Pita & Rye May Be Closing Next Week

Pita & Rye in Fulton wrote on its Facebook page that it will be closing next week.  They say they'll be open for lunch until February 10.  That's a real bummer.  I never want to see a place close.  They say that they'll "announce new plans for the restaurant soon."

Pita & RyePita & Rye will be closing on
Friday, February 10, 2010.
We will be open with a limited menu for lunch service until then.
Monday-Thursday 11 am – 3 pm
...See More

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Link: Pita & Rye In The WPost

The new Pita & Rye deli in Fulton got featured by the WPost yesterday -- although Martha Thomas wrote as much about the owner, the location of the condiments, and the kosher certification as she did about the food.  This is her lede:

Pita & Rye, which may be Howard County's first certified kosher delicatessen, is certain to offend no one. But that may be to its peril.

Two Weeks To Pita & Rye: Deli Sells Sandwiches At Half Marathon, Aims To Open By Memorial Day

Two weeks (or so) to kosher deli in Fulton -- and the early signs look good.

By early signs, we mean "pickles."  Pickles are a quick way to see whether a deli is aiming for excellence, and Pita & Rye's don't just look good.  They taste good -- correctly sour and smacking of New York, not a food court.

I'm still trying to tamp down my expectations, but Pita & Rye sold sandwiches Sunday after the half marathon in Maple Lawn.  It was $8 for corned beef or pastrami, $6 for salami and a few others.  We split a corned beef on a bench, and the details were good -- good meat, good bread, good mustard, good pickles.

They're aiming to open before Memorial Day -- maybe in two weeks.  I know that restaurant owners can't pinpoint their dates as they balance contractors and inspections.

Pita & Rye is trying to be something special.  They're already unique since they'll be the county's only kosher restaurant, but the owner Jay talked to us at length about his plans to bring stuff from New York and Baltimore, including bagels, breads, meats and more.  They're even going to make their own turkey and corned beef, which sounds terrific.

Their purchased corned beef was really good.  Very lean and thin-cut.  I often think of New York corned beef as heavily spiced like Harold's.  This flavor was more meat than "corned," but it went perfectly with soft rye, the zesty mustard and lettuce.  I'm soft-selling because this was a single sandwich sold from the sidewalk, and lots of people have commented about how a deli needs to sell great food to really stand out.  Give Pita & Rye some time to open and work out the kinks before people make up their minds.

Pita and Rye is going to be a lunch and dinner spot with a deli menu along with shish kabobs, falafel and other Middle Eastern items.  That'll be regular meals, along with takeout and catering.


On top, they're hoping to offer some off-the-menu items like selling bagels or loaves of bread.   Jay clearly hopes to have some unique items to make sandwiches, and he wants to work with people who might want to pick them up in bulk.  They also hope to have a kosher shopping service where you could order meats or other items on-line, then pick them up at the store.

Kosher Deli Coming To Maple Lawn In May, But Already Getting Positive Reviews On The Food

Six weeks to the opening of a kosher deli in Maple Lawn -- and maybe as few as four weeks if you keep your eyes open, according to talk in the Fulton commercial area.

The owner of the new Pita & Rye deli is talking about a May 15 official opening with a "soft" opening as early as May 1.

He met some of his new neighbors and offered samples of some of the meats and breads that he is considering for the shop.  Trevor and others have emphasized in prior comments the draw of really good food, and Maple Lawn taste-testers volunteered that they were impressed.

Kosher Deli Opening In Maple Lawn In May 2011

The kosher Pita & Rye deli will open in Maple Lawn after Passover -- aiming for May 2011, according to a press release sent out today.

Newspaper reporters must rely on official spokesmen and people who will be quoted by name.  The beauty of blogging is that you can apply the "normal people" standards and post about the new Pita & Rye deli in Fulton because there has been public talk by the people involved.  That's why I posted about the deli three weeks ago.

Pita & Rye circulated a press release today with quotes from owner Jay Fridkis and Rabbi Hillel Baron, who will supervise the kosher kitchen.  Baron, who runs Congregation Ahavas Israel, says in the release that this will be Howard County's first kosher food establishment.

I echo all the hopeful comments on the prior post.  A kosher deli may deliver New-York-quality ingredients, and that could be a great thing.  Bon Fresco has proven that great sandwiches can pack a house, so I'll second the anonymous comment emphasizing the need for the deli and the diners to do their part:

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.

Check out the Pita & Rye Web site here.