The deli is a part of modern Jewish history. Between 1881 and 1924 two million Jewish people immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe, the majority settling in New York. It is the food of these people which we associate with deli food, matzoh ball soup, noodle kugel, potato latkes, and whitefish.

German and Alsatian immigrants were the first to open delis in the United States, followed by Jewish immigrants. The spirit of the Jewish deli has less to do with the food and more to do with the atmosphere. It is a place of comfort, a place to share stories and feel good. Simply put, it is a place to kibitz.