Napkin Friends’ Deli Spin-Off Finds a Home in Frelard

Jonathan Silverberg, owner of the Napkin Friends food truck, has secured a home for his long-planned Jewish deli. Silverberg has signed a lease on a space inside new construction at 928 NW Leary Way in Frelard. The building just broke ground in October, so Silverberg doesn’t expect his deli to be ready until December 2018 or January 2019.

Despite being at least a year off, Silverberg has worked out a few details. He’s planning to call the restaurant Schmaltzy's Delicatessen. Silverberg says he isn’t sure of Schmaltzy’s menu just yet, but he envisions classic deli items like housemade pastrami, corned beef, and lox. The deli will double as a prep space for Napkin Friends’ latke press sandwiches, as well as Silverberg’s catering operations.

To tease the opening, Silverberg is planning a handful of pop-ups starting in January, along with a pop-up Seder dinner for Passover in the spring.

“While this means the good people of Seattle are going to have to wait a little longer, we are super stoked because we will be able to build the deli from the ground up exactly how want,” Silverberg says.