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The Man Behind The Deli Legend

Meet Sy Ginsberg, who built a much-revered corned beef and deli empire.

A

question posed recently to the
column, asking if there is really
a Sy Ginsberg of Sy Ginsberg
Corned Beef and United Meat & Deli, may
have opened the gate to tell of his much-
revered American success story that began
here in the Detroit area.
The question was answered by me, hav-
ing been inquired by Sam Gruder, who
recently moved here from St. Louis with
wife, Sylvia … And also responded to by
Sy Ginsberg’s daughter, Debbie Chasnick,
that there certainly is.
Sy has always been a hard worker and
toiled at Lou’s Delicatessen on Six Mile,
Detroit, after school and in the summer.
Then came stints as count-
erman at Lou’s and as an
owner with Dave Perlin of
Mr. Deli on Seven Mile,
Detroit.
When Evergreen Plaza
was being built on 12 Mile
and Evergreen, Southfield,
he saw the structure ris-
ing and sold his idea of a
150-seat deli to developers
Kenny Raskin (no relation)
and Seymour Levine …
“Thank goodness, I
Sy Ginsberg
had my dear friend Allen
Schwartz, the singing
window cleaner, seating
the crowds of people and cracking jokes
while folks were waiting to be seated at the
Pickle Barrel,” Sy says.
“A short time after I opened, you and I
sat down and talked. I was kind of over-
whelmed at the Pickle Barrel, and you rec-
ommended Al Winkler to help. I offered
him a partnership, and we were together
for five years until I sold out to Al and Jack
Balter and got into the meat processing
and deli distribution.”
Sy started United Meat & Deli and began

making corned beef in 1982,
my VW,” remembers Sy, “and
and in 2015 sold almost 8 mil-
stay and work the sandwich
lion pounds of corned beef and
board for the first week while
close to 500,000 pounds of New
training the staff.”
York-style pastrami … “We also
To say that there certainly is
make all-natural turkey breast
a Sy Ginsberg is to tell so much
items, as well as roast beef, and
about a person who through
ship all over the United States.
hard work, ingenuity and per-
Since we do not have a sausage
severance has become a delica-
kitchen, we have salami and hot
tessen name institution … His
Danny Raskin
dogs made in Chicago to my
Sy Ginsberg Corned Beef and
Senior Columnist
specifications. In 1992, Scott
United Meat & Deli are certainly
Mendelsohn came on board. He
names of much respect and pride
is a partner and a blessing.”
… both in this area and across the nation.
United Meat & Deli is a full-line deli
READER MINI REVIEW … from
distributor … selling cheese, pickles, mus- Susan Sherbow … “Mark, our daughter
tards, halvah, matzah balls, Alex and I had the opportunity to dine at
matzah meal, Dr. Brown’s
the restaurant here that is touted to be the
soda and numerous other
best in the city, Magnolia, 185 E. Bay St.,
items that it brings in from Charleston, S.C. We can all say that our
around the country.
experience did not disappoint.
“When a delicatessen
“We started with appetizers of crack-
opens in a place where it
ers and pimento cheese and scallops in a
cannot get good rye bread,
cream, bacon and balsamic sauce that was
United Meat also carries that sweet, but tangy, from balsamic with just a
as well,” Sy says … “Superior hint of bacon and the tender scallops. The
Bread Co., which supplies
pimento cheese was just what we expected
many local delis, does a
from the classic Southern recipe, a nice
three-quarter-baked bread
blend of cheeses with a sweet bite.
that United Meat freezes
“For his first course, Mark had pan-fried
and ships to places like
catfish atop creole grits and white-bean
Birmingham, Ala., Naples,
succotash. The fish was mild with a thin
Fla., Park City, Utah, and
crust and a drizzle of white creamy sauce
San Francisco. Then the deli bakes it for 20
spiced up with Tabasco.
minutes, and it is crispy fresh.”
“Alex enjoyed a perfectly cooked, melt-
Among other favorite things Sy loves to
in-your-mouth, medium-rare filet with a
do is consulting … He has helped many
burgundy reduction sauce. It was accom-
people open new places … Among his
panied by a well-seasoned, fried mashed
favorites is Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor,
potato cake.
which has also gained national note …
“I enjoyed my Parmesan-crusted floun-
Sy assisted opening it in 1982 … Paul
der with jasmine rice and a corn, tomato
Saginaw, Zingerman’s partner with Ari
and asparagus salsa. The beurre blanc
Weinzweig, likes to tell about Sy making
sauce with it was light with a spritz of
the first sandwich that Zingerman’s ever
lime. Since I am allergic to shellfish, this
sold … “I used to deliver their orders in
dish was made special for me without the

shrimp touted on the menu.”
NOT MUCH CONFUSION but just
enough for folks like young Stanton
Cohen, son of Irving and Rhoda Cohen,
to ask Mom and Dad if Shawn Green
plays for the Detroit Tigers … The for-
mer all-star outfielder will receive the
Hank Greenberg Lifetime Achievement
Award from Michigan Jewish Foundation
… Monday, June 13 … at the 26th
Annual Hank Greenberg Memorial Golf
Invitational, Franklin Hills Country Club,
Farmington Hills.
Little Stanton might be thinking of Tiger
pitcher Shane Greene.
OLDIE BUT GOODIE … Fellow takes
a seat at the lunch counter and orders a
corned beef sandwich.
“Corned beef sandwich is not on the
menu, but I can give you a sandwich
with corned beef in it, like our Midnight
Special,” says the counter man.
“What’s a Midnight Special,” asks the
diner.
“A triple decker with corned beef,
tongue, bologna, tomato, lettuce, onion,
pickle and mayonnaise on toasted raisin
bread,” says the deli gent.
“Could you just put some corned beef
between two pieces of rye bread?” asks the
customer.
“Sure,” says the eatery gent, then turn-
ing to his sandwich man, sings out, “One
Midnight Special. Make it one deck, hold
the tongue, bologna, tomato, lettuce,
onion, pickle and mayonnaise, and make
the raisin bread rye, untoasted!”
CONGRATS … To Mark Kopitz on
his 75th birthday … To Mickey Bakst
on his birthday … To Norman and Belle
Wauldron on their 69th anniversary … To
William “Bill” and Carolyn Nosanchuk on
their 63rd anniversary.

*

Danny’s email address is dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net.

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