A Jewish Deli- That's Plant-Based-too? ....Vey-ish-Mere

On the 1300 block of Wilson Ave. in Chicago Buena Park Neighborhood (some, may call it Uptown- but my friends who live there don't!)
Andy Kalish- is creating a Jewish Soul Food Restaurant that will offer-
no schmaltz- no-Cholestrol-Clogging ingredients that are so typical in "Jew Food"(hey- I can say that- cause I'm a Jew-2!) and I'm looking forward to taste his wares.
I found his no-chicken-Chicken Sandwich quite tasty @ Kalish- although I've not been back- since last summer when I started my investigations into switching to "Plant-based" eating (Although- I must confess- going to da BEARS Tailgate-cook-offs-totally F-ked-Up that plan!)

https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/01/10/worlds-first-all-vegan-jewish-deli-opens-in-uptown/

Finding new, all-vegan takes on traditional foods is Kalish’s life’s work.
Doing that with traditional Jewish deli foods makes Sam & Gertie’s
a true passion project, he said.

Sam & Gertie’s has only a few tables and scant countertop space, and will mostly operate as a take-out place. The restaurant’s winter hours will be 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on Fridays and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Sam and Gertie’s
1309 W. Wilson
Chicago, IL 60640
https://www.samandgerties.com/

With all due respect to you and your friends, Buena Park is part of Uptown. However, I live a block from Sam & Gertie's, and this is very much Sheridan Park another sub-neighborhood of the Uptown community area. Buena Park is the area south of Montrose, east of Graceland Cemetery.

Over the past few years, Uptown United has done a great job of putting planters and/or bike racks around the Uptown, marking which part of Uptown you are in...Argyle, Buena Park, Margate Park, Sheridan Park, Uptown Square.

WOW!
There's some great press-
from Plant-based....to no-Food-based....
in record time....
https://blockclubchicago.org/2020/01/14 ... -business/
Guess- I'll have to call 1st- to check and see-
if they've "got-Lox" to sell, b4 I head up that way.....

Sunday's awesome tease with "Spring-Time-In-Chicago", brought us to The Sheridan Park area of Chicago, to see what all the fuss was about!
Saturday Lunch- at Sam & Gertie's Jewish Deli- serving up plant-based-Jewish Classics by R. Kramer, on Flickr

Upon entering the line at this tiny storefront filled with customers, conviviality, and amazing smells- we met Andy- the Main-Man....(I say that, because when I asked him, if he was The Owner-he informed me that his wife- technically owns "this" Business of theirs, he's the owner of other segments of their Business Empire).
Andy was happily offering free samples to those who'd not tasted his delicious tasting Plant-Based-Deli-creations- the first of its kind in the US (according to what I'd read).
Andy- Proprietor of Sam and Gertie's Plant Based Jewish Deli in Chicago by R. Kramer, on Flickr

The Chopped Chicken Liver was my first sample- which was "good"- very similar to a Green Bean based version I'd had before.....but not as good as mine.
The Egg Salad was amazing, and the Smoked Whitefish Salad I sampled was pretty good.
I settled on "The Plotzker" Sandwich- a well proportioned sandwich of 2 types of "meat"- "Pastrami" and "Corned Beef".
Very - Very - Tasty (...yet-not really Meat) Pastrami & Corned Beef on Onion Roll Sandwich with Spicy Yellow Mustard by R. Kramer, on Flickr

A very tasty sandwich- not on Toasted Rye as I'd requested- but...whaddya gonna do? it was a very-busy Sunday Morning at the Deli.
The flavor and texture of the meat was perfect.
The Yellow Mustard was spicy, and authentically- Deli-ish.
I ordered a Poppy Seed Hamentashen to go- which was a bit-too hard- too brittle for my
Purim-Hat-tastes- but not so terrible that I didn't finish it.


In-his-Element......Andy-of Sam and Gertie's Plant based- Jewish Deli in Chicago by R. Kramer, on Flickr
We will be back.
The food's good-
not cheap though- a 2 person "breakfast"- with a Chopped Chicken Liver to go ($9.75)
and aforementioned Hamentaschen- was about $45.00.

Andy is a great Proprietor- willing to share stories about his growing up in Detroit, and his journey in Food (they own a Catering/Event Space on Ravenswood, a now closed Detroit-Style Pizza place and a couple of other Food/Hospitality business)
For those who are Vegan/Plant-based/looking to lower their Cholesterol
or just want to try and eat healthier- there's a new Deli-in CHICAGO-
you've gotta try.

https://www.samandgerties.com/menu

So... It's open three days per week for only 6 hours on those days? Friday through Sunday from 8am to 2pm?

We've had very good visits at Kal'ish, but the limited hours and irregularity of the actual openings have been frustrating at his other restaurants next to Kal'ish. There are already challenges for plant based restaurants and hours that resemble a pop up don't help building a regular clientele. I also don't understand why you would want to only utilize the space for 18 hours a week, regardless that he may own the building. I really want to see them succeed, but they don't seem to be helping themselves.

Apparently the processing of the meat-alternative products is fairly labor-intensive, so he spends several days preparing enough food for the weekend (and it's why they ran out of food when they first opened).

I'm also guessing it's a "proof of concept" thing and if demand continues to be there they'll work to expand hours/days.

HOURS
FRIDAYS-SUNDAYS
8AM-2PM
Yup......that's his hours.
At least- he is open and serving food during that time, as opposed to
some Cambodian Chicken Sandwich fellow that never seems to have an aforementioned Cambodian Chicken Sandwich for sale- during his "posted" hours.

I today's world of AMAZON and 24-7 Fast Food we
are all accustomed/ spoiled by - getting it-
NOW!
And- G_d Bless 'em.... there are strong-minded-Individuals
that figure out means to make it-"their way"- in
The Food Industry.

Years ago- I worked at The Chicago Board of Trade.
Before Computer Trading.
Before Overnight Trading.
And- a very smart Chairman of the Exchange - pushed really hard- to make the Board a
24 hour place to do business.
He supported his argument
with the premise that -"you are already paying for the Real Estate- The Phone Lines and The Lights, to keep the "Factory" running anyway-
why not- make it open for all to trade during the time when others choose to sleep?"
Now- clearly Sam & Gertie's, never met Karsten Mahlmann who voiced those business sentiments, and feels- his power, to run his business as fit's- his life.

We'll see whether he grows and changes- or stays like he started out?
Meanwhile- better get there- before he "SELLS OUT" of product!
It's really that unique....
In-his-Element......Andy-of Sam and Gertie's Plant based- Jewish Deli in Chicago by R. Kramer, on Flickr
Really!

I’ll pass as I have no desire or need to avoid meat.

I will skip the meat at a place that has savory sauces, Chinese, Indian but to eat meat free ‘just because’.

Panther in the Den wrote:I’ll pass as I have no desire or need to avoid meat.

I will skip the meat at a place that has savory sauces, Chinese, Indian but to eat meat free ‘just because’.

I say "live and let live," but find that an odd position. I love meat, even though my wife has now given it up and eat it when I can but I also have no aversion to a non-meat or meat-alternative menu. Always nice to experience a creative menu.

Panther in the Den wrote:I’ll pass as I have no desire or need to avoid meat.

I will skip the meat at a place that has savory sauces, Chinese, Indian but to eat meat free ‘just because’.

An unusual response in a thread about a plant based restaurant. Maybe you should ignore this thread.