401110410010101111

Arts Entertainment

The Best Of Everything

Cole

ITALIA
Showroom

Star Power

Star Deli marks 28th anniversary as one of
America's best little carrvout-only delicatessens.

ift

ITALIA
Celebrity Showroo m.

w 7096 East Fourteen Mile Road

8/ 9

2002

78

(Between Mound &Van Dyke)

(586) 268-3200

111••41, 0011 ► •4,111•

low that over 20 million peo-
n July 1974, a little car-
ple have paraded through the
ryout delicatessen was
doors of Star Deli ... includ-
purchased in Southfield
ing regulars like Mike Ilitch,
... with a destiny that
Eugene Applebaum, the late
would make it one of the best
David Hermelin, Mickey
little carryout delis in the
Shapiro, Sidney Forbes,
United States.
Mickey Nemer, Bill
This is the distinction, held
Davidson, etc.
today by Star Deli on 12
DANNY
When Hermelin and wife,
Mile, just west of Telegraph
RASKIN
Doreen, vacationed in
... as it celebrates its 28th
Local Columnist
Denver one year, they had
anniversary.
food shipped to them from
Sid Neuman and son Harry
Star to serve then-Vice President Al
look back upon the years and wonder
Gore ... who had come to stay with
how something like this could happen
them ... Gore loved the delicatessen
in a space that totaled 1200 square
food so much that when he returned
feet in 1974 ... and still has the same
to Washington, D.C., one of his first
amount of area today.
acts was to have Star also ship the deli
A 600-square-foot kitchen ... and
delights to him.
another 600-square-foot frontage ...
Another instance, in Norway, where
where salamis galore hang behind a
Hermelin was ambassador from the
counter loaded with wonderful food ..
United States, a photo was taken that
and people cram to carry out what is
appeared on the front page of the New
considered among the finest deli-
York Times ... showing President Bill
catessen goodies to be found.
Clinton, then-Israeli President Ehud
Back in 1974, when Sid Neuman
Barak and PLO head Yasser Arafat ...
bought Star Deli ... joined shortly
eating from a Star Deli platter.
after by son Harry Neuman, only
New Yorkers have always praised
about 10-20 customers a day came
their delicatessens as being the very
through the front door ... Today, the
best anywhere ... And when one of
average is about 2,000 daily.
this locale's executives would go to the
At that time, only 15 items com-
weekly meetings of E.F. Hutton, he'd
prised the Star carryout menu ...
also sit and listen to the New Yorkers
There was no tuna, no soup, no spe-
cialty items like stuffed cabbage, etc.,
no desserts and only four salads (pota-
to salad, coleslaw, chopped liver and
egg salad) ... Now that menu has over
40 selections ... and is still growing.
From that 600-square-foot kitchen
has come homemade gefilte fish and
kugel by Sid's wife, Rose, blintzes,
stuffed cabbage, soups, knishes, etc.
The 28-year numbers are staggering
... Over three million pounds of
corned beef ... two million loaves of
bread ... three-and-a-half million pick-
les ... well over one-and-one-half mil-
lion pounds of tuna, including Star's
excellent fat-free tuna which Sid and
Harry brought out in 1995 ... and has
been going Qngbusters with it ever
since ... one-and-a-half million whole
salamis (one, two and five-pounders)
... four million pounds of potato salad
... five million pounds of coleslaw.
And so many more equally astound-
ing figures.
The rough estimate is considered

brag and rave over their delis.
One day, he offered to pay for the
lunch if he could supply the food ...
Trays were brought in for 180 people
... flown by jet to the meeting.
When asked where the deli was
from, he told them "a place in New
York" ... They couldn't stop raving
about it being the best they had ever
had ... When the lunch was finished,
the gent from here told them that the
place was the New York airport ... and
the delicatessen was from Star Deli in
Southfield.
The deli tray catering, of which Star
is accredited as being among the
nation's largest, is a specialty that has
amassed huge numbers for them as
well.
Included in the quarter-million
made by Star in its 28 years, is the one '
10 years ago for 1,700 people at a
Montgomery Ward party for its local
employees ... And the Woodward
Dream Cruise party of last year by
General Motors for over 1,000 more.
Entertainers appearing in this area
or nearby, make it a must for Star to
deliver necessary amounts of trays to
the hotel for them and their
entourages to enjoy.
Star's 'corporate and private jet tray
catering has become widely known ...
Shipments of its deli delights have
reached places like Israel, Moscow,
Norway, etc. ... plus numerous states
of the union ... where former
Detroiters "just have to have some Star
Deli!" and New York ... ordered by
New Yorkers.
In those first few months after Sid
Neuman took over the Star ownership,

st,7t
cs'omtd Bvii

............7*

met
.:4.vot. %,....

t

.r.

I

spRa
--.

1

S4s-ffiil

erov.

,...v. Z..., :

...et

(....• Sit
$.ae. 0..0 .

Xve.,

Skrt >tin;

ay..: e 0,,si,.. ,

$6.75

Harry Neuman
and his dad, Sid
Neuman, of the
Star Delz.