Second Avenue Deli
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| Second Avenue Deli | |
|---|---|
| Restaurant Information | |
| Established | 1954 |
| Food type | Kosher delicatessen |
| Street address | since December 2007 at: 162 East 33rd Street (between Lexington Avenue and Third Avenue) |
| City | New York City, New York |
| Country | United States |
| Other locations | formerly at: Second Avenue and East 10th Street in the East Village New York City, New York, United States |
| Website | 2ndavedeli.com |
The Second Avenue Deli[clarification needed] is a certified-kosher[clarification needed] delicatessen in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York. Since December 17, 2007, it has been located at 162 East 33rd Street (between Lexington Avenue and Third Avenue).
Contents |
[edit] History
The delicatessen originally opened in 1954 on the southeast corner of Second Avenue and East 10th Street in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan.
It closed briefly following the murder of its founder Abe Lebewohl, a survivor of The Holocaust, during a robbery on March 4, 1996. As of October 2009, the crime remains unsolved.
On January 1, 2006, new owner Jack Lebewohl[clarification needed] closed the delicatessen at its original location in the East Village after a rent increase and a dispute over back rent that the landlord had said was due [1]. (The East Village location later became a Chase Manhattan Bank branch.) On July 31, 2007, Lebewohl announced that the delicatessen would reopen at a new location in the fall of 2007. It reopened on December 17, 2007, at the Murray Hill location with Jeremy Lebewohl, the nephew of its founder, as its new proprietor.[2]
The sidewalk outside the old Second Avenue location is the home to what is known as the Yiddish Walk of Fame, where the names of about fifty stars of the old Yiddish-theatre era are embedded in plaques on the sidewalk, similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.[3][4]
[edit] Cuisine
The delicatessen's specialties include matzoh-ball soup, corned beef, pastrami, knishes, gefilte fish, cholent and other notables of Jewish cuisine. Despite the food being nominally kosher (only actual kosher products utilized), Orthodox Jews will not eat there because the restaurant is not under a recognized rabbinical kosher supervising service. Because the restaurant is open on Friday nights and Saturdays[5], the Jewish Sabbath, the restaurant is disqualified according to Jewish law from receiving a certificate of kosher reliability.
[edit] Decor
The original restaurant had a separate room decorated with memorabilia of Yiddish-theatre actress Molly Picon, including posters, song sheets, photographs, etc. The new location has pictures of her on the walls for approximatley one half of the dining area.[3][4]
[edit] References
- ^ Witchel, Alex (2007-10-21). "A Counter History". The New York Times Magazine. Article access requires website registration.
- ^ Sullivan, Eve (2007-12-17). "Back for 2nd's — Famed Deli Reopens". New York Post. Accessed 2009-09-16.
- ^ a b Simonson, Robert (2006-03-19). "Where Have You Gone, Molly Picon?". The New York Times. Article access requires website registration.
- ^ a b[dead link]Siegel, Jennifer (2006-03-24). "Stars Still Shine on 2nd Avenue Walk of Fame Survives Deli’s Demise but Its Fate Is Unclear". The Forward.
- ^ Staff writer (undated; circa 2008?). "Why Is the 2nd Avenue Deli Not on 2nd Avenue in New York City?". Top Restaurants New York, a blog.
[edit] External links
- 2ndavedeli.com 2nd Ave Deli official website
- Article about the closing of the former location. The New York Times. Article access requires website registration.
- Chan, Sewell (2007-08-01). "Something to Nosh On: Here’s the Skinny on Jewish Delis", the City Room blog at The New York Times. Accessed 2009-09-16.
- Thorn, Bret (2007-12-12). "Return of a Classic". The New York Sun. Accessed 2009-09-16.
Coordinates: 40°43′46″N 73°59′12″W / 40.72954°N 73.98674°W
