This has been here all along

To the editor:

It was “late” on the Saturday night before Valentine’s Day, an hour before closing at Riverdale’s timeless Jewish soul food institution, when a couple of neophytes joined us regulars for dinner at 8. 

The two irregulars have lived here for a quarter-century, but had never ventured the mile or so from their home to Liebman’s, the acclaimed last vestige of kosher deli fare in the Bronx.

Our server asked for our order, and one of the pair of transplanted Michiganders in our party said he’d like to have a Cobb salad. The waiter, from Turkey, replied, “That’s not what you order here.” 

He said he’d be right back and returned a moment later with a sample of the house specialty: pastrami.

To make a Megillah short, both newcomers ordered pastramis on rye, and one also had matzo ball soup and a Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray tonic (celery soda), after trying a sip.  With a little kvelling and proselytizing from us, we have two new converts to the cuisine we love.

And two days later we were delighted to see and proudly share with the new fans a glowing “Nosher” write-up for Liebman’s, the latest affirmation of its status as much more than a local treasure.

William Weinbaum