MOFAD x Gastro Obscura Presents: Jewish Deli Culture with Phil Rosenthal and Lara Rabinovitch

More than just pastrami sandwiches, egg creams, smoked sable, and matzo ball soup, Jewish deli is an expression of heritage and a story about immigration. As David Sax wrote for Saveur, “There were once millions of Ashkenazi Jewish kitchens in eastern Europe. The foods of the shtetls were regional, taking on local flavors, and when European Jews came to America, that variety characterized the delicatessens they opened. You got pastrami at Romanian delicatessens, frankfurters at German ones, and blintzes from the Russians. The delis were all Jewish, but their regional roots were proudly on display.” As Jewish delis became more widespread in the United States, the flavors assimilated and formed a new quintessentially American cuisine by combining Central and Eastern European dishes with ingredients available in the United States. Now that there are notable delis in cities from Portland, Maine to Denver, Colorado, how has the Jewish delicatessen’s menu evolved away from that of Eastern Europe’s, and how do these restaurants still create community and connection to the Jewish diaspora?











When: Sun., Jun. 28, 2020 at 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Where: Museum of Food and Drink
62 Bayard St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn
718-387-2845
Price: $15
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More than just pastrami sandwiches, egg creams, smoked sable, and matzo ball soup, Jewish deli is an expression of heritage and a story about immigration. As David Sax wrote for Saveur, “There were once millions of Ashkenazi Jewish kitchens in eastern Europe. The foods of the shtetls were regional, taking on local flavors, and when European Jews came to America, that variety characterized the delicatessens they opened. You got pastrami at Romanian delicatessens, frankfurters at German ones, and blintzes from the Russians. The delis were all Jewish, but their regional roots were proudly on display.” As Jewish delis became more widespread in the United States, the flavors assimilated and formed a new quintessentially American cuisine by combining Central and Eastern European dishes with ingredients available in the United States. Now that there are notable delis in cities from Portland, Maine to Denver, Colorado, how has the Jewish delicatessen’s menu evolved away from that of Eastern Europe’s, and how do these restaurants still create community and connection to the Jewish diaspora?

Buy tickets/get more info now