Great article with more photos of Dubrow's

Marcia Bricker Halperin is very familiar to readers of this blog, as several of her photos have been featured here. Well, now you can see more!  Over at the blog Jeremiah's Vanishing New York she recalls what made Dubrow's so special, as well.  This seems particularly relevant for readers here, especially as it quotes directly from this blog:

"Dubrow's is often called the "last cafeteria." In one of the articles on the Dubrow's Blog it's described as a place to "kibitz and nosh and argue the fate of the world." What is the value of kibitzing, noshing, and arguing our fate? What allowed it to happen at a place like Dubrow's and where do you think it happens today?

There's a theory about communities called "Third Places." After your home and your workplace comes the need for some social institution. The Irish had bars, the Italians had social clubs, but Jews had cafeterias in New York. They came to eat, but just as importantly to talk. Of course cyberspace is like a "third place" now. The demise of cafeterias was tied to the rise in affluence. People opted for waiter service and felt it was beneath them to carry their own tray. Cafeteria chains prevailed much longer in the South and Midwest where it wasn't until the last decade that many have closed, but they lacked the opulence of the big city ones.

The closest you can come to the feel of an old cafeteria today is at Katz's Deli. The ticket machine, the long counter on one wall, the frenetic feel with people carrying trays laden with Jewish-style foods in search of an empty table. The sound is reminiscent of old cafeterias too--cutlery rattling and lots of conversation. But I don't think you would scour the tables for a familiar face or a comfortable table to share and strike up a conversation with a stranger. By contrast, the dozens of coffee joints around my neighborhood are tomb-like since almost everyone is on their laptop."

Also, I discovered someone (perhaps Marcia Bricker Halperin herself, seeing as how her photo shows up here, too) submitted Dubrow's Cafeteria to the blog "Place Matters" with a link to this blog.  I agree! Places do matter.  And if there's one thing I have learned from the years of maintaining this blog, it's that Dubrow's did matter.  And still does.

Dubrow's in the NY Times again

Marcia Bricker Halperin has taken many photos of Dubrow's - as well as many other landmarks of NYC - and her work is featured in the New York Times. Dubrow's referenced, as well as many other great NYC eateries. Check it out!

Dubrow's New York Style Deli inspired by Dubrow's Cafeteria

I was so confused when I saw this restaurant, located in Houston, Texas, that I had to email the owner via their website. The owner is even named Ziggy Gruber, and Gruber, is a family name in the larger Dubrow extended family. But I got this response:

Dear Eve, 
I am not related in anyway to the Dubrow family. My name is Ziggy Gruber I am third generation delicatessen owner. My family had the first delicatessen on Broadway called the Rialto they also had numerous other delis all around the city like Bergers on 47 st and in the suburbs Cresthill kosher deli in Spring Valley New York and the Woodrow kosher deli in Hewlett Long Island. My father's brother my uncle's name is Seymour and that is a coincidence. My uncle Norman who is much older than me technically is my cousin his name is Norman Rappaport. My family has been a deli dynasty in New York since the early 1900s. I presently own a well-known deli called Kenny and Ziggys in Houston Texas. We were looking to expand to a new concept that was a combination of Jewish delicatessen foods and Houston's restaurant that serves steaks, fish and cocktails. While trying to come up with a name for this concept. I was thinking about old Jewish restaurant names and Dubrows came to mind. My patent attorney did a trademark and patent search and saw the name Dubrows was abandoned for many years. So we applied and received the mark. There is presently a documentary out called Deli man and if you see it you will see it is my goal to perpetuate Jewish culture through food and if you have ever eaten my food or read our reviews you will see I will do the great name of Dubrows justice. I hope this clarifies the mystery. If you have anymore questions don't hesitate to contact me
All the best,
Ziggy Gruber


So there you have it. An homage to Dubrow's down in Texas, from someone unrelated to the family. I'd love to know from anyone in Houston if his restaurant even vaguely resembles Dubrow's Cafeteria.

Request for Dubrow's tuna salad recipe

Reader Andrew Suser asks for it. Now, tuna salad seems easy enough to make so if the Dubrow's recipe was unique or special it's got to be in the seasonings or the add-ins. Anyone recall it want to help Andrew out?

Letter from the daughter of a Miami Beach Dubrow's employee

I received an email from Carole Chapman, who had this to say about her father Carl Kobitz:

"Hi
After my dad was discharged from the navy he moved to Miami Beach. The next day he got a job at dubrows in 1946. He worked the season and managed to save $3000! He started as a bus boy and moved up to be a server.
My dad is still alive and he is 91!"

Nice to hear from someone outside the family who worked at the Dubrow's in Miami Beach.  Anyone out there remember Carl?

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!