Manny's Deli
{{Short description|Delicatessen in Chicago, IL USA}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox restaurant
| name = Manny's Cafeteria and Delicatessen
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| image = Manny's Deli.jpg
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| image_caption = Exterior of Manny's Deli, taken from Jefferson Street
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| established = 1942
| current-owner = Ken Raskin
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| food-type = Delicatessen
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| street-address = 1141 South Jefferson Street
| city = Chicago
| county = Cook County
| state = Illinois
| postcode = 60607
| country = United States
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| coordinates = {{coord|41.8679|N|87.6419|W|type:landmark_region:US-IL|display=inline,title}}
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| website = http://www.mannysdeli.com/
}}
Manny's Cafeteria and Delicatessen, commonly known as Manny's Deli and sometimes known as Manny's Coffee Shop & Deli, is a delicatessen in Chicago, Illinois, United States, located in the Near West Side community area.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mashed.com/678315/the-chicago-deli-former-presidents-love-to-visit/|title=The Chicago Deli Former Presidents Love To Visit|first=Hannah|last=Twietmeyer|date=December 6, 2021|website=Mashed.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/mannys-cafe-deli-corned-beef-sandwich-chicago-2020-9|title=The corned beef sandwich at Manny's Cafe & Deli is a Chicago icon|last1=Imam |first1=Medha |last2=Morgan |first2=Clancy|last3=Stuart |first3=Matthew |website=Insider |date=October 13, 2020}} It has been described as "the biggest, best-known, and oldest deli in the city".{{cite book |last=Sax |first=David |title=Save the Deli: In Search of Perfect Pastrami, Crusty Rye, and the Heart of the Jewish Delicatessen |publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |location=New York |date=2009 |pages=106 |isbn=9780151013845 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BExlP6vJRXYC&dq=manny%27s+deli&pg=PA106}} The deli has long been a meeting place for Chicago politicians{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/22/us/politics/22cncwarren.html |last=Warren |first=James |date=November 21, 2009 |title=At Work in Washington, at Home in Manny's Deli|work=The New York Times}}{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/07/18/892442279/opinion-an-ode-to-mannys-cafeteria-and-delicatessen-in-chicago |last=Simon |first=Scott |date=July 18, 2020 |title=Opinion: An Ode To Manny's Cafeteria And Delicatessen In Chicago|publisher=NPR}} and became the subject of national interest because of its popularity with President Barack Obama.{{cite web |url=http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97905062 |title=Obama's Lunch Love: Manny's Deli |last=Simon |first=Scott |date=December 6, 2008 |work=NPR.org |accessdate=March 16, 2011}} One writer called Manny's "the second-most-likely place to see local politicians, after City Hall",{{cite book |last1=Moser |first1=Whet |title=Chicago: From Vision to Metropolis |date=2019 |publisher=Reaktion Books |location=London |isbn=9781789140002 |page=204 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kW2DDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22manny%27s+deli%22&pg=PA204 |access-date=December 24, 2022}} and former governor George Ryan referred to it in his memoir as "one of my favorite places to eat lunch in Chicago" and reminisced about once receiving a phone call from Nelson Mandela while eating a corned beef sandwich there.{{cite book |last1=Ryan Sr. |first1=George H. |last2=Possley |first2=Maurice |author1-link=George Ryan |title=Until I Could Be Sure: How I Stopped the Death Penalty in Illinois |date=September 18, 2020 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |location=Lanham, Md. |isbn=9781538134559 |page=207 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YS_wDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22manny%27s+deli%22&pg=PA252 |access-date=December 24, 2022}}
History
Manny's traces its history back to 1942, when the Raskin brothers, Jack and Charlie, went into business together in Chicago, opening the Purity deli located at Van Buren and Halsted streets.{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2008/11/22/corned-beef-with-a-side-of-applause/ |title=At Manny's Deli in Chicago, President-elect Barack Obama is served corned beef with a side of applause |last=Eng |first=Monica |date=November 22, 2008 |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=March 16, 2011}} After World War II, Jack Raskin opened his own restaurant on Roosevelt Road near Maxwell Street, where he purchased a business known as Sunny's. In order to save money, Raskin chose to name his new restaurant "Manny's" after his son Emanuel, known as Manny, thus requiring only two letters on the "Sunny's" sign to be replaced.{{cite news |url=http://timeoutchicago.com/restaurants-bars/55536/whats-in-a-name |title=What's in a name |last=Oppenheimer |first=Laura |date=March 25, 2008 |work=Time Out Chicago |accessdate=March 18, 2011}}{{cite web |title=Spotlight on: Manny's Deli |url=https://tastesofchicago.com/the-dish-spotlight-on-mannys-deli |website=Tastes of Chicago |access-date=August 23, 2022}}
The restaurant had various locations over the ensuing years, with Manny Raskin eventually taking over for his father Jack.{{cite news |title=Manny Raskin; owned popular coffee shop |date=February 17, 1983 |work=Chicago Tribune |pages=A15}} Manny Raskin moved the cafeteria to its current location at 1141 South Jefferson Street in 1964.{{cite book |last=Hughes |first=Holly |title=Frommer's 500 Places for Food & Wine Lovers |publisher=Frommer's |date=2009 |pages=222 |isbn=978-0470287750 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gUGOKH5cHnwC&dq=manny%27s+deli+1964&pg=PA222}} Manny Raskin's son Kenneth began managing the restaurant during his father's lifetime and continued to do so after his father's death in 1983. It is now run by Ken Raskin{{cite news |last1=Schutz |first1=Paris |title=Manny's Deli Celebrates 75 Years |url=https://news.wttw.com/2017/07/25/manny-s-deli-celebrates-75-years |access-date=August 23, 2022 |publisher=WTTW |date=July 25, 2017}} and Ken's son Dan.{{cite news |last1=Piff |first1=Michael |title=Manny's Deli: A True Chicago Classic |url=https://wgnradio.com/chicagos-very-own-eats/mannys-deli-a-true-chicago-classic/ |access-date=August 23, 2022 |publisher=WGN Radio |date=May 18, 2022}} It has moved multiple times through the years, and was renovated in 2016.{{cite web |title=America's Best Jewish Delis|url=https://www.foodandwine.com/travel/best-jewish-delis|publisher=Food and Wine|access-date=December 23, 2022}} The restaurant celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2022 with Governor J. B. Pritzker in attendance.{{cite web |last1=Selvam |first1=Ashok |last2=Waxman |first2=Naomi |title=Manny's Deli's New Smoked Pastrami Sandwich Is a Keeper |url=https://chicago.eater.com/2022/9/20/23352956/mannys-deli-chicago-new-pastrami-sandwich-80th-birthday-jewish-comfort-food |website=Eater |access-date=December 24, 2022 |date=September 20, 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Elwood |first1=Patrick |title=Savory Chicago staple Manny's Deli celebrates 80th anniversary |url=https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/savory-chicago-staple-mannys-deli-celebrates-80th-anniversary/ |website=WGN-TV |access-date=December 24, 2022 |date=August 30, 2022}}
In 2002, a Manny's location was opened at Midway International Airport,{{cite book |editor1-last=Haddix |editor1-first=Carol Mighton |editor2-last=Kraig |editor2-first=Bruce |editor3-last=Sen |editor3-first=Colleen Taylor |title=The Chicago Food Encyclopedia |date=2017 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |location=Urbana |isbn=9780252099779 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F4YyDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22manny%27s+deli%22&pg=PT387}} but it closed in 2017 when many of the airport's restaurants were replaced.{{cite web |last1=Selvam |first1=Ashok |title=Midway Airport's Food Upgrade Adds 19 New Restaurants Starting Friday |url=https://chicago.eater.com/2017/5/11/15623410/midway-airport-food-renovations-new-restaurants-may-12 |website=Eater |access-date=December 24, 2022 |date=May 11, 2017}}
During the COVID-19 pandemic Manny's gave away 1,000 free sandwiches to masked customers.{{Cite web|url=https://wgntv.com/news/mannys-deli-giving-away-1000-sandwiches-if-customers-come-in-wearing-mask-properly/ |last=Lewis |first=Sean |title=Manny's Deli gave away 1,000 sandwiches Tuesday thanks to generosity of 1 person |work=WGN-TV |date=March 30, 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-coronavirus-mannys-deli-free-sandwiches-wear-mask-20210324-a4alf723qbhkblvtq2dptvrzdy-story.html|title=Manny's Deli didn't last 2 hours without a maskless customer in its 30-day challenge. Next week, it's still giving away free sandwiches.|first=Josh|last=Noel|website=chicagotribune.com |date=March 24, 2021}}
In 2022, Manny's began to make some of its food available for shipping nationwide.{{cite web |title=Manny's Deli Now Shipping Select Products Nationwide |url=https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/mannys-deli-now-shipping-select-products-nationwide/3018070/ |website=NBC 5 Chicago |access-date=December 24, 2022 |date=December 9, 2022}}
Cuisine
Manny's is self-described as a "Jewish-style cafeteria",{{cite web |author1=Associated Press |title=Corned beef is worth its salt for butchers, delis |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna17596423 |website=MSNBC.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070329050953/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17596423/page/2/ |archive-date=March 29, 2007 |url-status=live |date=March 13, 2007}} although it is not kosher.{{cite news |url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mVNTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KoQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7139,5707035&dq=manny%27s+kosher&hl=en |title=A Taste of America: Unabashed, honest food |last1=Stern |first1=Jane |last2=Stern |first2=Michael |authorlink=Jane and Michael Stern |date=August 15, 1989 |work=Deseret News |agency=Universal Press Syndicate |pages=C5|accessdate=March 18, 2011}} Among the foods it is known for are corned beef sandwiches,{{cite book |last=Littman |first=Margaret |title=The Little Black Book of Chicago |publisher=Peter Pauper Press |location=White Plains, N.Y. |pages=55 |isbn=9781593598129 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f57ibdOL5-cC&dq=manny%27s+deli&pg=PA55}}{{cite book |last1=Gibson |first1=Kelly |last2=Lowndes |first2=Portia Belloc |title=The Slow Food Guide to Chicago: Restaurants, Markets, Bars |publisher=Chelsea Green Publishing |location=White River Junction, Vt. |date=2004 |pages=223–224 |isbn=193149861X |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mg1wcViP7vgC&dq=manny%27s+deli&pg=PA223}} pastrami sandwiches, potato pancakes,{{cite web |url=https://abc7chicago.com/archive/6885967/ |title=Hound previews the Taste |date=June 26, 2009 |work=WLS-TV |access-date=March 19, 2011}} and matzo ball soup.