A taste of yesterday

Zeitlin’s Delicatessen’s grand opening in November represented years of sweat, prep, and a dream realized for its owners, brothers Sam and Hal Zeitlin.

“It was our first day and people were coming in-the restaurant is starting to hum,” said Sam, who is based in Chicago. Hal, who is behind Zeitlin’s marketing, lives in California. Both are committed to providing superior food and service and building on the sense of community, which has been the cornerstone of their business model.

After opening day, Sam was energized. The scent of homemade bagels, baby babkas, and mouthwatering matzah ball soup, was unmistakable.  ”We have tested our products and expanded organically through local farmers markets, catering and wholesale,” he said. “We have a tremendous following just from the goodwill of our community.”

Originally from Maryland, Sam moved to Chicago in 2018 to be with his then-girlfriend, now-wife. “I’m a chef by trade and I’ve been working in restaurants since I was 15 years old.,” he said. “I just love hospitality and bringing people together.”

Sam said he has always wanted to be a chef, although he did not always know what that meant. When he arrived in Chicago, he said, “I was looking for the bagels and deli I grew up on and I couldn’t find any.”

As a chef who has worked in a lot of different types of restaurants, including several with Michelin stars. Sam won the Star Chefs Rising Baking Award in 2021. “I’ve found a home in the farmers’ markets, wanting to just be with people and build something from the ground up,.” he said. In fact, Zeitlin’s has a stall in the old Post Office building, as well.

Zeitlin’s is proud to offer hearty portions of comfort food. “We make everything from scratch,” Sam explained. In addition to bagels, Zeitlin’s makes challah daily. Matzah ball soup is made in-house along with savory tomato soup. Melt-in-your-mouth macaroons and black and white cookies head up the pastry selection.

Sam is loyal to the friends he has made along the way, especially his fellow farmers’ market purveyors. That is why he is stocking their goods at the deli, happy to provide product exposure for his friends while offering customers easy access to some hard-to-find artisanal products.

Family is everything to the Zeitlins. One of the main draws to baking bagels, Sam said, was that they are among his mother’s favorite foods. The rye bread is named after their grandfather, Sasha. And when Sam mentioned his nine-month-old daughter, his voice caught in his throat.

“We want to grow, tell stories and help our customers experience joyful Judaism,” Sam said.

Zeitlin’s Delicatessen is located at 2203 N. Clybourn Ave.

Rochelle Newman Rubinoff is a freelance writer living in the northern suburbs of Chicago.