Another New York Jewish Deli Lost

Chalk up another loss for the dwindling New York Jewish Deli scene.

Following the closure of Stage Deli, and the fire at Sarge's, we learn from Sheepshead Bites that Adelman's Kosher Deli, which has stood at 1906 Kings Highway for 60 years, shut its doors on March 25. The eatery had closed for Passover, as it does every year. Only this time, it never reopened. The phone number has been disconnected.

"According to a representative for the landlord, however," wrote the blog, "the neighborhood staple had fallen far behind on rent and was having money troubles. The landlord won an eviction against the business operator after failing to strike a deal."

But there's a small glimmer of hope. "The landlord, Waldorf Realty Co., said that there’s still a chance Adelman’s could reopen. The evicted owner was not the original owner of the restaurant, and the original owner may still have the right to seize the business and take over the lease." The most recent owner was Mohamed Salem, who won some press for being a Egyptian Muslim who served a Jewish clientele.

Adelman's began its life in Borough Park. It was at its current location for the past 30 years. Its walls were covered with sports memorabilia.

There are two kosher delis remaining in Sheepshead Bay: Jay & Lloyd’s Kosher Deli (2718 Avenue U) and Mill Basin Deli (5823 Avenue T).

The Wacky Wondrousness of Roll-N-Roaster

I recently profiled Sheepshead Bay's Roll-N-Roaster in my "Who Goes There?" column for Eater. For those who have never been there, I wanted to share these photos to get across an idea of singular personality of the place. The above diner waitress is featured often on restaurant materials. Her figure is hourglass and her outfit skimpy in every depiction. Note: none of the real Roll-N-Roaster workers dress like this.

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Lost City Asks "Who Goes to Roll-N-Roaster?"

Sheepshead Bay has gotten some decent coverage in this column. Randazzo's Clam Bar, Brennan & Carr, and now B&C's longtime rival in roast beef, Roll-N-Roaster. I prefer Brennan, food- and atmosphere-wise. But, my, R-N-R is a lot of fun. If I lived nearby, I'd bring my son all the time. There's an air of both partytime and family reunion to the place.

Here's my Who Goes There? column:

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Carmine Merlino: Creator of Fine Men's Hairpieces

Carmine Merlino, "creator of fine men's hairpieces and ladies wigs," operates out of a funny little triangle of a storefront that occupies a narrow wedge of Emmons Avenue in Sheepshead Bay. His business is two stories tall, though both stories seem to be about as wide as a airplane bathroom.

Merlino has a lot of amusing signage. He calls his business a "Hair Replacement Studio." He boasts of a signature creation called "The Fantastico," which is "featherlight and undetectable."

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A Perfect Storefront: Stella Maris Fishing Station

Stella Maris Fishing Station is on Emmons Boulevard in Sheepshead Bay, with its back to the sea, and it's storefront is so perfect-looking that it's like a bait shop from central casting. (Nice Coca-Cola signs, but when do you think was the last time anyone went inside for a Coke?) The shop was founded in 1947. The website tells us this:

Here are some fishing rods we carry :

ugly stik, rouge, st Croix, star rods, plasma rods by star , shimano, tica, tsumani, seeker.

Here are some fishing reels we carry:

shimano, newell, penn, okuma, abu garica, avet, pro gear, delrin sidewinders 

We stock all fresh bait in season:

fresh bunker, fresh skimmers ( in shell or opened), mussels

We stock all live bait in season:

live eels, sand-worms, blood-worms, earth-worms, trout-worms, meal-worms, fiddler crabs, green crabs, white crabs, hermit crabs

Delmar Pizzeria Revisited

Last summer, I discovered the Sheepshead Bay oddity Delmar Pizzeria, which, perhaps alone among the city's pizzerias, proudly declares itself as specializing in white pizza.

The joint, founded in 1957, was closed when I first came upon it. The other day, however, I found it open and finally tasted the white slice. It was more expensive than a regular slice by 75 cents, costing $3.25. Though I'm not a big white pizza fan, I'd say it was worth it. The flavors were layered and very subtle. There was art there.

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Wheeler's Bar Spruces Up

I was passing by Wheeler's, the dyed-in-the-wool-Sheepshead-Bay dive, and noticed they had acquired a shiny new sign, and had ditched the former, weather-beaten, wooden sign, which I always thought was redolent of the neighborhood's seaside character. Also, the new sign shows the tavern is becoming aware of its age—never a good sign where an old bar is concerned. The self-conscious "Est. 1979" doesn't suit Wheeler's or its clientele.

Found the photo below of the sign switch on SheepsheadBay Bites.

Glimpses of Lundy's

Lundy's, the legendary mammoth seafood eatery on the shores of Sheepshead Bay, closed in 1977. And then, after reopening under new ownership in 1995, closed again, for good, in 2007. But the sprawling building remains, even if it's now occupied by a conglomeration of heinous, tasteless businesses (dermatologists, malpractice lawyers, sushi joints). You can still glimpse signs of the structure's past, including the words "Lundy Bros." over the various entrances, and embedded on the sidewalk before each front door. The grandiloquent initials "F.W.I.L." stood for Frederick William Irving Lundy.

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Lost City Asks "Who Goes to Randazzo's?"

Randazzo's Clam Bar is one New York eating institution that hasn't become a caricature of itself. It's talks like a Brooklyn clam bar and walks like a Brooklyn clam bar. May it ever do so.

Who Goes There? Randazzo's Clam Bar

"This is the only place I'll eat raw clams," said the reedy man in the red t-shirt. In a Quentin Tarantino version of "Gilligan's Island," he'd play the title character. "People forget there used to be three Randazzo's." The cute cashier, dressed in sweat pants and a t-shirt bearing the Greek letters of a sorority, looks up, as if in response to a favorite topic. "This was the straight clam bar. Then there was a sit-down restaurant next door. And a surf and turf place. And they were always packed."

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A Good Sign: Jimmy's Famous Heros

In Sheepshead Bay

A Good Sign: Top Taco & China

Tops in both tacos and Chinese food!? How do they do it?

In Sheepshead Bay

How About That Soeller Building!

Of all the crazy, patchwork edifices in New York City, the Soeller Building on Sheepshead Bay Road must take the cake. Believe it or not, that pell-mell collection of facings and facades is a single building. The Soeller Building, as a matter of fact. Look beyond the layers of different color paint and aluminum sidings and you'll spy common brickwork. 

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The White Cheese Pizza Specialists

There must be about 1,000 pizzerias in New York City. I've clapped my eyes on a fair share of them. But I don't think I've ever seen one with the particular focus of Sheepshead Bay's Delmar Pizzeria, which has been around since 1957. "Specializing in White Cheese Pizza," proclaims the old sign. White cheese pizza. That's a very particular thing to hang your hat on.

I, of course, had to go in and try said slice after I saw that sign. Well, it must be good, because they were out of white slices. From what I hear, ricotta is spread thinly where the red sauce would be and then topped with mozzarella. And the crust is crisper than your usual Brooklyn pie. I didn't have time to wait for the next pie to come out of the oven, so I went on my way. The revelation of Delmar's white pizza will have to wait for another day.

Lombari Remembered as Son of Brooklyn

Saw this little green triangle in Sheepshead Bay. Wasn't even sure if it was a Greenstreets deal; there was no sign saying so. Hidden around the base of the flagpole, surrounded by brush, were some dark squares I first took for shards of bluestone. Looking closer, I realized they were worn plaques honoring various Bay citizens. I didn't recognize any of the names except this one: Vince Lombardi.

The Green Bay Packers coach? Namesake of the Super Bowl trophy? Here? Oh yeah, I forget. He came from Sheepshead Bay. He always did seem like a New Yorker.

A Good Sign: Towne Cafe

This curious establishment is in Sheepshead Bay. I'm pretty sure its life as a "Russian and American Nightclub" is fairly recent. But that classic neon sign speaks of a previous existence as an old style bar. I peeked inside one recent night around 10 PM. Not a soul in sight.

Shulman's Conservation Picture Framing, shabby though it might look, is proud enough of its long service to Sheepshead Bay that it puts "Est. 1931" in small letters on its worn, painted sign.

What makes the store truly interesting, though, is that it illustrates its craft in a surreal mural on the east side of its building. Some nice trompe l'oeil work depicting a room filled with portraits, a fireplace and a large curtained window. The mural has been there a long time, as the vines below attest. Too bad about the graffiti. In this case, I don't think it adds to the visual impact.

A Good Sign: Gaspare Shoe Repair

"We resole crepe soles." Well, thank God!

In Sheepshead Bay/

Bay Stationers

I've seen many examples of this sort of bulbous, boxy, yellow sign over the years. Illuminated from within, the most common varieties advertise groceries or pizzerias through the use of symbols such as a grocery cart or slice. (My vague guess is these sort of signs became popular in the 1940s and '50s.)

But this is the first I've seen that proclaimed the presence of a stationer. The silhouette of an inkwell and quill pen is quite specific and lovely, I think. And it took me a while to figure out that the top figure was a rubber stamp.

This is a ghost sign, by the way. Bay Stationers is no longer on Avenue U in Sheepshead Bay. The address is now a ballroom dancing joint. I'm told the company still exists, but doesn't have a storefront and sells directly to offices.

Jay & Lloyd's Kosher Deli

The genuine Jewish Kosher Deli is, as we all know, a dying New York institution. You can count on a couple hands the ones that remain. I thought I knew all the old delis, from Riverdale to Borough Park. So Jay & Lloyd's Kosher Deli on Avenue U in Sheepshead Bay came as a surprise when I passed it by the other day.

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The Avenue U Donuts & Luncheonette

Avenue U in Sheepshead Bay is a pretty bleak stretch, replete with chain outlets and bank branches. The independently owned stores, meanwhile, are blighted by ugly plastic and vinyl awnings. As I walked along the street, I kept checking under these awnings to see if an older sign had been covered up and was still there, hiding under its garish successor. I didn't have much luck—most of the old signage had been stripped from the buildings—until I reached NY Grocery Deli V at E. 18th Street. (Where are NY Grocery Delis I thru IV?)

A quick peek underneath the awning revealed that this was formerly the home of the splendidly named Avenue U Donuts & Luncheonette, where coffee was "Made Fresh Daily."