Rosenfeld's Jewish Delicatessen expands north
Pastrami lovers rejoice — Rosenfeld’s Jewish Delicatessen is coming to Delaware.
"This is something I have given a lot of thought," said Warren Rosenfeld, owner of the popular Ocean City eatery. "I believe another location will unlock a world of opportunities for us."
Rosenfeld set his sights on Coastal Delaware for a number of reasons, but mainly because of the loyal clientele already in the area.
"I always ask my customers where they're from," he said. "Naturally, I have a lot from the Ocean City area, and a lot from Philly, New Jersey, D.C., and Virginia who are here on vacation. But I also have quite a few who travel from Delaware. I'm confident in expanding our brand there."
It was just three years ago that Rosenfeld opened Ocean City’s first and only traditional, kosher-style, Jewish deli on 63rd Street. Word quickly spread about his authentic menu, generous portions and ginormous sandwiches — available in 8-, 12- and 16-ounce sizes. Business was so good, he added a food truck into the mix last fall.
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Construction of the new building, located next to the Wawa on Route 1 and Route 24 in Rehoboth Beach, began at the beginning of summer.
The Jewish eatery will feature a full-service deli area — three times the size of the one in Ocean City — offering gourmet meats and cheeses, marble rye Reubens, matzo ball soup, toasted bagels with cream cheese and lox, sauerkraut and liverwurst.
The new location will also have an inside dining area, separated architecturally from the deli, with more than 70 seats.
Rosenfeld hopes to hire a chef for the Rehoboth location, and offer breakfast and lunch year-round, in addition to a rotating dinner menu featuring traditional Eastern European meals, like braised short ribs with red cabbage, stuffed peppers and beef stroganoff.
Unlike the Ocean City location, the Rehoboth Beach restaurant will be, "everything we could ever want," he said.
Transforming the Ocean City location — the former Sunshine House — into his deli was an enormous challenge. Kitchen and storage space was, and still is, extremely limited. Not to mention, the building is decades old and has required numerous repairs.
"The original deli is a funky, eclectic place," he said. "People absolutely love it, as do I. But we have a different vision for our new location. We're going for something ... a little more robust in Rehoboth."
As Rosenfeld finalizes his blueprints in Delaware, the restaurant owner has a few details to also consider in Ocean City.
"My lease is up in two years," he said.
After an informal talk with the landlords, Rosenfeld is confident he'll be granted an extra year, but an extension will only prolong the inevitable. A realist, Rosenfeld has begun looking for another suitable location.
"Ocean City has been good to us," he said. "I do not plan on leaving."
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Rosenfeld’s Jewish Delicatessen
Where: 6301 Coastal Hwy, Ocean City
When:8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Call:410-520-0283
Visit: rosenfeldsjewishdeli.com