I'LL HAVE WHAT HE'S HAVING — Sophisticated St. Louis

Written by Craig Kaminer / Photos by Carmen Troesser

I have written about many of Ben Poremba’s culinary concepts, but when I learned he was opening a Jewish-style deli in the East Loop I had to find out what it is all about. Growing up in New York City, specifically the Bronx, and a relative of a deli family (Delimaster’s in Queens), I lived in the epicenter of the most authentic deli culture. Weekends started with bagels and lox, and then a hot corned beef or pastrami sandwich on rye bread with mustard for lunch. I took this all for granted until I left New York, but I always found a deli in any city I lived in or visited.

Assorted deli sandwiches specialties and sliced pastrami on rye with other favorites in the background.

During my college years in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I was lucky enough to find Zingerman’s, which has become a delicatessen with multiple restaurants, bakeries, markets, cooking schools, and more. It just happened to have started a year before I went to the University of Michigan, but even so, it was a hot spot among east coast transplants from the start. The key to their success was expanding the menu of traditional deli culture with exotic – and not kosher – sandwiches such as Pat & Dick’s Honeymooner, the Georgia Reuben and Jenny’s Fix. Go there today and there are still lines down the block to get a seat and sandwich and wax nostalgic about deli districts in your own home town.

Fast forward to St. Louis, which has had its share of delis over the years, but like many delis coast to coast, they have been slowly closing as the last bastions of deli culture die and their children have been encouraged to become doctors, lawyers, and bankers. From Pumpernickels, Carl’s 2 Cents Plain, and Sherman’s. I have dined at or picked up from them all. Still Kohn’s, Protzel’s, and Carl’s Deli are the last of the originals.

At its core, a Jewish deli is a place that serves traditional Jewish foods such as pastrami, corned beef, and matzo ball soup. These dishes are often served on rye, Challah bread or bagels, with pickles on the side. Many Jewish delis also serve other Jewish specialties like knishes, latkes (potato pancakes), and brined pickles in half- and full-sour variations.

The perfect deli still life: bagel, assorted smoked fish and whole whitefish.

The food served in Jewish delis is often deeply rooted in Jewish culinary traditions, which are themselves a reflection of Jewish culture and history. For example, the practice of smoking and curing meats (which is used to make pastrami and corned beef) has its origins in Eastern Europe, where Jewish communities developed these preservation techniques as a way to extend the shelf life of meat during long winters.

Corned beef on rye with sour pickle and cole slaw.

But Jewish delis are more than just places to eat. They are also important social hubs for the community, where people can gather to share food, stories, and traditions. For many Jews, the deli is a place of nostalgia, a reminder of the old-world culture and traditions that their ancestors brought with them to America. But delis attract a decidedly diverse population beyond Jewish immigrants.

Now, Poremba, with some serious culinary ability and Yiddish nostalgia, is opening the first Jewish-style deli in St. Louis in decades. And he is taking this challenge very seriously; locating it in the old Jewish neighborhood in University City, making all of the foods Jewish kids like me grew up eating, and imbuing it with an old-world authenticity that probably still only exists in New York at legendary places like Katz’s, Barney Greengrass, Russ & Daughters, and Zabar’s.

Located in the southeast corner of the newly opened Delmar Devine, the storefront is almost hidden and as Poremba says jokingly, “it has a bit of an East Berlin feel to it.” With some outdoor tables, and the buzz of the tenants of the nonprofits from the adjoining nonprofit hub founded by Maxine Clark, the spot will surely attract the Soldan alumni who grew up nearby, played in school yards, and hung out with their buddies before heading off to Hebrew School.

Upon entering Deli Divine, you will be struck by the walls of photos of New York Jewish life taken by Joseph Zimbrolt, which Ben has lovingly found, kept, and has been looking for a place to exhibit them. Zimbrolt was a photographer, but also an intellectual, poet, a philosopher…a complete Renaissance man who was friends with Saul Bellow and Philip Roth. The front of the house is the deli which will serve breakfast and lunch Sunday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. and the market Market from Sunday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m., with a day off on Saturday for the Sabbath. Poremba, who grew up in Israel but is not particularly religious, said it felt right to be closed on Saturday even though it would be a busy day. Perhaps that will change over time.

Breakfast will be served all day and include house-made bagels, babkas, and breads (the rye is from Chicago); smoked fish such as eastern nova, sturgeon, whitefish and herring from St. James and Acme; overstuffed sandwiches with corned beef from Detroit’s Sy Ginsberg, pastrami, turnkey breast, salami, and specialties like potato latkes (pancakes), knishes, and chopped liver. Standards such as tuna fish and chicken salad will be on the menu, but they will remain true to the Jewish deli of old, not new-fangled recipes.

Poremba has included a fair amount of Yiddish kitsch in the restaurant such as making Dunkin Donuts coffee in percolators, preparing take-home items in blue and white CorningWare dishes (which I remember vividly in my grandmother’s kitchen) and Tupperware circa 1950.

Behind the deli is a small market with an inner courtyard with seating to serve the needs of the neighboring community, the Delmar Divine residents, and the more than 600 people working in the building. The market features take-home selections from the deli plus more diverse comfort foods such as blintzes, stuffed cabbage, shepherd’s pie, and even lasagna…”like a mini Zabar’s.” There will be a scale to weigh dried fruits, nuts, and candy, and will feature halvah which is a soft, fudge-like candy made from sesame paste — an often iconic sight in delis, corner candy stores, and Middle Eastern markets.

The refrigerator and freezer cases will feature soups and other take-home items, plus a wide selection of beverages including Dr. Brown’s sodas.

While Poremba is well versed in New York Jewish culture, he has been researching St. Louis Jewish cultural history and hopes to learn a lot from his guests. He is also working with the Missouri Historical Society to fill in the blanks of his knowledge. Legend has it that the deli owners never wanted their restaurants to be too successful because they didn’t want their kids to take them over; they wanted them to become American professionals - which they have.

The final note at a museum installation, “I’ll Have What She’s Having,” currently at the New York Historical Society reads, “American Jewish delis will continue to change and to reflect the people, flavors, trends, and even the difficulties of the world to come. By providing a source of comfort and community to a diverse consumer base, they embody a spirit of resilience and celebration.”

Looking forward to seeing you at Deli Divine. And of course, mazel tov (meaning good luck) to Ben and his team.