Another Classic Jewish Deli Bites the Dust: Wolfie's Rascal House
Wolfie's Rascal House, the last deli left standing in Miami, Florida, is closing its doors Sunday, according to the great chronicler of all things deli-related, David Sax.
Mr. Sax says on his site:
The Rascal House, arguably the most famous of all Florida’s numerous Jewish delicatessens, will go into the sunset after one final brunch. Friends who have been in the past weeks have said it’s deserted, and many thought it was already closed. I just called and spoke with the cashier, who, in her wisecracking, war-weary voice, told me that Sunday would be the final day of business. Then the sticky buns and buttery rugelach would go away, as would the towering corned beef sandwiches and platters of lox. In a few months a new Epicure market will open in its place, serving overpriced Jewish goods and exotic fruits from all over the world. Gone will be the soul, the taste, the schmaltz and the Tam, and I don’t think it will ever return to Miami Beach again. Wolfie Cohen’s empire, once encompassing Wolfie’s, Pumpernik’s, and Rascal House, is done.
It was inevitable that this would happen. Miami Beach belongs to the impossibly thin and the impossibly healthy.
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4 Comments:
Sniff. This place was such a part of my youth - my grandparents were snow-birds and wintered across the street...I'd always hoped to take my daughter there one day but we've not hit Miami yet. My brother just moved there and took his girls to eat there a few months ago. Sad to lose it.
mnrobb at 4:52PM on 03/26/08
I had matzo ball soup and cheesecake at a Wolfie's in Miami when I was 6 years old. It's one of my earliest memories of a restaurant and of being excited by food. I recently bought an old postcard of Wolfie's on e-bay. This is so sad.
aharste at 9:36AM on 03/27/08
Totally fahrklempt here. I'm going to sit shivah.....
RichardCrystal at 10:41AM on 03/27/08
I'm another serious eater who has fond childhood memories of this fine old restaurant. My parents took us to Miami from our home in Tampa twice that I recall, and eating at Rascal's was a high point of both trips. The first time I filled up on the most delicious breads I had ever eaten. The second time I was a little smarter and managed to down over half of a huge helping of stuffed cabbage the like of which I have never had a repeat. I actually found out just now about the restaurant's demise searching for their stuffed cabbage recipe. Now I'm really feeling down. Think I'll go cook something Jewish...
pmboston at 4:30PM on 03/01/09