Brooklyn Jewish Deli has Muslim owners

ANT KATZ

On Nostrand Avenue, in the Bed-Stuy neighbourhood of Brooklyn, New York, is: David’s Brisket House & Deli. Surrounded by beauty supply stores, Trinidadian doubles shops, and dollar stores – it is not strange on the New York landscape to find a traditional Jewish food deli among such incompatible neighbours.

One could “walk right by this narrow establishment if you didn’t notice the multi-level sign above,” says The Nosher’s Aly Miller. “Like most things in New York City, there’s more to this place than meets the eye.”

She made her way past a row of booths in the long, narrow eatery and began studying the menu at the counter. Millar says she pondered aloud about what she would order.

Hearing her indecision, the owner and manager, Riyadh, offered his advice: “At first I was all about the pastrami, but now it’s the corned beef,” he said to newby customer Aly Miller.

“He promptly gave me a sample to see what I thought,” says Miller.

“It’s boiled and salted… healthier than the pastrami, but it’s just as tender as the brisket,” Riyadh explained to her. “He was right – it was thinly sliced, juicy, and full of flavour,” she says.

RIGHT: The multi-storied sign announcing Davids Brisket Deli

“In addition to the three cuts of meat for which they’re famous, you can round out your meal with Dr Brown’s Cel-Ray soda, home-made coleslaw, and a sour deli pickle.”

What sets this hidden gem of a deli apart from the others, I soon learned, is that it’s owned and operated by Yemeni Muslims. “We’ve been in Bed-Stuy for more than 50 years,” said Riyadh, though the business has changed hands a few times.

“The first owner, David, was a Russian Jew who opened the business in Bed-Stuy in the 1960s,” he continued. Back then, the neighbourhood was home to African-Americans, working-class European-Americans of various backgrounds and Jews. He eventually sold the deli to two Yemeni friends in the 1980s – one of whom was Jewish, and one of whom was Muslim.

Together the partners owned and operated the business, serving David’s brisket to the changing demographics of the area.

In the 1980s, when the Yemeni Jewish partner died, the Muslim Yemeni family took over.

Ever since, Riyadh (whose surname Miller does not offer) and his 2016 partners Muslim partners have guarded David’s Eastern-European kosher-style recipes closely. Riyadh continue to serve their Jewish menu to a diverse crowd that is more concerned with delicious cuts of brisket and pastrami than whether or not they’re kosher or halal.

When an amazed Miller asked Riyadh if he would ever consider adding Yemeni food to the menu, he said no, but suggested several places for where she could find it.

Riyadh and his team keeps things as close to the original as possible – serving mostly brisket, pastrami, and corned beef, and a few breakfast sandwiches – and people are noticing. The Village Voice recently awarded them with the Best Beef Brisket in Brooklyn, says foodie Miller:

“Best in the city, maybe best in the world,” chirps Riyadh.
Davids serve brisket to a diverse, Brooklyn crowd. One leaves with a full belly and the pleasure of knowing that anything is possible in New York.

Carnegie’s closing, Mamelahs booming 

Read JR Online’s October story: East Coast Kosher Delis’ changing fortunes

LEFT: Soon to be a thing of the past. Carnegie Deli’s famous mile-high brisket on rye sandwiches which will not be available after the 70-year-old institution closes on December 31. It’s out with the old but in with the new as trendy Mamelahs is booming and kosher delis are expanding in Boston and Washington – as well as New York.