Mensch’s Deli Is Open in Suburban Chicago | Eater Chicago

"A trio of childhood friends with deep Chicago-hospitality roots turned a pop-up success into this Ashkenazi-style Jewish diner and delicatessen on Chicago Avenue, opening July 3 in the former Golden Olympic space. I found the menu leans into both classic deli and diner traditions with house-made pastrami, corned beef, smoked fish, delicate blintzes stuffed with farmers cheese and berry jam, eggy breakfast dishes like corned beef scrambles and matzo brei, and open-faced bagel sandwiches such as the Boychick (lox cream cheese, seasoned tomato, caraway, chives) and the Purist (nova lox from Acme Smoked Fish, onions, scallion cream cheese). Pastrami and most smoked meats and fish are brined, braised, and smoked on-site (the smoker was the founders’ biggest investment), while bagels are sourced from New York Bagel & Bialy and salami comes from Romanian Kosher Sausage Co. Pastry chef Kiki Eliopoulos spent a year perfecting rugelach, black-and-white cookies, and babka. The space channels diner romance and family legacy—three seating areas (deli case, quick-serve area, and a 75-seat dining room with booths and tables), old family photos, tile, and vintage light fixtures—and the founders emphasize menschlikhkeit as part of the atmosphere; locals showed strong demand during the pop-up phase (as many as 300 bagels sold in a day) and were eagerly awaiting the opening." - Naomi Waxman