Now that we’ve turned the corner into May, the countdown is on to one of the Seattle area’s most anticipated restaurant openings: Stopsky’s Delicatessen.
Robin Leventhal (the former Top Chef contestant who was chef at now-closed Crave in Capitol Hill) will be at the helm at Stopsky’s, and knows that we’re all wanting good kugel, kreplach, and knishes.
But don’t expect Stopsky’s to be traditional, Leventhal warns. This deli (with about 40 seats, plus take-out service) will serve Jewish food with Pacific Northwest and other influences, using local products when possible.
Assisting Leventhal with bread-making will be Andrew Meltzer, co-founder of Columbia City Bakery and most recently at Canlis. Leventhal says Meltzer will make only four flavors of bagels (besides, isn’t a blueberry bagel more like a muffin?) and among a variety of breads will be challah on Friday—perfect for French toast on Saturdays.
Leventhal will be cooking for a cause. Now seven years since being diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma (now in remission), she’s pleased that 10 percent of sales from her homemade pickles will go to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to help find a cure.
Stopsky’s is currently scheduled to open the second week of May, with updates (and photos of dishes like borscht with horseradish crème fraiche) available at the Facebook page. I caught up with Leventhal, who lit up when presented with three questions:
What’s your first or fondest memory of eating in a deli?
Ever since I was a child we have gone to Nate ‘n’ Al’s. There are a gazillion delis in L.A., but my family was loyal to them alone. Anywhere else was subpar in my parent’s eyes. The same servers were always there dishing up the attitude with their orange-dyed hair and orthopedic shoes. Not only did they entertain us with their sass, they did it with lightning speed and efficiency. I was always amazed at how those elderly women hustled!
The food was consistent, as was the menu. I’m pretty sure the only thing that changed on it was the pricing over the years. The number of options was overwhelming for me. Even when I knew what I wanted I had a hard time locating it. It was typically breakfast we went for and I always chose morning items. Three in particular, and never did I stray:
- Cheese blintzes if I wanted sweet
- More often it was matzo brei (with salt, not cinnamon sugar)
- But hands down the best association I have with Nate ‘n’ Al’s is the Nova (lox) platter. Fish is one of my favorite proteins to this day and I am sure it had everything to do with that early affection for translucent, salty, silky Nova.
What is going to wow me about your chopped liver?
I will not be making chopped liver as it had traditionally been represented in delicatessens across the country. To me, the color and texture was always a turn-off. Honestly, it never looked appetizing in that deli case and it was not until I experienced patés in France that I learned to love liver.
What I will be doing is a chicken liver paté, smooth and luscious and infused with schmaltz. Rather than adding boiled egg to the liver, I am adding my pate to the egg. A pickled one at that, with a daffodil-yellow outside—imparted by a turmeric-infused brine. Visualize a deviled egg, but instead of the classic yolk, filling it will be chicken liver pate that is piped in pretty swirls. Our vision with the food at Stopsky’s is “tradition, updated.”
What will be the sexiest item on the menu, and what makes it sexy?
Hands down, I am in love with my take on bacon. Candied salami, although sliced and no longer in its suggestive form, will deliver a sweet and salty flavor profile that mimics bacon. And to me fatty meats are sexy!
We will feature Snake River Farms’ Wagyu for a premium corned beef and pastrami experience. First it will tease you with its naughty flavor pockets studded throughout. The moment it hits your mouth the silken layers will dissolve on your tongue with an explosion of complex aromatics from the brine.