46 | JULY 27 • 2023
Sam still visits every couple of weeks. “I
spend two or three hours there, get about 15
hugs, catch up with everyone. I miss them;
they miss us, too.
”
Adena Barenholtz, who
grew up in Oak Park and now
lives in Huntington Woods
with her husband, Eric, and
three kids, remembers how her
grandmother used to patron-
ize the store and has enjoyed
watching its transition.
“I love how Lincoln Rx has
always been a little different. It’s now this
great [Israeli] makolet-style market/drug-
store … In the past, Lincoln Drugs was like
a taste of the Old World, like links to yester-
year — that warm, familial, non-corporate
experience has always been there.
”
RANDOM ITEMS
It took almost eight months to obtain their
liquor license and, after jumping through
those legal hula-hoops, Didi and Mendel
want to keep their fingers on the pulse of
the liquor world and make sure their store
shelves are well-stocked.
In February, they attended the Kosher
Food and Wine Festival in New York and
came back to Metro Detroit with more new
wines for the community.
“I’ve recommended different kosher
wines to customers who aren’t even Jewish
and they’re always coming back for sec-
onds,
” said Mendel, who lives in Southfield
with his wife, Nechama, and four kids.
Before Purim, the store hosted its first
free wine tasting, with representatives from
both Royal Wine in New York and the
locally owned Regal Wine present. A “mas-
sive” 6-foot-long meat board was set up
and, over the course of two hours, almost
100 people visited the store and enjoyed the
event.
“It was a lot of fun,
” Didi said.
Soon after they opened, Yosef Beller
approached Didi and Mendel, explained
that he’
d been selling his triple-washed let-
tuce online and delivering people’s orders
and asked if he could sell it out of the store.
They readily agreed.
“That was our first product. It was super
random,
” said Didi. “We had pharmacy,
liquor and lettuce; the combination made
no sense!”
They soon branched out and added even
more variety to the randomness. These
days, there are the many kosher offerings
typical of any Jewish takeout store: dips,
herrings, kichel, pickles, kugel as well as
Shabbat candles and the Jewish News.
The store also carries a number of spe-
cialty and boutique items bought in from
New York and New Jersey, as well as many
locally prepared items. There are candy
boards and dried fruit platters created by
local businesses. Before Purim, the store
sold mishloach manot gift baskets prepared
by Potpourri. A selection of fresh challah
and babka from Dakota Bread is available
on Thursdays and Fridays.
“People really appreciate there’s a place
for local vendors. The community likes to
support local businesses,
” Mendel said.
EVERY DAY A CARNIVAL
These days there’s also a fun, lighthearted
atmosphere at Lincoln Rx … and a heavenly
aroma reminiscent of a movie theater. The
store offers freshly popped popcorn daily.
“It’s the best popcorn in town; no one can
resist the smell! There are customers who
buy six, seven bags every time they come
in,
” Mendel said.
In February, a Slurpee
machine was added.
Most Jewish of all is the
Thursday night cholent,
which is, according to
Mendel, one of the best
cholents he’s ever tasted.
It seems like the commu-
nity concurs.
“I’m always getting texts
on Wednesdays from peo-
ple making sure, ‘Is there
cholent tomorrow?’ Even
my wife gets texts!” Mendel
said. “Families turn up to
buy cholent for supper.
They buy multiple bowls at
a time. People just love it!”
LINCOLN MURAL
One of the most recogniz-
able parts of the drugstore
is the 15-foot-tall mural of
Abraham Lincoln painted
on the south side of the
building.
“President Lincoln is a
symbol of freedom — and
we’re already on Lincoln Road! It occurred
to me we should have a beautiful mural of
him on our wall,
” said Marwan.
In 2018, he met artist Howard Fridson
of Huntington Woods at Chanu-Con, the
Chanukah event at Congregation Beth
Shalom, and immediately commissioned
him for the project. In the summer of 2019,
it was completed.
Howard likes to support the store that
granted him this opportunity, and it was
news to him that the drugstore had changed
ownership.
“Recently, I was picking up
a few items at Lincoln Rx one
Wednesday afternoon. On
this particular Wednesday,
there were several new faces,
and they were wearing yar-
mulkes! I asked Marwan what
was going on. He explained
that the business had just been sold,
” said
Howard, who was then delighted to intro-
duce himself to the friendly newbies. “Best
of luck to Mendel and his crew!”
Lincoln Rx is open Monday-Friday from 9-7 and
10-2 on weekends. The liquor and grocery store is
open Monday-Thursday 9-10, Friday 9-7, Sunday
10-10 and closed on Shabbat.
Adena
Barneholtz
Howard
Fridson
continued from page 45
BUSINESS
The Lincoln mural
by Howard Fridson