After years of retrenching, Jewish delis launch comeback for New Year

From Midtown Manhattan to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, a new wave of Jewish eateries and collaborations is launching for the Jewish New Year.

For those craving pastrami piled high on rye, Carnegie Deli reopens this week at 834 Seventh Ave. following a 10-year absence. The new digs are just blocks from the original location, which opened nearly a century ago.

It will open in the spot where  its longtime rival Stage Deli — and later Roxy Delicatessen – once stood. 

Carnegie Deli was founded by Izzie and Ida Orgel in 1937 and was one of more than 1,500 Jewish delis in the city. They have dwindled to under 20, restaurateurs say.

“Bringing Carnegie Deli back to Seventh Avenue is deeply personal for me. This restaurant represents my family’s history, but it also belongs to New York and to the generations of people who have made memories here,” said Sarri Harper, whose grandfather Milton Parker bought the deli in 1976.

“My grandfather believed that everything at Carnegie Deli should be larger than life – the food, the personalities and the experience. We’re proud to carry that spirit forward,” she added. 

Dishes run from a “rise and brisket” – with brisket, egg, Swiss cheese, caramelized onions and scallion cream cheese on challah with home fries for $28 – to a Broadway Danny Rose consisting of corned beef and pastrami “piled high” for $37. There are also familiar favorites like babka, rugelach, black and white cookies, strawberry cheesecake and carrot cake. 

The Wall of Fame is back, with original photographs of patrons including Mel Brooks, Robin Williams, Sarah Jessica Parker and more.

In South Williamsburg, top chef Eyal Shani is opening a Naked Tomato at the Williamsburg Wharf, which will also house a Breads Bakery.

The menu will revisit some of Shani’s classic dishes through a fresh lens, focusing on seasonal and local ingredients. The menu was created in collaboration with Victor Gothelf, executive chef of Port Sa’id, another one of Shani’s eateries. It is slated to open by mid-October.

On top of that, Shani is behind Miznon, a fast-casual Mediterranean, “pita forward” and street-style chain – which includes spots from New York and Miami to Tel Aviv, Toronto and Paris. 

Shani is known for the creative simplicity of his pita-focused menu, including folded cheeseburger pitas and perfectly salted, crunchy green beans in a bag that are – believe it or not – better than fries and went viral at this year’s US Open. 

Next week, Miznon is launching a collab with top chefs to reinvent the pita from a global perspective – starting with a French take from star Daniel Boulud. He will be followed by Shukette’s Ayesha Nurdjaja, who will deliver an al ha’esh, or “from the fire” inspired pita next month.

Also in Billyburg, Liba – a “new kosher” restaurant from the group behind SoHo and Williamsburg hotspot 12 Chairs Café – officially opens at The William Vale following a soft launch last month.

Liba, which means “core” in Hebrew, features an open kitchen, an 800-degree brick oven, a marble bar and music that gets louder and more festive as the night progresses. 

It’s the group’s first new concept in two decades and has strictly kosher offerings meant to appeal to a wide group thanks to a mix of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern fare, plus family recipes from the classically French-trained chef and culinary director Maayan Glass.

Designed by Dan Troim, the space features high ceilings with natural wood and soft lighting with small tables for date nights. There’s a large communal table, too.

Starters include brick oven bread infused with coriander seeds and olive oil “butter,” Egyptian dukkah and grilled peppers. There’s also tartlet de Tunis – single bite bluefin tuna tartare with house-made harissa, preserved lemon and dehydrated Tassos olives inside a crisp phyllo. The mouth-watering menu has steak frites, sticky lamb spare ribs and Kebab Napoleon — the signature dish, with traditional kebabs de-skewered tableside with lemony bitter greens.