Good news, deli devotees! Pastrami House Delicatessen has added a third Jersey location to its arsenal.
After success whipping up a classic deli menu of more than 100 choices in New Providence and Jackson, Pastrami House’s team of sandwich savants—founder Nick Liuzzi and partners Jeff Michelson and Monica Fabara—have been thrilled by the warm reception at their newest location, which opened off the Morristown Green in March. “People come to Morristown to eat,” Liuzzi says. “And who isn’t looking for great, fresh food that’s an excellent value besides?”
Throughout the 20th century, Jewish delis were the casual urban eateries of their time. They supplied welcoming, drop-in meals of kitchen-made food from the Eastern European cradle of America’s Jewish immigrants. In their unpretentiousness, comfort and focus on a single cuisine, those delis were not unlike today’s taquerias, pizzerias or joints specializing in barbecue, ramen or dumplings.
“Delicatessens are definitely old-school, and that’s what I love about them,” says Liuzzi, who is Italian, Jewish and Brooklyn-raised. “They’re gathering places for families and friends, serving familiar, traditional dishes in simple, comfortable surroundings. No gimmicks, no TikTok trends—just soul-satisfying, delicious food….Pastrami, corned beef or brisket on rye, soups like Grandma’s, boardwalk knishes, coleslaw, pickles, cheesecake. If just seeing these words makes you crave these noshes, we’d love to serve you.”
Pastrami House Delicatessen’s new Morristown location Photo: Courtesy of Galo Zambrano/Restaurant Media Group
Liuzzi’s partners, Michelson and Fabara, grew up savoring delis in Oradell and Queens, respectively. “We’ve recreated the classic deli vibe that we absorbed growing up,” Michelson says. “Pastrami House Delicatessen feels like stepping into a less complicated time. A meal here is about the wonderful, house-made food and the people at your table.” Adds Fabara: “I always loved the hominess and neighborhood character of delis. People feel relaxed in them.”
Pastrami House Delicatessen hand-makes three dozen overstuffed sandwiches, over 20 desserts and a plethora of starters, soups and sides. “Some of our diners order the same perfect sandwich each time; nine ounces of prime-grade beef go into each one,” notes Michelson. “Other guests are working through our menu, trying all the sandwich combinations.”
Pastrami House Delicatessen’s sandwiches pack nine ounces of Prime beef. Photo: Courtesy of Monica Fabara
And how about deli newbies? Says Fabara: “I can see they’re amazed by the deliciousness of the food and also the very modest tab.” She adds: “We have a lot of regulars already. We also do a lot of takeout and catering platters. Our complete dinner packages for four, with all the trimmings, are only 50 bucks.”
Liuzzi credits his path as a restaurateur to his childhood rabbi in Brooklyn. “[…He] saw I was a good kid and took me under his wing,” Liuzzi recalls. “I’d go over to the temple, which was next door to our house in Bay Ridge, and we’d talk about life over a bowl of soup from the temple kitchen. These afternoons sparked my interest in our Jewish culinary heritage. I got very interested in my family’s business, which was restaurants and groceries. I learned to cook, I learned to manage, and I’ve owned many food businesses since….And here we are, full steam ahead, with new delicatessens that are reviving the Jewish deli food that my rabbi introduced to me.”
“In a way,” Liuzzi says, “I owe everything I am to matzo ball soup.”
Pastrami House Delicatessen
82-84 Speedwell Avenue, Morristown; 973-327-9473
1294 Springfield Avenue, New Providence; 973-309-5675
363 North County Line Road, Jackson
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