Greenwich, Connecticut, has its first kosher Jewish delicatessen, opened by executive chef David Taif. It is, by his account, the first such deli in the history of the town, an unlikely home for one given Greenwich's reputation. Taif set out to build what he calls a new-style deli, and he has done it in a place few would associate with latkes and pastrami.
Greenwich is known more for its sprawling mansions and its conservative old money than for Jewish comfort food. It is, as Taif put it, one of the last places you would expect to find latkes. That contrast is part of what makes the new deli stand out, bringing a classic tradition into a town far better known for its wealth than for its delicatessens.
Taif did not come to the project as a newcomer to the trade. After helping to create another deli, he set out to chase an ambitious dream of his own. The result is the new-style delicatessen in Greenwich, his attempt to put a personal stamp on a form with deep roots in immigrant and Jewish American life.
At the center of his approach is the pastrami. Taif said he had a vision of bringing the pastrami straight to the table, rather than serving the usual carved pastrami that customers see at other delis, sliced behind the counter. The aim is to change the way the signature dish actually reaches the diner, making it part of the experience.
To make that work, Taif follows a rule of his own. He compared it to sushi, where, as he noted, there is a three-second rule for getting the fish to the plate. For pastrami, he said, he tries to make it within five seconds, getting the hottest meat from the cutting board to the knife to the plate as quickly as he possibly can.
For Taif, the appeal of a Jewish deli runs deeper than the menu. The deli, he said, is not just about the food, but about history, culture and community. That belief shapes the kind of place he wanted to build, one meant to carry a sense of belonging along with the meal rather than simply serving a plate of food.
Still, he is clear that atmosphere alone is not enough. Nostalgia, tradition and atmosphere are all amazing things, he said, but if the food is not good, no one will ever come back. People are drawn, he added, to places with a real sense of history, the kind that look the way they did when their parents and grandparents ate there, giving them a connection to their past.