The Stage Deli, located on
Seventh Avenue just two blocks from
Carnegie Hall, was a well-known New York City
delicatessen
Traditionally, a delicatessen or deli is a retail establishment that sells a selection of fine, exotic, or foreign prepared foods. Delicatessen originated in Germany (original: ) during the 18th century and spread to the United States in the m ...
, patronized by numerous celebrities. It was first opened in 1937 by Russian immigrant Max Asnas.
The deli was known for
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
-themed dishes including the "Mamma Mia!" sandwich.
It had other menu items named for the celebrities who have dined there,
[ ] including
Sarah Ferguson
Sarah, Duchess of York (born Sarah Margaret Ferguson; 15 October 1959), also known by the nickname Fergie, is a member of the British royal family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, the younger brother of King Charles III ...
,
Adam Sandler,
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...
,
Martin Short
Martin Hayter Short (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian-American actor, comedian, and writer. He has received various awards including two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Tony Award. In 2019 Short became an Officer of the Order of Canada.
H ...
,
[ ] and
Ron Blomberg
Ronald Mark Blomberg (born August 23, 1948), nicknamed "Boomer", is an American former professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a designated hitter, first baseman, and right fielder. He playe ...
.
In addition to serving regular meals, Stage Deli held special events including the ''Matzoh Bowl'' to determine the best
matzoh ball
Matzah balls ( yi, קניידלעך pl., singular ; with numerous other transliterations) or matzo balls are Ashkenazi Jewish soup dumplings made from a mixture of matzah meal, beaten eggs, water, and a fat, such as oil, margarine, or chicke ...
soup.
The Stage Deli had a longstanding rivalry with the nearby
Carnegie Deli
The Carnegie Deli is a small Jewish delicatessen, formerly a chain, based in New York City. Its main branch, opened in 1937 near Carnegie Hall, was located at 854 7th Avenue (between 54th and 55th Streets) in Midtown Manhattan. It closed on D ...
. At one point, the rivals quarreled over which had the best
pastrami
Pastrami (Romanian: '' pastramă'') is a food originating from Romania usually made from beef brisket, lamb, pork, chicken sometimes from turkey. The raw meat is brined, partially dried, seasoned with herbs and spices, then smoked and steamed. L ...
, with the Stage Deli pointing out that the Carnegie Deli's pastrami was made with
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...
from
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...
, and the Carnegie Deli responding that the Stage Deli's pastrami, while made with New York water, was bought from a vendor instead of home-made. Thus, New Yorkers could get the same pastrami from any deli supplied by the same vendor.
A 1950 comedy album, ''The corned-beef Confucius'', featuring Asnas "with some of Broadway's greatest comedians", was recorded at the deli.
teammates
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed "the Commerce Comet" and "the Mick", was an American professional baseball player. Mantle played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York ...
,
Hank Bauer
Henry Albert Bauer (July 31, 1922 – February 9, 2007) was an American right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He played with the New York Yankees (–) and Kansas City Athletics (–); he batted and threw right-handed. He served as ...
and
Johnny Hopp
John Leonard Hopp (July 18, 1916 – June 1, 2003) was an American professional baseball player and coach. Born in Hastings, Nebraska, he was an outfielder and first baseman who appeared in 1,393 Major League Baseball games over 14 seasons (1 ...
shared an apartment above the deli in the early 1950s,
and its baseball ties reach out of town to
Pete Rose
Peter Edward Rose Sr. (born April 14, 1941), also known by his nickname "Charlie Hustle", is an American former professional baseball player and manager. Rose played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1963 to 1986, most prominently as a membe ...
, who once complained of not having a sandwich in his honor.
The Stage Deli appeared in an episode of "
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musi ...
" in 2001. Conan visited to see the sandwich they named after him, which turned out to be a soup and small salad.
The Stage Deli appeared in an episode of the sitcom ''
Caroline in the City'' called "
Caroline and the Sandwich". In the episode, the deli renames a sandwich (previously named after
Jo Anne Worley
Jo Anne Worley (born September 6, 1937) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. Her work covers television, films, theater, game shows, talk shows, commercials, and cartoons. Worley is widely known for her work on the comedy-variety sho ...
) to name it after the main character Caroline's cartoon strip, "Caroline in the City". This leads to a backlash against her. Jo Anne and Caroline stage a feud to maximise the publicity.
The Stage Deli closed on November 29, 2012.
The owners cited a downturn in business, coupled with rising rent as the reasons for the closing. The Stage Deli previously found in the Forum Shops of
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks.
Caesar ...
in
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
closed in June 2008.
See also
*
List of delicatessens
This is a list of notable delicatessens. A delicatessen is a retail establishment that sells a selection of unusual or foreign prepared foods. Delicatessens originated in Germany during the 1700s. They later spread to the United States in the m ...
*
References
External links
Stage Deli official website
{{Restaurants in Manhattan
Defunct delicatessens
Defunct restaurants in New York City
Restaurants established in 1937
Restaurants disestablished in 2012
Delicatessens in the United States