A new deli apparently called Pita & Rye will open this spring in the Maple Lawn development -- and I hear talk that it will be a kosher establishment.
The deli part came right from the Maple Lawn developer's newsletter that mentioned a deli with details to come. After an early version of this post, an anonymous reader found a Web site for Pita & Rye, which advertises a "New York style deli and grill" coming to Maple Lawn in May. The address suggests that it is replacing the closed Pizza Fresca.
Their menu lists deli sandwiches, gyros, falafel and more. It even mentions potato, spinach and kasha knishes. No mention of kosher on the Web site, but I have heard that twice.
Thanks for the comments and Web searches! Please tell me more if you know more. I'm excited by the thought that a kosher place will get interesting stuff -- either by making it or by bringing down good stuff from New York.
15 comments:
Off topic, but the spaced that housed Sweet, a Bakery and Fisher's Bakery before that is going to be...(drum roll, please?)...a Subway. (According to a sign posted in the window.) I don't mind Subway at all, but I'm disappointed not to have a new, special, independent little place there.
One more note (same poster): based on the address on the website (8180 Maple Lawn Blvd.), it appears the deli will go in the old Pizza Fresco/Quizno's spot, near Looney's.
Subway. That's sad. Glad to hear about the kosher deli though.
I can't express in words how excited I am for Pita and Rye to open! HoCo desperately needs a falafel and schwarma place. I have to go to Max's in Silver Spring for quality middle eastern fare (other than Kabobs at Maiwand, of course). And, HoCo also needs a great deli. I really hope they have quality Pastrami, Falafel, and Schwarma, and not that processed, frozen crap some places sell.
If the future owners of Pita and Rye are out there, I hope they read this: Please use top quality ingredients and make top quality sandwiches. You will build a strong and faithful clientele in HoCo. Just look at Bon Fresco and Facci for examples of how to succeed.
@Trevor -- I'm completely with you. A deli that makes falafel, gyros and pastrami with the attention of Bon Fresco could be a treasure -- and could be very busy. We were in Bon Fresco for lunch last week, and it was packed.
Thanks for passing on the good news! Looking forward to trying the corned beef, knishes, and especially the chopped liver. The chopped liver is a HoCo first, AFAIK.
Genuinely kosher establishments tend to serve meat or dairy but not both. They also don't serve pork products or shellfish. Pita & Rye's menu doesn't include obvious signs of ham, shrimp, a reuben, or cheese. This is an indicator that they plan to be genuinely kosher rather than "kosher-style", even if they don't say it yet.
Even though they are calling themselves a deli, sounds like they are a combo deli + Israeli place. Shwarma, falafel, shish, baba ganoush, and hummous are great, but they're not exactly traditional deli foods.
I'm still hoping that a place will actually specialize in true deli. That way, I won't have to drive up to Baltimore for tongue, smoked whitefish, chubbies, and kishke.
Everyone out there on Howchow - we have to support it or it will close! Let's say it again, we have to support or it will close! Again...get the idea?
Owners of Pita & Rye, whoever you are - you are risking a lot, we know, to give us a deli. Please don't screw it up. I beg you. Give us the good stuff, throw out the bad, and smile when you serve us. Give us good value & a good pickle.
BTW- the website say NEW YORK STYLE, doesn't say Jewish or Kosher. So let's all hope, that the owners know what NY style should be.
Sounds like an interesting place with two of my favorite cusines. I bet they do a great business on sat. Afternoons.
The proof of the pudding will be in the rye bread( sorry for that). If their rye bread is like the supermarket junk, they will fail within 6 months. If, however, they can emulate NY style rye, they will be declared " corned beef gods" and will be rich beyond their wildest dreams.
Interesting that they chose to open in Maple Lawn instead of the more concentrated areas in Columbia. There are few offices nearby and the population is very low. I get the feeling that they will set their prices high, thinking that the upscale development folks will support them. I hope they looked at the fate of the several upscale-wannabees that failed in that location.There are loads of NYC transplants in the area that know what a good deli is and what its worth.
@urban legend, to be fair there's several thousand employees across the street at APL and Verizon. Places like Trapeze didn't appeal for lunch because they were too slow. A good deli place has the potential to draw a ton of lunch traffic if it's fast and good. I agree with everyone though that quality is the only way it's going to compete, there's already enough cheap and fast places in the area.
Has anyone heard what is going to be done in the old department store on Main Street in Ellicott City? The antique store moved out and now there is a lot of scaffolding and repair work going on. Maybe something more exciting than Subway?
@Anonymous: the speculation about kosher is fueled by Pita & Rye's menu. The menu is very odd unless they plan to be kosher or halal.
Note that the fact that Pita & Rye's website doesn't say kosher (or halal) doesn't preclude it from being planned as a certified kosher (or halal) place. Pita Plus was a kosher place in College Park with a menu very similar to that of Pita & Rye. IIRC, Pita Plus's website also didn't mention that they were kosher. Note that Pita Plus's owner said they closed because they were made an offer they couldn't refuse (not business problems.) I wonder. . .
"BTW- the website say NEW YORK STYLE, doesn't say Jewish or Kosher. So let's all hope, that the owners know what NY style should be."
Having been on New York kosher eating trips with one of the owners, I can say that he knows what NY style IS.
under the News tab of pita and Rye's web site is does say that it is going to be Kosher.
"Pita & Rye will operate under Orthodox kosher supervision by Rabbi Hillel Baron of Congregation Ahavas Israel in Columbia, MD. Rabbi Baron welcomes Pita & Rye as “the first kosher food establishment in Howard County and it is a milestone for our Jewish Community.”
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