Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 59, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 6, 2005 Page: 2 of 32
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2
Texas Jewish Post
In Our 59th Year
October 6,2005
Big D
a wonderful town
By Melissa Maroff
Let’s face it — Dallas, lotas has never
been a place synonymous with Jewish
delis. But those in the know, know we’re
not too shabby for a southern town. So,
if you’re new to these parts and not up
on Big D s somewhat extensive deli past
—or want to check out some of today’s
choice spots that are carrying on the
tradition — we’ve compiled a list to get
you through the holidays and beyond.
Kosher and kosher style delis date
all the way back to South Dallas during
the pre-World War II Era, and have
come and gone ever since, according
to Ginger Jacobs of Dallas Jewish His-
torical Society. Names such as Blend
Brothers Bakery & Deli, Irving's,
Ernie’s, Jean & Morry’s, Ritz Deli,
Pumpemick’s and Preizler’s strike a
chord of remembrance for locals.
There was the long-standing
Wall’s Delicatessen at Preston and
Royal, and Phil’s, with two locations
— one at Royal Lane and Central
Expressway (now Cindi’s N.Y. Deli)
and the other in Oak I.awn. Then in
1976, Larry Goldstein migrated
from the Motor City to open Bagel-
stein’s. With a location north of LBJ
Freeway in Richardson, which at the
time had a smaller concentration of
Jews, legend has it Goldstein was
given six months to last. “They
looked at it like it was another
country,” he remembers with a grin.
Fast forward to 1982, when the
small storefront bagel shop/deli at
Spring Valley and Coit moved next
door to bigger quarters and trans-
formed into a full scale New York-style
deli. Bagelstein's was the first restaurant
to import specialty items like smoked
fish, served along with their authentic
bagels, which was just the fix for
throngs of transplanted Yankees.
In fact, according to Goldstein,
when JC Penney relocated their
headquarters from New York to the
Dallas area, their employees were
given a handbook containing places
to “feel at home,” with Bagelstein’s
Anh Tran in the bakery at Cindi's
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for delis?
topping the list. Dailasites just
couldn’t get enough of the oversized
menu complete with overstuffed
sandwiches named for Goldstein’s
friends and family members. The
restaurant eventually expanded to
almost 10,000 square feet, earning it
the title of “largest New York deli in
the Southwest."
Those of us who remember far
back enough to Bagelstein’s heyday —
miss those Sunday mornings waiting
outside and catching up with friends
— or taking in the sweet aromas of
the bakery — and of course the
familiar voice of Larry announcing
“complimentary coffee” while we
waited for our name to be called.
Sometimes there was even a juggler to
entertain the hungry masses. But
sadly, all gtxxl things must come to an
end, and that location eventually
closed its doors for good.
However, if it’s any consolation,
original recipes cooked by Goldstein
are still available through Chef du
Jour, his catering business in Car-
rollton — and Bagelstein’s has a
current location at the corner of Coit
and Arapaho, where owners of five
years Bob and Melinda Davidson
#
continue to carry many of the orig-
inal menu items like the popular
matzah ball soup, Reuben, corned
beef hash, lox, eggs & onions, bakery'
goodies, and of course bagels.
In 1987, Gilbert’s Delicatessen set
up shop at Preston and Forest.
Straight from Long Island, deli vet-
erans Joel and Joyce Gilbert and their
son Alan ran one of the most
authentic New York delis west of the
Hudson. To complete the experience
were franks and knishes sizzling on
the grill for all to feast their eyes upon
— and what were most likely the only
true sour pickles in all of Tejas. Again,
Ed Brandt behind the counter at Deli-News, Too
all good things must come to an end,
and Gilbert’s moved to Addison,
before eventually closing down. How-
ever, good news once again — Joel
Gilbert, along with Chef Jerry, have
joined the staff of Cindi’s N.Y. Deli,
bringing with them their famed
soups, stuffed cabbage, corned beef,
pastrami, the creamiest coleslaw —
and those knishes.
Cindi’s, with three locations in the
Dallas area, reflects a true American
success story. Anh Tran, escaping by
boat with her husband and infant
daughter from their native Vietnam
in 1979, proved what hard work and
determination could accomplish.
Never having been to New York or
tasting Jewish cooking, Tran got to
work reading recipe books and
enrolling in kosher-style cooking
classes before taking over Cindy’s
Deli at Central Expressway and
Royal Lane in 1989.
She changed the“y” to an “i,” and
the rest as they say, is history. To stay
afloat in the beginning, Tran would
hand deliver to nearby office build-
lD Community Spotlight
Steven and Ruthy Rosenberg have
been tireless in their efforts and
commitment on behalf of Yavneh
Academy of Dallas, from its inception
to its installment at the new Schultz
Rosenberg Campus.
For more than five years both Steven
and Ruthy have dedicated their
talents, time, and endless attention to
every brick and fiber that makes up
the new home of Yavneh. On their
watch, their children Dana, Anella
and Eli learned the meaning of
tzedakah, care and tikun olam,
improving the world.
Steven and Ruthy Rosenberg
“Without Steven and Ruthy
Rosenberg, there would be no Yavneh
Academy,'' said Principal Don
O’Quinn. “They are the rock on
which the school was built ”
tu
A Beck Family Owned Banking Tradition For 20 Years.
2<K
ings. After much trial and error, and
tips from patrons, she is now oper-
ating three thriving locations. “I do
my best to make the customers
happy," says the affable Tran. “In the
beginning I was scared and didn’t
know if they’d accept me, but they
were very open-minded. They told
me what I did wrong and I fixed
it... I’ve come a long way.”
And as if their full deli menu isn’t
big enough, Cindi’s also adds tradi-
tional Southern dishes to the
repertoire like chicken fried steak, as
well as an array of breakfast dishes
including salami and eggs, fluffy pan-
cakes and home fries like no other —
On the go
meals on
the rise
If you’re not in a dining-out
mood, you can always bring the
deli home. Albertsons at Coit
and Campbell in Richardson
and Tom Thumb at Preston and
Forest in Dallas both have well-
stocked kosher delis and
bakeries. Whether it’s a cold
salami or roast beef sandwich on
the go or a hot meal like rotis-
serie chicken or stuffed cabbage
along with sides like potato or
noodle kugel, chopped liver, to
name just a few...you should
have lunch, dinner and dessert
covered.
—M.M.
Albertsons
1341 West Campbell Road,
Richardson
(972) 437-2896
Tom Thumb
11920 Preston Road, Dallas
(972) 392-2501
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Wisch, Rene & Wisch-Ray, Sharon. Texas Jewish Post (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 59, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 6, 2005, newspaper, October 6, 2005; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth754588/m1/2/?rotate=90: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .