JFK at King's Highway Dubrow's (Close up)

I think that memories of Kennedy campaigning at Dubrow's might win for the memory most commonly reported by people who have contacted me through this blog. It makes sense - it was clearly a big deal, and as these pictures show, hundreds or perhaps thousands of people showed up.

Edit: I found this article in Sheepshead Bites that has a nice description of one person's memory of Kennedy campaigning in front of Dubrow's. It also confirms what my sense was - Kennedy's assassination was one of the most defining event for Baby Boomers, and so many of them have also retained closely their memories of him as president and campaigning to become president.

 "My singular Kennedy experience was when the senator, after winning the Democratic nomination, campaigned in Brooklyn, in the summer of 1960, for New York’s 45 electoral votes. My friend Larry and I went to the rally along Kings Highway that stretched from Ocean Avenue to Coney Island Avenue, and onto several side streets, and waited hours among the jam-packed crowd. As we stood at the East 16th Street intersection, opposite Dubrow’s cafeteria, we were constantly pushed and shoved by others impatiently awaiting the candidate’s motorcade."

(Neil Friedman, Nov 23, 2013, retrieved from http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2013/11/jfk-assassination-remains-a-defining-moment-for-baby-boomers/)

A question from a reader

I received this query from a reader a few days ago:

Dear Eve,

From 1966 to 1972, my father  owned Dave's Luncheonette on 1673 East 13th Street, just off the corner from  Kings Highway. Do you remember it, and would you know if there are there  any photographs 

Irwin Gordon

Can anyone help Irwin out? Anyone recall Dave's Luncheonette on King's Highway in Brooklyn? It would have been close to where the Dubrow's was.

A question from a reader

I received the following email and thought I'd post it here to see if anyone can answer his question:

I am Bill Siroty, grandson of Gussie (Schwartz) Siroty, and great-grandson of Riva and Menachim Schwartz, which I think makes Simcha my great-great-Uncle. Michael Schwartz is my father’s first cousin. 

 I don’t know if anyone can answer this question: I was at the Kings Highway Dubrows in Spring 1972 and asked the cashier if Paul was there. I didn’t really know Paul but my father would be upset that I was there and didn’t ask to see him. I gave the cashier my name and she asked if my father was Danny. She said she used to date him! I can’t remember her name now, my father remembered her but that’s all the information I have. My father was 55 in 1972, born in 1917 so I guess this woman was a little younger. 

 Even if you don’t know this women it is still fun nostalgia. 

 Thanks, Bill Siroty Manchester, NH

 Does anyone know about Paul who worked the cashier at King's Highway? Paul Tobin was a manager and owner, but of the Manhattan location, and probably didn't work the cash register much. So it probably wasn't him.

Long lost cousin

I received an email from a long lost cousin by marriage today:

Hi Eve,

I’m Michael Schwartz, and we are “kin” through the marriage of Max Tobin to Minnie Dubrow Tobin...You turn out to be my “father’s cousin’s sister-in-law’s granddaughter.” Whew….

And I enjoy your Dubrow blog (grew up till age 15 or 16 on East 16^th Street between Ave N and O – Dubrow’s was up the block at 16^th Street and Kings Highway – I would walk pass (sic) on the way to Junior High School twice a day and often stop in and talk to the various relatives and get fed too……

I’ve attached a photo of “Uncle”  Simcha Tabachnick  -- at my Bar Mitzvah – that’s me eating the drum stick… He was Max Tobin’s dad (Max of course was Minnie Dubrow Tobin’s husband). Simcha Tabachnick was also my grandmother Riva (Chast) Schwartz’s brother—he would avidly participate in Menachim Riva family circle meetings which were all the rage “back in the day."

Great Manhattan photo

Found this photo on Flickr posted by a user named 365Bob:

James Madison High

In this old post, I shared a photo Marcia Bricker Halperin sent me from James Madison High School. Today I found in the depths of my computer files an article I never blogged that made reference to a Madison High School reunion in Beverly Hills, which included this great quote:

"Once you're from Brooklyn, you're always from Brooklyn, Richard Bock, Class of 1951, told his former schoolmates, seated at tables labeled to conjure memories: Dubrow's Cafeteria, Plum Beach, The Avalon Theater, Barney's Poolroom, Ocean Ave."  

(Robin Brantley, "Beverly Hills Brooklynites," New York Times)

Miami Beach Dubrow's reference

I found some writing about the Miami Beach Dubrow's Cafeteria, which was located on Lincoln Road.

"From the late ’40s through the ’50s and ’60s, the Collins area between 20th and 25th streets was one of the liveliest in Miami Beach. Martha’s Five O’Clock Club was on the corner of 20th and Collins; Collins and 22nd housed “Wolfies,” the quintessential New York delicatessen. The Grate, the Pin Up, the Place Pigalle and the Night Owls clubs were within blocks; the Embers restaurant and Dubrow’s cafeteria were nearby; Junior’s deli and the old Roney Plaza hotel were just off 23rd. The 22nd Street public beach, between the Roney and the Sea Gull hotel, was well known as the gay beach."

-- Max Dertke, Dec 31,2014 in a Miami Herald article titled "Miami Stories: Glamour and seaside adventures lured this Midwesterner to Miami Beach."

Updated photos

It came to my attention a few weeks ago that the Buzznet, where I was previously storing all the Dubrow's photos, just up and disappeared from the internet. So I've now re-uploaded all the photos, and re-tagged some that I missed tagging the first time. Check them out.

Also, here's a photos of a Dubrow's matchbook from Eastern Parkway I never uploaded.   Enjoy!

Manhattan Dubrow's photo

Found this photo after searching Google images for Dubrow's cafeteria.  It's credited to Elaine Norman, 1985, which is the year the last Dubrow's location (Manhattan) closed.

Dubrow's reference in The Daily Beast

I periodically Google and see what comes up for "Dubrow's Cafeteria".  It never fails to amaze me how it pops up often.  It was such an important fixture in New York City for so many decades.

This reference comes from an article by Michael Horowitz in The Daily Beast:

"In 1952, my father, his wife, and his daughter immigrated to New York. Based on his stellar reputation, he was able to join the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union, then one of the largest unions in America. Eventually, he was hired to be a “finisher” and sample maker for Oscar de la Renta, whose shop was on 39th Street between Broadway and 7th Avenue. It was across the street from Dubrow’s cafeteria, where we’d often meet him after work. Then we’d walk down to Macy’s, which at the time had a butcher shop on the ground floor where we’d buy meat."

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/11/21/my-father-made-jackie-s-pink-suit.html

Dubrow's on Miami Beach

My cousin, Joe Adler, sent me this email:

"Ray Fisher, a photographer who has documented Miami Beach for the last 70 years, just mailed me the attached picture of DUBROW'S on Lincoln Road.  Does it bring back memories?"

Bernie Sanders hailed from Brooklyn in the Dubrow's era

A New York Times article about a contemporary politician gave a shout out to Dubrow's Cafeteria today!  Apparently Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders hails from Brooklyn and lived close to the King's Highway location growing up.

The one detailed reference to Dubrow's comes with this strange line: "While others would eat pizza at Louis Gino’s, hang out at the Avalon Tearoom or avoid Dubrow’s Cafeteria after school, Mr. Sanders’s free time was spent on the track." 

Why were people avoiding Dubrow's after school?  Thoughts?

Clarification and family history review

My cousins Joe and Robert Adler wanted me to clarify that they, and their father, Benjamin Adler, also worked at Dubrow's Cafeteria for many years.  Benjamin was also an owner and manager for a period of time.

We also now know that all five of Benjamin Dubrow's children managed and/or owned Dubrow's for some period of time: George Dubrow, Benjamin Adler (married to Lila Dubrow), Max Tobin (married to Minnie Dubrow), and Irving Kaplan (married to Sylvia Dubrow). According to her daughter, Joanne Dubrow, the youngest of the Dubrow children (Ruthie) "worked at the Eastern Parkway store, albeit for only one day; her father fired her when he discovered at day's end that there was more money in the cash register than represented in the receipts, i.e., she'd overcharged someone." 

 Grandchildren also worked at Dubrow's: Bonnie Kaplan Lyons, Beth Kaplan Wald, Joe Adler, Robert Adler, Irwin Dubrow, and Paul Tobin.  Probably others.  Paul Tobin was also a co-manager, but to the best of my knowledge he is the only grandchild to take on a management role. 

New York nostalgia

Check out this great blog post about the demise of a number of familiar New York landscapes, with photos of what's there in their place.  Included is the former location of the Eastern Parkway Dubrow's, and a reprint of the Brian Merlis photo of the original Dubrow's. 

Another Dubrow great grandchild blogging

My goodness how time gets away from me.  I blame parenthood.  It can't be a coincidence that my son was born about a month before my last post here.

Still, I couldn't help but share this link to a blog poet by another one of Benjamin Dubrow's great grandchildren.  Mitch Tobin is the son of Paul Tobin, and grandson of Max Tobin.  He adds great detail to the story of JFK coming to stump at Dubrow's - check it out!

Dubrow's on StoryCorps

So, I yesterday I received a call from Michael Garofalo, who was fact-checking  a story for StoryCorps.  It's a really sweet story that involves Dubrow's Cafeteria: Apparently Van and and Shirley Harris met at the Eastern Parkway location.  Check it out!

The story mentions several colorful characters they knew at Dubrow's - anyone else heard of Herbie the Nibbler, One-Ball Barney, Mendel Berman (he had a leaky ear), or Filthy Miltie?

Another Dennis Ziemienski painting

"Dubrow's Cafeteria"
Oil on canvas, 36x48

This painting looks very similar to the one in this previous post, but the dimensions are different.  Also, this one is little lighter, as though it were the same scene, but in daylight instead of at night.   If I had the money I would totally buy this painting.  Go here if you can do so in my stead.

Reader John Stanton recollects

It's been a long time since I posted anything here - sorry about that. But a reader wrote me to offer recollections of his parents, who both worked at Dubrow's at met there, so I thought that was a good opportunity to jump back in:

"My father was John Stanton (he was known as Jack) and he worked at one of the Brooklyn Dubrow's I believe from the 40's until the 60's, and then worked at the Manhattan location until he retired I think in 1970. My mother's maiden name was Ming Chang, and she started at the Brooklyn Dubrow's (thus why she is in the picture of the cleaning crew, which she said occured on Yom Kippur.) She said she only worked a few months in Brooklyn and then transferred to Manhattan. As to whether my father followed my mom to Manhattan or vice versa, I don't know, but they met while working at Dubrow's. My mom immigrated from China to attend college and she fondly remembers Irving Dubrow who allowed her to have a flexible schedule in order to attend college. She had no set start or end time, he told her to work around her schooling needs, he always needed the help so any time she could work would be acceptable, so my mom was able to come and go and earn money without interfering with her schooling.

My mom laughingly told me the other night that after she graduated she left Dubrow's to work at Metropolitan Life Insurance, and would often go at lunch time to see my dad and the people she used to work with. One day Irving pulled my dad aside to tell him to only charge my Mom half since she was a former employee, and my dad said I have only been charging her half since the day she left! My mother and fathers romance was a true May/December romance, my father born in 1908 and my mother in 1935 so I am sure that people who worked there when they did would remember them since it was such an unlikely couple (my father a hard drinking Irishman, and my mother a petite demure Chinese woman.)

My mom has been in the hospital the last week and I have been visiting her every night and she has been reminiscing about the corned beef and pastrami sandwiches at Dubrow's which is how I came across this blog. I brought her a pastrami sandwich from Katz's Deli Friday night and all she did was complain that it didn't compare to a Dubrow's pastrami sandwich. I barely remember Dubrow's since my sister and I used to go there as young children, but that basically ended in the early 70's.

To give you a bit of trivia and a small laugh, when my parents married in the early 60's my father was interviewed by the FBI to make sure it wasn't a marriage of convenience for immigration purposes due to the disparity in age, and I wouldn't doubt that some of the employees at Dubrow's were also interviewed.

As to what my mom remembers of Richard Hackett, she said he was the driver for old man Dubrow (a.k.a. Benjamin Dubrow - ed.) who would sometimes come in, and greet customers and troubleshoot complaints. Richard Hackett ended up doing some of that and that is why she referred to it as customer relations. (Note: Joe Hackett was the driver for Dubrow's. Richard Hackett is his nephew and a reader of this blog. - ed.)

Unfortunately my father who would be the true treasure trove of information since he worked there so long passed away in 1998, so most of the information I have on Dubrow's is only from my mother who only worked there 3-4 years."

Ming Chang, I hope you recover well in the hospital. You are in my thoughts and my prayers. I've said here before that I think Katz's is the closest thing NYC has left to Dubrow's.

Interesting tidbit about immigration interviews by the FBI - that's the first I ever heard of it. Anyone else recall these interviews?

A Garment Worker recalls

Mark Weiss writes to share this recollection of Dubrow's:

"I began my career in the garment center in 1980 when I started work at Heath Tex children's wear. On my very first day my new buddies took me to lunch round the corner at Dubrow's. I loved Dubrow's and the unique feel of the place. In this day of cold noisy chain restaurants that decorate to look like they understand the locale, Dubrow's needed no such decorations. It was New York."

Puts a personal touch on the image I have of the thousands of garment workers who enjoyed the Manhattan Dubrow's on their lunch break.

Eastern Parkway Dubrows, 1945

Reader Brian Merlis sent me this photo of Dubrow's on Eastern Parkway, circa about 1945. What a great find!