On Twitter today Chaim from Life of Rubin asked the question- what is more Jewish? A deli or bagel shop, and after pondering for a bit I came up with the following conclusion.
While many non-Jews associate the bagel with Jews I think that Delis are more Jewish by default- they just feel more Jewish. The bagel store has been reproduced on a massive scale with places like Dunkin Donuts and Bruegers, but the deli or shall I say kosher deli has never been reproduced.
It is rare that I have seen a non-Kosher deli (not including kosher style) that can market the vibes given off by kosher and kosher style delis. The hanging salamis, the barrels of pickles and pickled tomatoes, big slabs of meat lit with aging florescent bulbs that flicker way too much and the old guy named Sol behind the counter giving you a Pastrami on Rye with a kasha knish on the side. Do any of you Brooklynites remember Ednas?
Bagel shops on the other hand are everywhere- simply lessening their Jewish nature by the mere proliferation of them.
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