Droves of Philadelphia Jews on their way down the shore make a stop at the Kibitz Room for an old school-style overstuffed sandwich or provisions for the weekend, at least according to Neil Parish, former Kibitz Room owner and father to owner Brandon Parish.
The Kibitz Room gets a chunk of its business from the Philadelphia area, so it only made sense for the deli to find a new home there. Last month, Brandon Parish signed a lease for a 3,750 square-foot retail storefront in Montgomery Township, where the Kibitz Room will expand.
The family hopes to cut the ribbon on the new location at PA-309 and Witchwood Drive this time next year. Brandon Parish will take care of the family business at the Montgomery Township location.
The Kibitz Room isn’t the only Jewish-owned restaurant business expanding. CookNSolo, helmed by Steve Cook and Michael Solomonov, will expand hummusiya Dizengoff into a full-service restaurant in July, taking over the space of Abe Fisher. A new Goldie location will replace Merkaz. The restaurants will join My Loup, a French restaurant opened in May by 2023 James Beard Award finalist chef Amanda Shulman, who opened Her Place Supper Club in June 2021.
Chef Nick Liberato and Mike Dalewitz will move their New York-style deli The Borscht Belt from Stockton, New Jersey, to Newtown. The deli, first opened in 2021, will reside at the Village South Shopping Center. It opened on May 30.
Philadelphia eaters have demonstrated a hunger for both traditional and innovative dishes. In its new location, Kibitz Room will expand its brunch menu to include takes on eggs Benedict and its dessert menu to serve ice cream. Brandon Parish plans to hire an executive chef to oversee the changes, but the heart of the deli will stay the same.
“I like to say we put it on steroids. We do some different things,” Neil Parish said. “But the core is always traditional Jewish delicatessen.”
The Kibitz Room’s new storefront is located within a three-story, mixed-use building. Compared to the Cherry Hill location’s 2000-square-foot space, the Montgomery Township location is almost double the area, where Brandon Parish will keep the deli’s mainstay deli case and add additional tables.
At 29, Brandon Parish feels ready to take over the family business. During the peak of the pandemic, he helped shift the deli’s business model to accommodate takeout orders. Neil Parish has been in the deli business since age 14, and his son followed a similar path.
“Ever since I was nine or 10 years old, I’ve always been there,” Brandon Parish said. “I just always wanted to be there. I never want to really leave.”
Shulman represents young talent in Center City. My Loup, a French restaurant opened alongside her fiance chef Alex Kemp, is an homage to Kemp’s French Canadian heritage and the couple’s fine dining training.
Compared to Her Place, which has a set menu, My Loup has a more traditional service and menu structure.
“We wanted something a little bigger and more classic from a restaurant standpoint — we always envisioned a gorgeous bar and a serious vibe pulsing throughout the dining room that’s somehow a party, but also feels like your grandma’s house but also your favorite corner pub,” Shulman said.
Shulman and Kemp may primarily cook French food, but their cooking is inspired by Jewish roots.
“I love working American Jewish food touches into the food we do,” Shulman said. “Alex and I will be at a Passover seder eating charoset and then the next day make a chicken liver toast with charoset. We use a lot of smoked fish and draw a ton of inspiration from classic Jewish deli food.”
CookNSolo’s recent changes also reflect a return to familiar foods. While Abe Fisher and Merkaz will close next month, Dizengoff will expand and incorporate pita sandwiches and mezze salads found in Merkaz, in addition to its new dinner and bar services at 1605-1627 Sansom St. The Goldie menu in Merkaz’ 1218 Sansom St. location, will continue to serve falafel and tahina milkshakes.
Restaurant expansions don’t always go according to plan. Essen North, the Fishtown expansion of South Philadelphia-based Jewish bakery Essen, was projected to open this spring. Chef and owner Tova du Plessis said that due to personal reasons, the location will likely open in the fall after the High Holidays.
The Fishtown bakery will stretch in size to accommodate the bakery’s production, which includes orders for national shipping through Gold Belly. Du Plessis wants to serve sandwiches and bagels in a cafe-like atmosphere.
“We do plan to freshen up the brand a little bit. We also will experiment with some new recipes and just expand out on the menu that we have already,” she said. “And who knows? Maybe the future is more Essen locations.”
