by David Sax
Pickle Barrel, Southfield, Michigan, 77, 81
Picon, Molly, 65
Pines, Isidore “Skip,” 58
Pines, “Issy,” 58
Pines, Leonard, 58
Platt’s, St. Louis, 109
Poland, 252, 253–61, 262–65, 274
Pompano Beach, Florida, 175
Pomperdale Deli, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 180
Portland, Oregon, 74
Posin’s, Washington, D.C., 171
Pressner’s, New Orleans, 167
Protzel, Alan, 110–11
Protzel, Bob, 109
Protzel, Erica, 109
Protzel, Evelyn, 109
Protzel, Max, 109–10
Protzel’s Delicatessen, Clayton, Missouri, 109–11, 113
Q
Quitos, Bienvenido (Beni), 13–14
R
Radzikowska, Zosea, 261
Ralph Rosenblatt’s, New Orleans, 167
Ralph’s, New Orleans, 167
Ramsay, Gordon, 163
Rascal House, Boca Raton, Florida, 183
Rascal House, Miami Beach, 176, 177, 180–83, 188–89
Raskin, Danny, 106–7
Raskin, Emanuel “Manny,” 106–7
Raskin, Jack, 106
Raskin, Ken, 94–95, 106–7
Raskin, Patty, 106
Rasp, Harry, 51–53, 55
Ratner’s, New York, 97
Rayner, Jay, 231
RC Provisions, 142
Red Hot Chili Peppers, 146
Reichl, Ruth, 38, 49–50
Reiner, Carl, 31
Reuben sandwich, 32
Reuben S’s, Toronto, 215
Reuben’s Delicatessen, New York, 32
Reuben’s, London, England, 234–35
Rialto Delicatessen, New York, 163
Richman, Alan, 43
Ricky’s, Chicago, 105
Riviana Foods, Texas, 58
R.J. Grunts, Chicago, 105
Robuchon, Joël, 49
Rochwerg, Ethel, 214
Roden, Claudia, 233
Rogers, Arkansas, 114
Le Roi du Smoked Meat, Montreal, 201
rolled beef, 277–78
Roman, Freddie, 31, 149
Rosen’s, Memphis, 169
Ross, Michael, 187
Roth, Herman Rees, 195
Rothschild family, 232
Rothstein, Stephen, 194
Rubashkin slaughterhouse, Postville, Iowa, 29
Rubin, Brad, 101–6
Russ and Daughters, New York, 90
rye bread: decline in New York, 83; in London, 233–34; Levy’s, New York, 34; Silverstein’s, Toronto, 215; Stage, Detroit, 83; Zingerman’s, Detroit, 91
S
Sadie Katz Deli, Burlington, 74
Saginaw, Paul, 80, 88–92
Salat, Harris, 39–40
Salem, Mohamed, 274
salt beef, 228
Salt Lake City, Utah, 121
Sam & Hy’s, Chicago, 98
Sammy’s Romanian Steakhouse, New York, 40
Samuele’s, Las Vegas, 151
San Francisco, 122–30, 274
Sandberg Deli, Havana, Cuba, 192
Sanft, Aaron, 195
Sara Lee Corporation, 95, 97
Sarasota, Florida, 175
Sarge’s Deli, New York, 267
Sarno, Jay, 148
Sass, Stephen, 136
Saul, David, 139
Saul, Jonathan, 139
Saul, Marvin, 136, 137, 139
Saul’s Deli, San Francisco, 123–24
Savannah, Georgia, 169
Sax, Daniel, 213, 224
Sax, Ella “Granny,” 194
Sax, Samuel “Poppa,” 1, 194, 199, 211
Schenkman’s, Kansas City, Missouri, 111
Schindler, Oscar, 254
Schlan, Lester, 102–3, 105
Schlan, Max, 102–3
schmaltz, 119
Schmulka Bernstein’s, New York, 26, 52
Schwartz, Bob, 96
Schwartz, Louis, 32
Schwartz, Reuben, 196
Schwartz’s Hebrew Delicatessen, Montreal, 1, 194, 196–201, 208—9, 211, 258
Scott (soda guy at Wilensky’s), 207
Scottsdale, Arizona, 159–60
Seattle, Washington, 74
Segal’s, Memphis, 169
SF-New York Deli, San Francisco, 124
Shapiro’s, Toronto, 214
Shapiro’s Delicatessen, Indianapolis, 3, 74
Shatner, William, 208
Shenk, Joshua Wolf, 276
Sherman’s, St. Louis, 109
Sheskin, Ira, 177
Shofar Kosher, Chicago, 95, 97
Shopsowitz Delicatessen (Shopsy’s), Toronto, 214, 215, 220
Shopsowitz, Izzy, 215
Shopsowitz, Sam, 220
Shopsy’s, Toronto, 214, 215, 220
Siegel, Bugsy, 148
Siegel’s, Atlanta, 169
Silva, Frank, 196–97, 198, 201
Silver, Barry, 221
Silverberg, Carol, 218
Silverberg, Jodi, 218
Silverstein’s Bakery, Toronto, 214–15
Simmons, Gail, 39
Simon, Barbara, 115–17
Sinai 48, Chicago, 95
Sinai Kosher Sausage Company, Chicago, 97
Sixth Avenue Delicatessen, New York, 32
Smith’s Delicatessen, Toronto, 214
smoked meat: cost, 200; history, 195–96; production process, 196–98; quality, 198–99
Smoked Meat Pete, Montreal, 202
smoked salmon, 119
Snowdon Deli, Montreal, 209–10, 216
Solley’s, San Fernando Valley, California, 183
Solomon Deli, St. Louis, 109
Sonny’s, Chicago, 106
South Beach, Florida, 183–84
Southbeach Deli, Miami Beach, 177
Southern Matzos Bakery, New Orleans, 167
Southfield, Michigan, 77
Spielberg, Steven, 257
St. Louis, Missouri, 109–10
St. Viateur Bagel Bakery, Montreal, 194, 211
Stack’s Delicatessen, Washington, D.C., 172–73
Stage and Company, West Bloomfield, Michigan, 82–84
Stage Deli, Atlanta, 153
Stage Deli, Atlantic City, 153
Stage Deli, Boston, 153
Stage Deli, Cleveland, 153
Stage Deli, Detroit, 82–84
Stage Deli, Las Vegas, 150, 153–54
Stage Deli, Los Angeles, 153
Stage Delicatessen, New York, 30–31, 44, 54–56, 60, 135, 273
Stage Door, Michigan, 140
Star Delicatessen, Southfield, Michigan, 84
Starkman, Guy, 140, 184, 187
Starkman, Isaac “Ike,” 140, 183–84, 187–88
Starkman, Jason, 182, 184, 187–88
Startz, Jon, 138, 150
Steeles Deli, Toronto, 217
Steinberg, Chris, 245 -46
Steinberg, Daniel, 245 -46
Steve’s Delicatessen, Chicago, 106
Switzer’s Deli, Toronto, 214, 220–21
Szatrawska, Ishabel, 261
Sze, Tony, 268
T
Taborn, Sonny, 112
Tel Aviv Deli, Toronto, 214
Terlitsky’s, Washington, D.C., 171
Texas, 160–61, 274
Thal family, 183
Theodore Kranin’s, New York, 26
Tillman, Mitchell, 235–38
tongue: costs, 57; production process, 218, 228
Tony’s Ember’s Deli and Restaurant, Orchard Lake, 85
TooJay’s Original Gourmet Deli, 185–87
Toronto: deli history and future, 21315, 216–17, 221, 223, 274–75; Jewish community, 204, 213–15; quality of deli meats, 217–18
Truman, Harry, 172
Tucker, Sam, 148
Twain’s, Atlanta, 170
U
Unique Deli, Chicago, 99
; United Meat and Deli, Detroit, 76, 77–79, 96
Uptown Deli, Miami Beach, 177
Utah, 108, 121
V
Varvaro, Peter, Jr., 202
Varvaro, Peter, Sr., 202
Vienna Beef, Chicago, 77, 95–97
Vogel, Larry, 180
Volk, Patricia, 25
Volk, Sussman, 25–26
Volk’s Delicatessen, New York, 26
W
Warsaw, Poland, 254
Washington, D.C., 170–73
Waters, Alice, 123
Waxman Deli, Havana, Cuba, 192
Weinberg, Eddie, 56, 58–59, 269–70
Weinberg, Hugo, 56
Weinberg, Karen, 56, 269–70
Weinfeld, Morton, 202, 208
Weinstein, Bob, 179
Weinzweig, Ari, 80, 87–92
Weiss, Aysegul, 151
Weiss, Michael, 150–52, 157
Weiss Bakery and Delicatessen, Henderson, Nevada, 150–51, 157, 274
Weiss’s, Baltimore, 171
West Palm Beach, Florida, 175
Wilensky, Asher, 206
Wilensky, Bernard, 207
Wilensky, Moe, 206
Wilensky, Ruth, 206–7
Wilensky, Sharon, 206, 208
Wilensky’s, Montreal, 206–8, 209
Wilf (counterman ar Pancer’s), 224
Wilno Salami, Chicago, 95, 97
Winchell, Walter, 31
Winkler, Alex, 81
Wiseblatt, Jerry, 221–22
Wolfie Cohen’s Rascal House, Miami Beach, 176, 177, 180–83, 188–89
Wolfie’s, Miami Beach, 177, 180
Wolfie’s, Toronto, 219, 221
Wong, Leslie, 217
Wong, Michael, 217
Woodrow Deli, Long Island, 163
Wuhl, Robert, 269
Wurtzel, Ettie, 170
Wurtzel, Howard, 170
Wyoming, 108
Y
Yitz’s Delicatessen, Toronto, 212–13, 215, 217, 221
Youngman, Henny, 31
Z
Zabar’s Delicatessen, New York, 88
Zaftig’s Delicatessen, Boston, 74
Zaidy’s, Denver, 113, 118
Zalke, Shloime, 21
Zappa, Frank, 146
Zeibert, Duke, 171–72
Ziggy G’s Delicatessen, Los Angeles, 164
Zing Train, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 90
Zingerman’s Community of Businesses, 89, 91, 234
Zingerman’s Delicatessen, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 80, 88–92, 274
Zoozacrackers, Las Vegas, 156–57
Zweig’s Delicatessen, Chicago, 98
Illustration Credits
p. vi: Katz’s. Courtesy of Christopher Farber.
p. 4: Gottlieb’s.
p. 6: Katz’s. Courtesy of Christopher Farber.
p. 20: Gottlieb’s.
p. 37: Yuval Dekel of Liebman’s Delicatessen.
p. 51: Eddie Weinberg.
p. 62: 2nd Ave Deli. Abe Lebewohl (left) and Morris Gottesman circa 1950s.
p. 72: Courtesy of the New York Deli News, Denver, Colorado.
p. 76: Sy Ginsberg at Lou’s.
p. 93: Herb Fingerhut.
p. 108: Jimmy “Jarrett” Eggers.
p. 122: David Apfelbaum.
p. 131: Al Langer.
p. 148: Carnegie Delicatessen, Las Vegas.
p. 158: Ziggy Gruber.
p. 174: Wolfie’s Rascal House.
p. 190: Maison David, Paris, France.
p. 212: Lorne Pancer.
p. 226: John Georgiou and his nephew.
p. 239: Michel Kalifa.
p. 251: Ariel, Krakow, Poland.
p. 266: 2nd Ave Deli.
p. 282: (from top left) author at Katz’s; Ben’s Delicatessen; Ari Weinzweig; Protzel’s Delicatessen; Ben’s; kreplach at Alef; Al and Norm Langer; Manny’s, Chicago; Katz’s, courtesy of Christopher Farber; Gottlieb’s; Rose Guttman; Maison David; Pea Soup Wednesdays: David Hirsh (background) and Jonas Chernick (eating soup); Kosher Cajun sign; Schwartz’s Delicatessen; Schwartz’s smoked meat; karnatzel at Abie’s; Weiss challah; matzo ball soup; Michael Sax; Wilensky’s of Montreal; Jeremy, Sharon, and Jack Lebewohl; Julia Sax.
About the Author
DAVID SAX fell in love with deli as a child and in the past two years has established himself as the world’s foremost expert on delicatessen. He has been to hundreds of delis, knows the best place to eat every Jewish delicacy, and has created a home for avid deli lovers on his website and blog, www.savethedeli.com. In addition to his one-night gig at Katz’s, he has worked as a journalist with credits in such publications as New York, GQ, Rolling Stone, Wine Spectator, the New Republic, and Vanity Fair online. He has written on everything from food, travel, and drink to culture and politics. Sax has lived in Toronto, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro. He now lives in Brooklyn.