Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse
Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse is a Romanian-Jewish restaurant in Lower East Side, Manhattan that closed in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, but has reopened in a new location nearby in Spring 2024.[1][2][3] The original Sammy's was considered something of a NY foodie institution.[4] Sammy's opened in 1975, in a spot occupied previously by another Romanian restaurant on Chrystie Street.[5]
Sammy's occupied a basement retail space in the Lower East Side for 47 years where it served Romanian-style steak and offered entertainment by lounge performer Dani Luv, who also does Borscht Belt-style stand-up comedy replete with Yiddish.[6][7][8][9] The entertainer, whose legal name is Dani Lubnitski, has returned to the keyboard at the restaurant, which is also known for its vodka-fueled nightlife scene (with bottles served frozen in blocks of ice) and garlicky beef.[10][11]
Sammy's is known for fried kreplach, chopped liver, sweetbreads, latkes, ice block-encased vodka bottle service, and syrup jars filled with schmaltz or rendered chicken fat, at the tables as a condiment.[12][13][14][15] The owner is David Zimmerman.[16] Chris Frantz refers to the original Sammy's as a restaurant frequented by music business executives during Talking Heads' time in the CBGB scene.[17]
- (Dave Winer, 2010)
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Romanian-style garlic steak
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Legendary NY Jewish Restaurant Sammy's Roumanian Closes but Vows to Reopen After the COVID Era". JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency). January 5, 2021. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Orlow, Emma (April 27, 2023). "NY Icon Sammy's Roumanian Plots Its Big Return to Manhattan". Eater NY. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Diamond, Jason (April 22, 2024). "Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse Is Back, Along With Its Schmaltz". Grub Street. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
- ^ Askinasi, Rachel (January 6, 2021). "Heartbroken fans of NYC eatery Sammy's Roumanian are mourning the loss of the iconic basement restaurant". Insider. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Sietsema, Robert (2015). New York in a Dozen Dishes. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-544-45431-6.
- ^ Wells, Pete (September 23, 2014). "Come. Eat. There's Plenty of Food". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ^ Duckor, Matt (November 4, 2012). "After Sandy, Sammy's Roumanian Steak House Parties On". Bon Appétit. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Feldmar, Jamie (January 8, 2021). "RIP Sammy's Roumanian, Where Every Night Was a Bar Mitzvah". Food & Wine. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Sheraton, Mimi (January 13, 2015). 1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List. Workman Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7611-8306-8.
- ^ Keys, Lisa (April 27, 2023). "Sammy's Roumanian, iconic Lower East Side Jewish restaurant, mounts a comeback". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ "Famous Sammy's Roumanian Steakhouse | New York Magazine | The Thousand Best". New York Magazine. May 20, 2019. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Wex, Michael (April 12, 2016). Rhapsody in Schmaltz: Yiddish Food and Why We Can't Stop Eating It. Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-250-07151-4.
- ^ Rose, Anthony; Johns, Chris (October 9, 2018). The Last Schmaltz: A Very Serious Cookbook. Appetite by Random House. ISBN 978-0-14-753004-2.
- ^ Stone, Emily (October 29, 2013). Did Jew Know?: A Handy Primer on the Customs, Culture & Practice of the Chosen People. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-1-4521-2957-0.
- ^ Diamond, Jason (January 5, 2021). "Good-bye to Sammy's Roumanian and Its Glorious Schmaltz". Grub Street. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Chang, Sophia (January 3, 2021). "Legendary Sammy's Roumanian Restaurant Will Reopen, Owner Vows". Gothamist. Retrieved December 9, 2023.
- ^ Frantz, Chris (July 21, 2020). Remain in Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina. St. Martin's Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-250-20923-8.