holidays, birthdays and weddings."
After becoming a bar mitzvah and
graduating from Hebrew high school,
Zalben attended Vassar College in
Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and earned his cer-
tification to teach Hebrew at Gratz
College in Melrose Park, Pa. Upon
graduation, he went to work in advertis-
ing, but soon found that his passion for
the field was lukewarm.
Inspired by his grandmother, Zalben
says he grew up "wanting to do some-
thing on my own."
He recalled his days — or evenings
— at Gratz College. It was there, during
late-night study sessions fueled by wild
peanut-butter sandwich creations that
drew rave reviews from his friends, that
Zalben had his first inklings of what
would become his future. "I had a crazy
idea for a peanut butter-sandwich shop,
where you could order any kind of
peanut-butter sandwich you could
dream up," he says. "Peanut butter is
the ultimate comfort food, so I thought
it could work."
from a crazy idea to open for busi-
ness.
Lest one think his idea is all
trend, no substance, Zalben points
out that the secret behind his
products' delicious flavors and
superb quality is the all-natural
ingredients. The peanut butter is
manufactured in Georgia, where a
special blend of super-premium
high-quality peanuts are roasted
a little less than other brands, so
there is more of a fresh peanut
taste versus a roasted taste.
They also are ground a little
less, resulting in a coarser grind
— the closest thing to home-
made that's available off the
shelf. There are no transfats,
no hydrogenated oils included;
the peanut butter is certified
kosher, pareve and vegan —
even the chocolate flavors.
Besides a quality product
and devoted following of
peanut-
butter aficionados, Zalben
attributes his success to the
support of his family, espe-
cially his mother. "When I
first told my mom about it,
she didn't tell anyone. This
was in the spring. Then, at
Rosh Hashanah dinner, I
told the entire family that I
quit publishing to open a
sandwich shop. When I told
them we were going to serve peanut
butter sandwiches, everyone asked,
`And what else?' My mom was very
nervous. She clearly had her doubts. A
few days after we opened, she came
down to the shop. She looked around at
the yellow paint on the walls, the vin-
tage peanut butter posters on the walls,
the schoolroom tables and chairs. Then
she looked at me and said, 'I get it.'" 0
THE
recipes
VILLAGE VISION
His dream was confirmed one day in
1998 when Zalben came across a board-
ed-up storefront in the West Village,
close to New York University. "Some-
thing clicked and I thought, 'My shop
should be right here!'" After making a
few calls, he went inside to check it out.
"Among the missing floorboards and
cracked walls, I could see where the
counter would go and the kitchen
would be. I quit my job, learned as
much as I could about peanut butter
and wrote a business plan."
He then invited a group of friends to
taste-test the combinations he devel-
oped at his kitchen table, and the win-
ners are on the menu. By year's end,
Peanut Butter & Co. had transformed
PEANUT SUTrE
sus
from the
nuttiest sandwic
Above: Zalben's cookbook, published last November, offers
peanut-butter trivia alongside recipes served at the restaurant and
those developed by devoted customers, including Jerry Seinfeld.
Below: Vintage memorabilia decorates a wall of the shop.
Continued on page 37
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