Paul Wesley
Deli
by Diana Cercone
What’s a nice Italian chef doing opening up a Jewish delicatessen in our area? Everything—from creating its menu to cooking its food, to designing its decor and to turning it into a community go-to place for great, comfort food. Still, he has no plans to stop there. Not until it’s also a venue for feel good entertainment. Celebrity Chef Nick Liberato, who grew up in South Philly, moved to California to surf and cook, and is probably best known for his Netflix hit series “Restaurants on the Edge” is back in town. And he’s ready to do what he does best.
I recently had a chance to catch up with Nick, who with his wife and three daughters (ages 6, 5, and 2) moved to Newtown last year, to talk about his new restaurant, The Borscht Belt Delicatessen. Like the restaurants he’s rescued, both in his Netflix series and in the California bar/restaurants he’s owned and operated, his new venue not only has a view, but is also a local and tourist destination. Located in the Stockton Market, the restaurant has its own entrance and convenient walk-up/take-out window.
The concept, Nick says, is “a pandemic-proof restaurant that offers all the best comfort food you can think of that you would normally get at a Jewish deli.” And not just an ordinary Jewish deli but a homage to the pantheon of Jewish delis in New York City, like Katz’s and the 2nd Avenue Deli. And then, there was their mecca. Nestled in New York’s Catskills, these were the storied Borscht Belt hotels that for generations provided Jews and their guests with a safe haven for mouth-watering, mile-high food and star-making entertainment. (The word borscht stems from the name of a Ukrainian soup made from beetroot, giving it a deep, reddish-purple color. Popular in many Central and Eastern European countries, its recipes were brought to the U.S. by Ashkenazi Jews and Slavic immigrants.)
From the 1920s to the ’60s, the Borscht Belt hotels were the popular vacation spot for New York City Jews. Comedians like Jerry Lewis, Sid Caesar, Joan Rivers and Mel Brooks got their start there, and headliners like Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin performed regularly. Even Hollywood came to the Borscht Belt. Movies like “Marjorie Morningstar” and “Dirty Dancing,” along with the current popular Amazon Prime TV series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” recreate the magic, memories and romance of the Borscht Belt.
Which is exactly what Nick is doing with his Borscht Belt Delicatessen. He’s bringing the excitement and memories of the Borscht Belt back with his restaurant, he says. “Making it sexy.” To begin with, he says, “the lighting will have a ‘vintage feel,’ both in our light boxes as well as in the hanging lights. And I’m very excited about our custom-made neon signs.”
It will be a “cooler version” than any deli you’ve been to, he says. “Black tile, refrigerated cases filled with goodies, a fabricated metal backdrop that will for sure be an eye-catcher. The [staff’s] uniforms will be crisp and clean with the addition of my favorite Vans shoes.”
As for entertainment, Nick says, the Borscht Belt Delicatessen won’t disappoint. One of his partners, Mike Dalewitz, not only has fond memories of going with his family to the famed Catskills hotels, but, though an attorney by profession, is a natural-born “tummler,” Nick says. (tummler is a Yiddish word that means someone who causes tumult or stirs up excitement.) Known in the Borscht Belt hotels, a tummler was the one in charge of creating outlandish fun, such as “the Matzo Ball.” Knowing Mike, Nick says, he might just recreate the ball as well as other fun activities.
Nick’s other partner, Steve Lau, who along with owning the Stockton Market also owns The Salt House and Centre Bridge Inn in New Hope, once had a rock-n-roll band. One of the first things Steve did was to build a stage inside the market when he took ownership. It’s here, Nick says, where the Borscht Belt Delicatessen’s entertainment magic will happen. The genre of music is still a work in progress, Nick says, but he’s “envisioning music from the ’50s and ’60s—just like the music that was enjoyed in the Borscht Belt.” Who knows, you just might meet your Patrick Swayze during a dance lesson?
Plans for the fun aspect of the Borscht Belt Delicatessen are endless, Nick says. But until the pandemic is controlled and it’s safe to gather indoors for entertainment, he says, “We’re creating a safe environment for our customers now.
“We have thought this out every which way to make sure this will work in both the pandemic and after,” Nicks says. You’ll find everything from sneeze guards, masks, gloves, quick service, cashless transactions and food delivery to your car if needed as well as a take-away window and an app with options for quick pick-up and delivery. Even the dishware will be environmentally friendly and disposable, he adds. “It will be an easy transition for us once restrictions are lifted and people can dine inside and out.”
Still it was the Borscht Belt’s food and service that received top billing. And so it will again at the Borscht Belt Delicatessen, Nick says. Before opening up, Mike and he had taken multiple deli tours in New York City seeking out the best food items to include at their restaurant, as well as studying the memorable menus at famed Catskills resorts like Grossinger’s, Kutsher’s, and the Nevele. Among the menu offerings, Nick says, you’ll find familiar items like hot pastrami sandwiches, matzo ball soup (the Jewish penicillin) and corned beef special on rye (an irresistible combination of piled-high thinly sliced, juicy corned beef, crisp coleslaw and Russian dressing in between two slices of good rye bread). “Who doesn’t remember going to a Broadway play with their parents and stopping for lunch at a Jewish deli for a pastrami or corned beef sandwich?” he says. “Or growing up with bagels and cream cheese?”
Along with the familiar, Nick says, you’ll also find your palate tempted with offerings of chopped liver, knishes, kreplach, ruglelach, blintzes, brisket and egg creams. Most items will adhere to traditional recipes, he says, but also expect to see flashes of a global influence like the addition of a French Vietnamese spice here or there. A whole world of culinary jewels awaits you this spring at the Borscht Belt Delicatessen.
“I can’t wait to hand over a pastrami sandwich to you,” Nick says. “To answer your questions or just to get to know you and you me. Food is love.” All the people you work with, he says, and your guests become your family. “I try to go out of my way to make people enjoy the experience. I want to see everybody eating, asking questions, enjoying themselves. I’m always the last person to sit down.”
So come. Sit down and tuck in or take-out. Either way, just enjoy! Or as they would say in the Catskills, “Hob anoe!”
The Borscht Belt Delicatessen is set to open this spring in the Stockton Market; www.TheBorschtBelt.com.
Diana Cercone is an area freelance writer who specializes in food, art and travel.