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B’Tayavon
Chef David Teyf Serves Up Gourmet Food That Isn’t Treyf
“For years, kosher has suffered from a terrible reputation,” reflects David Teyf, executive chef and owner of Greenwich & Delancey, the new eatery at 50 West Street that coyly bills itself as a delicatessen, but is in fact a hugely ambitious restaurant. “Something got lost in the American translation. Our goal is to break every stereotype related to kosher cuisine.”
With Greenwich & Delancey (which is certified kosher), Mr. Teyf has set out to confute the calumny of these stereotypes. “I purposely called it a deli because I wanted to manage expectations,” he acknowledges, “and then surprise and surpass what people anticipated.”
“Our mission is to connect you to your childhood and trigger memories,” he says. “Everything I do is rooted in tradition, but elevated with classic preparation of authentic, Eastern European food. We are trying to elevate and update the traditions, so that old school meets new school.”
“We are using the kosher legacy to create something entirely new for people who care deeply about food,” he says. “Our customers are not just diners who keep kosher, but also people who want to experience something unique. In both groups, almost nobody has tasted this cuisine before.”
This is not Mr. Teyf’s first foray into Lower Manhattan. Since 2016, he has presided over Lox, the highly regarded cafe within the Museum of Jewish Heritage, in Battery Park City. Both restaurants are kosher, but still divergent. The menu at Lox emphasizes dairy, but is free of meat. The fare at Greenwich & Delancey is carnivorous, but offers no milk products. (Under the Jewish dietary laws of kashrut, a kosher restaurant can offer one or the other, but never both.)
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