, the measure of success in tumultuous times and the dreaded F-word: franchise!
Despite the long connection of delis to Broadway, I’m amazed that a deli musical is only now hitting the stage. This is pretty monumental, and I hope to get down sometime this summer to see it. Check it out:
And if that weren’t enough of a reason to visit Montreal, here’s another.
Wilensky’s, that plucky lunch counter where time stands still, has finally decided to open on Saturdays. Yes. Blessed be the heavens. Yesterday the Montreal Gazette reported the news, and Sharon Wilensky told me how quickly it spread:
A customer about your age came into the store last Friday. I had heard him talking about Twitter when he had come in the time before…. When I told him we were opening on Saturday, he tweeted it. It’s amazing how fast news travels.
Despite their new hours and newfound fame, Schwartz’s and Wilensky’s thankfully remain as untouched, old school, and delicious as ever. God, it’s been a year since I was in Montreal. Time for a return.
Saveur Sandwich Issue
Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
I’m not just writing this because I’m a contributing editor at Saveur. I’m writing this out of love and awe.
Love, because the newly released Sandwich Issue is a work of pure wonder.
Awe, because they managed to pull it off with perfection.
You want deli: they cover Harold’s, they cover sardines at Jewish delis, they cover bagels and lox, and they have Jane and Michael Stern on the search for great Jewish rye bread. I’m in there, talking about Israeli schnitzel sandwiches, plus there’s this gorgeous series of sandwich videos from the 2nd Ave Deli, with two of my favorite people on earth: the great Steve Cohen and David Gonzales.
I have read this issue cover to cover twice in the past three days. Pick it up. You will not be disappointed.
The Pacific Northwest Deli Bonanza Continues with Seattle’s Stopsky’s
Friday, March 25th, 2011
Who would ever think that the cold, green, wet coast of America’s Pacific Northwest would one day become a fertile breeding ground for innovative and delicious Jewish delis?
Probably no one from the region, or the Midwest, or especially the Northeast, and that doesn’t even say anything about the naysayers in New York. “What the hell do they know about deli over there?” they taunted, “maybe smoked salmon, but not real deli.”
There were pioneers for sure: Saul’s in Berkeley, David’s, and Miller’s, and Moishe’s Pippic in San Francisco, Rose’s in Portland, and others in Seattle. But the change came with Kenny and Zuke’s in 2007. The Portland upstart, which began as a pastrami station at a farmer’s market, changed the way people thought about deli. It took deli outside the Jewish community and made it a cuisine to be respected.
Just a few days ago, I happily reported on the continuing of that tradition with the soon to open Wise Sons Delicatessen in San Francisco. And now, not to be outdone, comes Seattle.
Stopsky’s Delicatessen is opening in May just outside Seattle (Mercer Island, to be precise). It’s being run by Lara Jeff Sanderson, with a kitchen helmed by chef Robin Leventhal (she of Season 6 Top Chef) and breads by Columbia City Bakery founder Andrew Meltzer. Here’s what they are promising:
Stopsky’s will celebrate and serve Jewish dishes from around the world. Classics items like pastrami, corned beef, matzoh ball soup, kreplach and kugel, rye bread, challah, and rugelach can be enjoyed either in the restaurant or at home. The majority of these products will be made in-house using locally sourced, sustainably grown, organic ingredients whenever possible. We call our approach “Tradition, Updated.”
The restaurant will provide seating for 36, and be open initially for breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch. Dinner will be added later this year. In addition to dining in, patrons will be able to order many of the menu items for take-out, or purchase a wide variety of specially selected products in the retail section. Stopky’s will also feature the exclusive, artisanal espresso.
Can’t wait!
Wise Sons takes San Francisco by storm
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
(Leo Beckerman, with his bialys)
So I’m in San Francisco last week, and every single person I meet asks me “have you tried that new deli?”.
I’m a pretty good gauge for when a deli is buzzing beyond its traditional audience (Jews), and this was definitely the case. Wise Sons is hot, and folks, this is just the beginning.
Now, let’s dial it back a little. Over a year ago, I got an email through the site from Evan Bloom, of San Francisco.
“I am currently in the planning stages of opening a traditional Jewish Delicatessen in San Francisco. While I’m hesitant to divulge too much information in this email, I would be interested to know your thoughts. It’s to be in the SF Mission style and an updated take on the classic Jewish deli using quality ingredients, modern technique, and classic recipes. All items, including meats, will be made in house without shortcuts. There is no reason schmaltz cannot become a known culinary ingredient in a city like San Francisco. We hope to build on the DIY, house made charcuterie trends by showing people they are paramount to good deli.”
(Evan Bloom, avec knishes)
My ears perked up. This is obviously something close to my heart, and in my opinion, the best way to save the Jewish delicatessen from irrelevance. It has worked beautifully for places like Caplansky’s, Kenny and Zukes, and Mile End, but so far the artensenal deli movement had bypassed San Francisco. True, Saul’s in Berkeley has been sourcing local and quality ingredients for two decades now, but as anyone who visits the area knows, San Francisco and Berkeley, while close, aren’t the same city by any stretch. And until it migrates across the bay, the impact isn’t truly felt. This was good.
Then a few months later, I got an email from another fan, who Evan and his partner Leo Beckerman had solicited for investment. It laid out the concept for the deli, and its name…Treyf:
“Our working name, Treyf (pronounced Tr-ay-f) is the Hebrew word for something un-kosher or not following traditional Jewish dietary laws based on ancient Scripture. It’s a little ironic as we will serve the best quality, pure ingredients with an emphasis on tradition and no pork to be found.” I posted a preview
Thankfully, Evan and Leo changed the name to Wise Sons Delicatessen. Nine weeks ago, working out of a communal kitchen incubator, they began doing a pop-up Saturday deli brunch at a local cafe, serving homemade bialys, knishes, ryes, corned beef, and pastramis on Saturdays from 9 to 2 pm. Most days, they’re selling out of meat by 11 am. It’s a runnaway sensation, complete with lines, mixed crowds, and a fain change in their parents’ tone, from questioning (”why not law school?”) to encouraging.
Now, unfortunately, while I was in San Francisco last week, I wasn’t able to make it to the pop-up deli Saturday. I did however meet Evan and Leo in their kitchen, just as a batch of hamentaschen were coming out of the oven. Leo schmeared a hunk of creamed cheese on a plate and let me tear into his fantastic bialy, one of the best I’ve ever eaten, both chewy and fragrant, and laced with soft onions. The knishes, loaded with schmaltz whipped potatoes, were epic, and I probably had six hamentaschen.
The boys behind Wise Sons (I say boys, mainly because they’re a year or two younger than me), are already looking at spaces for a permanent deli in the Mission, and hope to have it open in several months. Until then, check out their Saturday wares, and watch as a deli renaissance sweeps San Francisco.
Serving Saturdays at 105 Valencia @ McCoppin inside Jackie’s Cafe 9am-2pm.
Wise Sons Delicatessen from Lucy Laliberte on Vimeo.
The New Pancer’s (same as the old Pancer’s)
Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
Photo credit: Nicki Thomas/Toronto Star
Back at the end of 2010, I, like many of my Toronto mishpucha, heard the news that Moe Pancer’s delicatessen was changing hands. After reading a pretty disastrous interview with new owner Lenny Gould, I was worried, and from what you all commented, so were the deli’s fans.
Today, in the Toronto Star, my friend Corey Mintz has an article that touches on the transition.
I joined Corey when he went to Pancer’s to check out how things had changed, and I returned a week later. And here’s what I think: Pancer’s is still Pancer’s. The corned beef is still tender and shaved paper thin, the matzo ball soup still potent. The atmosphere’s the same, the great waitresses are the same, and so far, finger’s crossed, Mr. Gould has done a great job.
I’m as guilty as anyone to fear that the sky is falling when a deli changes hands. I’ve seen how change precipitates disaster in this business. Owners change, a new generation takes over, locations shift, and menus evolve. Each step can spell the end, but in just as many cases the deli thrives. For now, it looks like Pancer’s is going to keep on thriving, and that’s good news for everyone.
A Mishmash of News: Awards, New Delis, and Pop Up Mania
Tuesday, March 8th, 2011
courtesy of thefeast.com
A whole bunch of stuff to cover today.
First, my article in Saveur about the Roots of the Deli has been nominated for an International Association of Culinary Professionals award. Whoop whoop! Awards are announced in early June at a ceremony in Austin, TX.
Next up, I’ve just received word that a new deli has opened in Philadelphia, a city with a fair number of great delis. So glad the momentum keeps building. This one’s called Schlesinger’s and it looks legit. Here’s what their website says:
Schlesinger’s Delicatessen is Center City Philadelphia’s answer to the traditional deli. For nearly a century, delis have been a staple in the United States. Even more than their home-cooked dishes, cured meats and rich pastries, the atmosphere of the Jewish delicatessen served as a gathering place for community and conversation, inspired by nostalgia for the old country. In the 1930s Joseph Schlesinger owned and operated a deli/luncheonette in West New York, New Jersey. More than eighty years later, his grandson Allan Domb continues the family tradition with Schlesinger’s.
Schlesinger’s Delicatessen follows this century-old tradition. Best known for its oversized sandwiches, smoked fishes, massive desserts and traditional deli sides such as knishes, kugels, and potato pancakes, Schlesinger’s is reminiscent of the country’s original delis. The decor is authentic-hardwood floors, wood tables and chairs, tin ceiling, mirrors and stainless steel deli cases. Expect to find lox and bagels, corned beef specials, brisket platters, kasha varnishkes, black and white cookies, a case of Dr. Brown’s soda and good conversation.
My favorite sounding dish is this: Fresh Chopped Liver mit Diced Onions mit Schmaltz
(215) 735-7305
www.schlesingersdeli.com
1521 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA
And finally, pop-up and food truck mania continues to sweep the deli eaters of the nation, this time in DC. Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn will be opening a kosher food truck next month outside the Sixth and I synagogue/community center. As reported by Rachel Tepper on thefeast.com :
Named ‘Sixth & Rye,’ the truck will serve traditional Jewish items like corned beef sandwiches and knishes. Micheline Mendelsohn, his sister and spokeswoman, told The Feast exclusively that Spike is “going to try to make it as deli-like as possible.” The idea, which was hatched with consulting chef Malcolm Mitchell, was inspired by a lack of good Jewish delis in D.C.
The truck will be a Friday-only lunchtime affair, parked outside Sixth & I, a former synagogue that has experienced a rebirth as a Jewish center and secular concert venue. Micheline says the plan is to roll out toward the end of April.
The Hadassah Everyday Cookbook
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Not every day is the holidays (oh, but if it were). Some days we just have to get a meal on the table, ideally while it’s hot. With any luck everyone will enjoy it, but what about the Jewish content? What about keeping it real?
Fact is, most of us aren’t going to be braising briskets on our average thursday night. We want something fresh, simple, and if possible, tied to our roots.
Enter the Hadassah Everyday Cookbook, written by a good friend, Leah Koenig, one of the finest young food writers I know. Leah’s passion for sustainability is matched only by her appetite for great food. She’s a kosher gastronome, and here, in these beautifully crafted pages, she not only gives us recipes, but reasons to love the food.
Here’s the book’s description:
The Jewish love of eating extends far beyond the Shabbat and holiday tables to the every day. And while cholent and challah sate our appetites on Shabbat, and classics from brisket to latkes grace our holiday menus, what do we make for dinner on Monday night? Or prepare for Sunday brunch, or snack on in front of a movie? Here, America’s leading Jewish women’s organization, Hadassah, answers those culinary questions, sharing over 160 delicious, simple, kosher recipes that are destined to become family favorites.
The recipes in this book span the culinary globe, combining iconic American and Jewish tastes with Mexican, Italian, French, Asian and Middle Eastern-inspired cuisine. They also celebrate the growing availability of fresh, seasonal produce and gourmet kosher ingredients, from artisanal cheese and chocolate to organic meat and poultry. Vegetarians and omnivores alike will be delighted to find a wide variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes (not to mention snacks and cocktails) that cater directly to them. Focusing on freshness, flavor and no-fuss technique, The Hadassah Every Day Cookbook brings the flavors of the world—and the farm—to the kitchen.
What that translates into is wonderful dishes like challah french toast with a pear compote (I made something similar this weekend) and a grilled tzimmes.
But it’s Leah’s touches of care and love for the cook that really bring out the spirit of Hadassah, that venerable women’s organization in the Jewish community. Look no further than her blessing for the cook, which she devised a few years ago at a conference on Jewish environmental sustainability:
Blessed are You Creator of the world Who brings forth fruit from the Earth.
Blessed are You, Who gives us knowledge of cooking, and time to cook
And who has blessed us with the need for nourishment so that we can fully understand Your gifts.
May it be Your will
That the food that I cook Brings nourishment, fulfillment and happiness to those who eat it
And bring honor to the land and all the people that make this meal possible.
Amen to that.
