Photo by Marissa Gonzalez
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Saratoga’s first Jewish deli is open for business as of July 15. Luckily seasoned chef and owner Daniel Chessare says, he didn’t feel like working nights anymore.
"I figured it’s something we really needed,” Chessare said of Saratoga’s Broadway Deli.
“It was lacking. I saw that Saratoga really needed a diner or a deli, so I didn’t feel like working nights anymore so I went with the deli,” he added.
The new business, located at 420 Broadway suite 2, celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Saratoga County Chamber, “It went really well,” Chessare said. The idea for the Jewish deli came to Chessare, who leases the 1,787 square-foot space, in April.
“I quit my last job in September and took some time off and then during that time off, the last thing I wanted to do was go back and work for anybody else,” Chessare said.
“That’s when it really started percolating... It was around April and then we really got the ball rolling in May and June,” he added.
However this is not Chessare’s first job working behind the counter. Chessare was head chef at the Merry Monk in Albany, he’s worked at Scallion’s on Lake Avenue, he was the sous chef at The Wine bar on Broadway and was manager at Bread Basket Bakery on Spring Street for two years.
Chessare hopes to satisfy the cravings that only a classic delicatessen can. “I grew up with Passover and all that,” Chessare said. His stepmother’s side of the family is Jewish. His family moved from New Jersey to the Saratoga area in 1996.
“The potato pancakes, the knish and the Matzo ball soup, they sell out really quickly, you gotta come in pretty early to get them,” Chessare said.
The potato pancakes, or Latkes, are a traditional Jewish dish that dates back to the mid- 1800s. At Saratoga’s Broadway Deli, Latkes are also served with sour cream, red onion, capers, chives with the option to add smoked Salmon. The menu also features hot Pastrami and hot tongue sandwiches, and cold smoked salmon and chopped liver sandwiches with options to create your own sandwich with other meats.
