A Real Prohibition Pickle

There's something uniquely appropriate about opening a new restaurant in the middle of a nationwide pandemic and lockdown and then calling it "Prohibition" or in this case "Prohibition Pickle."

Walking around the distressingly empty Kanyon Harim Mall in Gush Etzion, I noticed an unusual pashkevil (poster) in a corner of the mall warning about prohibition pickles. After some hand signaling and tough negotiating with Chaim Davids (an out-of-towner from Baltimore), the young man inside setting up the shop, I was let in and found myself immediately overwhelmed by the delicious and distinctive aroma of a genuine NY deli, flooding me with memories from earlier days.

Chaim began setting up his store in November, and is waiting for the lockdown to end so he can switch from takeaway to a full service restaurant and food event center, with a gorgeous 100 meter outdoor deck overlooking Gush Etzion and the Hebron Hills. You can't find that in New York.

Chaim gave us a tasting of his homemade pastrami, half-sour and whole-sour pickles, sauerkraut, deli mustard and something he called Ashkenazi Kimchi. In cooperation with Pat Bamelach, Chaim will soon be introducing a marble rye bread (that's not a NY thing).

Check it out, if for no other reason than for its incredible NY deli aroma. And if you can't get there because of the lockdown, call 052-951-0003 to place your takeaway order.