Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Marisa Baggett, owner of the local, wildly popular, Zayde’s NYC Deli. Marisa and her team are currently serving hot and ready kosher meals to several hundred people a week and counting, and straight to their front doors! With a beautiful and tasty-looking cinnamon roll and a hot coffee in hand, our mutual love of food made for the perfect coffee date. Enjoy our recent Q&A session!
Mary: Zayde’s NYC Deli – Tell me where the idea began:
Marisa: This was originally a food truck concept. I thought it would be so cool to have a kosher New York City style deli. At the time, I had a full-time job, but I thought it would be a side gig, like my hobby. That turned out to be a crazy idea!
I started doing pop-up shops. For someone who worked full time like myself, I found my biggest weight was that it was so hard on Fridays to get Shabbos together. I would have people coming over, or even just my husband and I, and I discovered I just didn’t have time to get it together. I thought that it would be awesome to just go get a Shabbat meal and realized a place like that doesn’t exist here in Memphis.
Mary: Zayde’s NYC Deli – Tell me where the idea began:
Marisa: This was originally a food truck concept. I thought it would be so cool to have a kosher New York City style deli. At the time, I had a full-time job, but I thought it would be a side gig, like my hobby. That turned out to be a crazy idea!
I started doing pop-up shops. For someone who worked full time like myself, I found my biggest weight was that it was so hard on Fridays to get Shabbos together. I would have people coming over, or even just my husband and I, and I discovered I just didn’t have time to get it together. I thought that it would be awesome to just go get a Shabbat meal and realized a place like that doesn’t exist here in Memphis.
Mary: Where did the name Zayde’s come from?
Marisa: I went ‘round and ‘round about a name! I really wanted it to be hamish [Yiddish for “cozy and homey”] but also approachable for those that don’t know what Zayde is. I kept coming back to Zayde’s. It seems like a cool and fun little thing to say! A lot of people who don’t know what it is ask me if I am Zayde. And I say, “Sure!” I’ll take that – it could easily be someone’s name.
Mary: What makes Zayde’s unique?
Marisa: One thing you may not realize is that Zayde’s is exclusively kosher and the deli meat is all hand-crafted in small batches. If you are coming for corned beef, pastrami, or turkey pastrami from Zayde’s, I’ve actually taken a piece of brisket and started the whole process from scratch. I don’t buy a corned beef brisket and turn it into more corned beef. We start off with a piece of brisket that I put in a special brine and brine for days and days. These techniques are a real craft. Zayde’s is also special because you can’t always get everything. I think it’s so cool that there are certain seasonal items based on what ingredients we can get, like our pickles!
Mary: What is your favorite item to make?
Marisa: It changes! I get on kicks. Sometimes I’m really into knishes and make them all day, and then sometimes I’m really into desserts. One thing I love about our dessert is that I frequently hear from customers who ask, “Are you sure there is not dairy in this?” It’s so cool that people appreciate what it is for what it is. Everything can taste so good if you just put a lot of intention into what you are doing.
Mary: What about having your own brick and mortar location? Is that in your long-term plan?
Marisa: As always, I am much further ahead of the schedule in my head than the one on paper! I am currently in talks with people about a brick and mortar. It’s already time! It will be happening sometime in the future and will be a place where you can come pick up a meal or an enhancer for your meal. I am not sure what the concept is called yet, but it will be different than say a “take and bake.” I am so excited for this!
Mary: Anything else you would like to add?
Marisa: At my core, when I think of food, it’s always to fill a need and to serve people. It’s never about what creative or fun thing can I do? It’s about anything I can give to help someone. I had a customer in her 90s recently tell me that she can’t cook anymore, and she was so grateful for this service. This is why I do this! That is priceless, and it gives me such a warm and fuzzy feeling! I am thrilled that I get to do this – sometimes I have to pinch myself!
Marisa currently prepares her food under the supervision of Rabbi Joel Finkelstein at Anshei-Sphard Beth El Emeth Congregation in Memphis. You can find Zayde’s NYC Deli ever-changing, delicious menu selection at: www.zaydesnycdeli.com.
