Food

Tradition & Geshmak, that’s what we are all about. Sam & Gertie’s is a traditional Jewish Delicatessen featuring mostly Ashkenazic delights. Most everything we make comes out of the shtetls of eastern Europe, New York City, Detroit, and the places Jewish people call home. Nothing too fancy…just meaty, savory, nicely salted, rich-as-a-stick of butter kind of foods that make a Shabbos good, a bris a celebration and a shiva a must-attend occasion. And it all vegan and it has to be geshmak! Geshmak is yummy and delicious!

History

Sam & Gertie’s is my way of keeping my family close to me.  I am from Detroit and my grandparents all came from parts of Russia, Romania & Ukraine. They left their homes to escape the perils of being Jewish. Judaism, Yiddish & recipes were most of what they could carry with them on their journeys to America. I have done my best to hold all those things as close to me as possible, and love sharing them.

Why Vegan

As a child learning about the Torah, it was clear to me that caring for animals and the earth was central to Judaism. The torah provides guidance on how we are to look after our animals so that animals can provide for us. That all seemed good and well but I don’t think the torah could have predicted the staggering effects that factory farming & animal rearing has had on us, and the planet. As someone who believes in the evolving nature of words & nature, I choose to believe that if the Torah were written now, it would want us to be vegan, or close to it, and treat our animals, lands, skies and waters as what is holy. Sam & Gertie’s does its best to be that version of what is good & decent, the same as Rabbis Zentman & Barris and Sam & Gertie taught me.

Andy

Sam & Gertie’s youngest grandson

Visit Us

1309 W. Wilson Avenue

Uptown Chicago