NYPL: Mogen Dovid Delicatessen Journals
Friday, February 26th, 2010
Here’s a special shabbat treat for you all:
When I was researching the book, I often came across references to various delicatessen trade magazines from the early 20th century in New York. Despite my efforts to find them at various libraries, I never succeeded, and moved my research efforts elsewhere (mostly eating deli). Thankfully, others aren’t so easily deterred.
Rebecca Federman writes last week on the blog of the New York Public Library about the Mogen Dovid Delicatessen Journals.
I was introduced to these periodicals by Roberta Saltzman, the librarian in the Dorot Jewish Division, who has cultivated a world-class collection of Jewish cookery materials. Among the fascinating items in her collection is the Mogen Dovid Delicatessen Magazine, published in New York from 1930 until 1939.
Firmly union (”Live and Let Live” and “In Union there is Strength” are prominently featured on each issue), and printed in both English and Yiddish, Mogen Dovid covers the world of New York delicatessen culture and features articles related to racketeering, Brooklyn elections, trade overhead and union matters.
One of the most interesting parts of each issue is their Fair Price List which lists “at which the following food should be sold in all delicatessen stores.” The March, 1931 issue, for example, proposes that roast chicken (depending on its size) should cost between $1.50 and $2.50; the Temptation Sandwich (tongue, sliced tomato, and India relish) should cost 30 cents; cream cheese and olive sandwich, 20 cents, and a sardine sandwich, 15 cents.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF HER ENTRY
How cool is this? If any of you have ephemera like this, and want to donate it to the New York Public Library, get in touch with Ms. Federman. If you want, we’re both going to be speaking tomorrow on a panel about Edible Archaeology at Foodprint NYC, along with “Appetite City” author William Grimes, and “Gastropolis” author Annie Hauck-Lawson.
Studio-X (180 Varick St., Suite 1610, New York, NY 10014)
My panel is from 3:30-5pm, but there’s stuff happening from 1pm onward.
oh, and it’s Free!
Random Stuff: Deli maps, Roaster’s out of Dallas, Nate n’ Al helps Haiti, and my talk in Seattle
Monday, February 8th, 2010Ok, all sorts of random things to get through, and none of them even remotely related.
First off, a fan of the site, Mr. Jim Peters, has taken it upon himself to drop some delis into google maps and make deli specific maps of Los Angeles, New York, Montreal, Toronto, and San Francisco/Bay area, based on the information found in my book. The site is called greatdelis.com, and it’s the start of something great, I hope. Help Jim out if you can and add in more cities. You can contact him via the site. Here’s an example from LA:
View LA Pastrami in a larger map
Next, we have some sad news via Robert Wilonsky at the Dallas Observer:
Roasters’ N Toasters, Toasted
By Robert Wilonsky in Dish
Maybe I’ll get around to writing this for City of Ate: Why can’t Dallas do a proper Hebrew deli? Sure — it’s a dying art and an endangered species. So says David Sax in his book Save the Deli; as NPR put it a few months back, he’s on a mission to save the Jewish deli, close to a permanent shalom in the foresaken flyover. Which I mention this morning only because Roasters’ N Toasters, the Preston Road outpost of the Miami mainstay, has served its last pastrami sandwich and bowl of matzo ball soup.
Too bad. I had friends in Dallas who really liked Roaster’s and Toasters. Not to worry though, because the Florida stores are in fine form.
In somewhat better news, the legendary Beverly Hills delicatessen Nate N’ Al, is helping out in Haiti, by donating 20 percent of dining proceeds from Feb 8-10th to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief Fund.
We already knew that Mark and David Mendelson were mentches, but this puts them over the top. If you haven’t visited their new Thousand Oaks store, here’s your reason!
Finally, a nice treat for all of you who weren’t able to attend my talk at the I Love New York Deli in Seattle last wednesday. Journalist Sanjay Bhatt was there to film it for a possible movie he’s making about food, and he’s been kind enough to share parts of the lecture on YouTube. I’ll post one clip below. The others you can find here.
HardLox
Monday, September 21st, 2009Gotta love this. A Jewish culture festival in Asheville, NC, called
Name that Party…the Vote
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
So, when I asked you all last week to help name the launch party at Ben’s on Oct 19th, I was floored with the fantastic response I received from all you deli lovers. I got about 20 submissions, ranging from the standard (Savor the Deli) to the insanely creative (the great chrain robbery, Meet the Deli Lama, Salvador Deli). The craziest goes to Daniel Berkal, who suggested transforming “Save the Deli” as an anagram into “Hide Salt Eve” or “I’d Sheet Veal”.
But in the end, I have whittled it down to seven ideas, some yours, some mine, and I put it to a vote below. Sweet democracy. It’s come to Save the Deli as well.
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“The Deli” by Fa-Cock-Ta! rocks.
Thursday, September 3rd, 2009If you took everything this site and my book and all this Save the Deli mishigas is about, set it to some early 1990’s Tone Loc beats, and then laid mildly inappropriate lyrics over it by a Jewish Lady GaGa in character as MC Ethel (”a 52 year old drunk Jewish cougar from Boca and lead singer of the world’s premiere Heeb-hop group, FA-COCK-TA”), then you’d get FA-COCK-TA’s awesome song The Deli.
YOU CAN LISTEN TO THE SONG AT www.fa-cock-ta.com
The lyrics…oh, they’re genius. They include lines like “My baby’s got some extra baggage, she’s got a bootie shaped like stuffed cabbage” and “It’s Boyton Beach it’s so hot I always, shvitz, but I put up with the heat for a meal at Flakowitz.”
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Buzz builds in Israel and Miami, plus a great new book and Deli Heaven relaunches
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009להציל את המעדנייה (that’s Save the Deli in the mother tongue)
Sue Fishkoff’s JTA article from the other day got reprinted in the Jerusalem Post, and it’s gotten quite popular. It’s gotten 4.71 out of 5 stars by readers, and already has 31 comments on it. It’s also the Editor’s Pick online, which is a real honor, considering that Israel is hardly a place suffering from a lack of news. The comments, from both sites, are the best part of this. (more…)
Save the Deli goes to the White House
Friday, August 7th, 2009
Dear America,
For too long you have struggled in your effort to save the deli. But now, thanks to my friend Sara Kuzmarov, and others, we have a fighting chance. You see, last month I mailed off three advance copies of Save the Deli to the White House. There are several serious deli lovers on the President’s staff who have the power to bring change to DC’s stagnant deli culture. They can inject hope and a new tomorrow to our struggling delis. Bailouts, rescue packages, cured meat reform…all of it is possible.
Am I serious? You betcha. Save the Deli is in the White House, and who knows…perhaps Obama will see it on a desk, crack it open, and do his part. One can only hope.
For the sake of America.
Nora Ephron’s last meal? A hot dog from Nate n’ Al
Wednesday, August 5th, 2009
Journalist, author, screenwriter, and director Nora Ephron is doing the rounds to promote her new film Julie and Julia, about the book by the blogger who replicated Julia Child’s recipes over a year, and stole her soul 
In last weekend’s New York Times, everyone’s favorite cougar, Maureen Dowd, interviewed Ephron about food in twenty questions or so. But the last is the best:
Q: What would your last meal be, if you got executed for killing a moody actor?
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Big Friday Roundup
Friday, July 31st, 2009
It’s Friday, I’m heading home to Toronto for two weeks, and that means it’s time for a big assed summer roundup. Get ready!
1. Langer’s Deli will be on the Food Network’s “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” next Tuesday at 9.30 PM.
Be sure to check it out. It’s about pastrami (duh).
2. Evan’s New York Style Deli is reported open in Marblehead, MA. That’s near Salem, or north of Boston, for you landlubbers.
The Friday Feedbag
Friday, July 24th, 2009
Sorry for the lack of posts this week. We’re working hard to make Savethedeli.com even better before the book’s release, and we hit a few hiccups along the way. Up and running now though.
So it’s Friday, erev Shabbos, and that means the roundup of random stuff.
1. Famous Deli and Restaurant in Bucks County, PA has supposedly closed. I don’t know this deli personally, but a recent fan said it was quite good. Owned by Stuart Thomas and Troy Garr since 1986, apparently they recently remodeled, and undoubtedly fell victim of these tough economic times. We’ll say a prayer for the deli’s fans.
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