Bruce Levine to Host Hot Stove League Forum

Our good friend Bruce Levine, Mr. Baseball himself, was in the restaurant today and confirmed that he will be hosting his annual Hot Stove League forum at Max and Benny's on Thursday evening, February 9 at 7:00 PM. Will Theo Epstein work miracles with the Cubs? Can Adam Dunn and Alex Rios rebound for the White Sox in 2012? Bruce will give his great insights to these and other questions on February 9. The event is free. Come early and have dinner at the restaurant. Contact Richard Reeder at 847-542-4624 or r.reeder@comcast.net if you have any questions.

Chicago Jewish Authors Literary Series Continues

Goldie Goldbloom, the author of the award-winning novel The Paperbark Shoe, will be the featured author at the next Chicago Jewish Authors Literary Series in the Backroom at Max and Benny's Restaurant in Northbrook on Monday evening, January 30, 2012, at 7:00 PM. The event is free and open to the public. Come early and have your dinner at the Restaurant.  

Christmas Day at Max and Benny's

This year Max and Benny's has expanded hours on Christmas Day. Both the restaurant and deli are open from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Max and Benny's is really a fun place to be on Christmas Day. We hope to see you.

Chanukah

Chanukah begins next week, Tuesday night December 20. Let Max and Benny's be your one-stop Chanukah stop. Dine in or carryout your favorite Chanukah meals. Our delicious latkes are waiting for you. What better treat to your loved ones than a Max and Benny's gift card or a tin of Chanukah cookies? And while you are at Max and Benny's, don't forget the chocolate Chanukah gelt and dreidels for all who are young and young at heart.   

The Hungry Hound

Steve Dolinsky, Mr. Hungry Hound himself, has recently visited Max and Benny's and we will be featured in a segment that will be aired Friday evening, December 16 during the 10 O'Clock ABC News (Channel 7). Bear's rookie lineman, Gabe Carimi, will be taste testing our latkes. Tune in and pass the word on.

Power Breakfast at Max and Benny's

Max and Benny's is one of the foremost venues for having a power breakfast in Chicago's north suburbs. Our staff is courteous yet discreet, creating a perfect ambience for the discussion of business matters. And our breakfast food, with favorites such as lox and bagels, salami omelettes and French toast, make your power breakfast experience that more enjoyable. 

Chopped Liver Mold

A Max and Benny's chopped liver mold is an ideal side dish for your holiday party. It comes with cocktail rye, bagel chips and onion flats. We guarantee that you will love it.

Marvin the Maven

Chanukamas

It's now December, the Winter Holidays, or Chanukamas time at Max and Benny's. We have wonderful holiday dinners and trays, and a fabulous selection of a la carte items for carry out during this joyous and busy time of the year. And our holiday desserts are as scrumptious as ever. Check out our Winter Holiday menu on the website or pick one up at the restaurant.

Marvin the Maven

International Interest

I was looking at the country of origin section on our blog analytics the other day. I noticed that last year we had 50 pageviews from China and 40 from Romania. Why I wondered. Perhaps there is interest from China about our Reuben egg rolls and maybe Romanians heard that Max and Benny's makes a great Romanian skirt steak? In any case, we love to know that there is international interest in Max and Benny's.

Marvin the Maven

Uncle Jerry Honored

Our uncle, Jerry Schlan, was recently honored by the Great Vest Side Club. Uncle Jerry, along with other surviving members of the great Marshall High School Junior basketball teams from 1939-1944, received plaques of recognition for their incredible 98 consecutive game winning streak, which remains a Chicago Public School and state of Illinois record. Congratulations Uncle Jerry, and thanks to the Great Vest Side Club.

Small Business Saturday

Next Saturday, November 26th, is Small Business Saturday. For the last twenty-five plus years, we at Max and Benny's have had the pleasure of serving you. We are a family-owned business, competing against the large corporate restaurant chains. We appreciate your support over the years. So have a great Thanksgiving holiday and remember to stop by on Small Business Saturday. 

Mozart and Blintzes

Max and Benny's donated the lunch today for the volunteers at the WFMT pledge drive. There were so many lovers of classical music in the room. One learned gentleman mentioned to me that Mozart loved blintzes. Imagine that!

Marvin the Maven

Pumpkinmania at Max and Benny's!

Calling all lovers of pumpkin baked goods! Max and Benny's marvelous bakery has all kinds of pumpkin goodies for you this Fall season. We have scrumptious pumpkin bread, which I especially like to have with a schmear of cream cheese to accompany my coffee at breakfast these cool November mornings. Our pumpkin slices are perfect as a side to dinner or lunch, or anytime you get the urge to nosh. And who can think of a better dessert this Fall season than Max and Benny's luscious and savory pumpkin cream pie? I must admit that I cannot think of another bakery in the area that makes a better pumpkin rugelach (no nuts) than the fine bakers here at Max and Benny's.

Marvin the Maven  

Wish for a Knish

When you wish for a knish, you don't have to go farther than Max and Benny's. These doughy Jewish favorites can be found at our deli counter. Traditional knish lovers may choose the meat knish with poppyseeds or perhaps the potato knish. Others may find the spinach and feta knish to be their choice. Anyway, when it comes to great Jewish dishes, you can't go wrong with any of our three types of knishes.

Marvin the Maven (and sometimes poet)

STRUDEL

What luscious dessert do you like to have with your coffee? Rugelach? Mandel Bread? Consider strudel. Yes strudel, and nobody makes it better than the bakers at Max and Benny's. We have three scrumptious kinds of strudel in our bakery. Believe me, all are fantastic with or without coffee. So try Max and Benny's cheese strudel, apple strudel and cherry cheese strudel. You will not be disappointed!

Marvin the Maven  

Jim Jagel, Our New Catering Manager

Jim Jagel grew up in the food business. As a young man, he worked in his family's grocery and deli, taking over the business at a young age, and transforming it into a premier catering operation in his hometown of Toledo, Ohio. Jim moved to Chicago for larger city life and new career challenges. In 1999, he entered the Downtown Chicago catering arena, working at the Radisson and Doubletree Magnificent Mile. After moving to the North Shore, Jim joined Max and Benny's and today is growing and enhancing our catering operation. We welcome Jim to the Max and Benny's team.

Caramel and Chocolate Dipped Mandel Bread

If you are starting to get into the spirit of Halloween, consider picking up some of Max and Benny's caramel and chocolate dipped mandel bread. Your friends and family will love it. It's a unique and tasty Halloween treat!

Marvin the Maven

Elie Berkman

In case you haven't noticed, we have some wonderful photographic landscape prints on display in the Back Room at Max and Benny's. They are the work of Elie Berkman, an Israeli-born Glencoe resident, who specializes in black and white photography from around the world, especially the U.S., China and Israel. We hope you enjoy these beautiful photos. 

Brisk and Brisket

Our business is brisk (as well as brisket) this time of year. We are so grateful for all our wonderful customers. Check out our high holiday menus at http://www.maxandbennys.com/ or call us at 847-272-9490 and be sure to place your high holiday carryout order today or make a reservation to join us at the restaurant the first two evenings of Rosh Hashanah. 

Marvin the Maven

GOOD LUCK RAMBLERS

Once again this year, Max and Benny's has the great privilege to cater for the Loyola Academy football team. Gameday, Max and Benny's will provide wholesome breakfasts to the Ramblers. This weekend the 10th ranked Ramblers host the tough 11th ranked Montini eleven. Eat well, eat healthy Ramblers, and just remember your friends at Max and Benny's are cheering you on!

HIGH HOLIDAYS 2011

The Jewish High Holidays are nearing. Erev Rosh Hashanah is about five weeks away on  the evening of September 28. Consider Max and Benny's for all your High Holiday needs. Our High Holiday menu will be ready in print and online very soon. We will send the menu to all on our email list. Please let us know if you want to be added to that list. 

Mandel Bread

The Italians have been dipping biscottis into their coffee for hundreds of years, and we Jews have been dipping  mandel bread into our coffee for centuries as well. Rumor has it that a Jewish baker named Mandel from Genoa influenced his Italian colleagues in creating the biscotti. Fact or fiction, anybody out there in cyberspace know? What I know is the Max and Benny's has the most delicious mandel bread in the world, and that is a fact. We have delicious varieties of mandel bread, including cinnamon, chocolate chip, chocolate dipped chocolate chip, double chocolate chip, sugar free raisin and sugar free nut.  

Marvin the Maven 

Sid Luckman

There is a discussion among sports fans as to who was the best Jewish baseball player. Was it the slugger Hank Greenberg or the outstanding lefty pitcher Sandy Koufax? There is no divided opinion though about who was the best Jewish football player. Only one name comes up in the discussion, and that is Sid Luckman.

Luckman played collegiate ball at Columbia University in New York City where he was an All-American. However it was with the Chicago Bears that Luckman made his name among the football greats. Playing for the Bears from 1939-1950, with a stint along the way in the Merchant Marine, Luckman led the Bears to four NFL titles. He was the first "T" formation quarterback in the pros, revolutionizing the offensive side of the game. Luckman, who is in the NFL Hall of Fame, threw for a total of 14,686 yards with 137 passing touchdowns.

Cousin Richie

Marvin the Maven's European Observations

I have been traveling around Europe to see if any of those fancy-schmanzy European bakeries can make a decent bagel, and I have learned that they fail miserably in comparison to the masters of bagelry here at Max and Benny's in Northbrook. Our bagels, in my humble opinion, are the best in the world (or at least in Europe). And speaking of those silly Europeans, I tried to order a Danish one morning at the Copenhagen airport, and nobody there knew what I was talking about. 

Marvin the Maven

REUBEN EGG ROLLS

Max and Benny's reuben egg rolls were a big hit at the Max and Benny's JDRF fundraiser this week. Our owner, Lester Schlan, personally went around the restaurant pushing a cart offering complimentary reuben egg rolls to patrons. Several customers thought that these delicious reuben egg rolls would make a wonderful appetizer for upcoming home family gatherings, sports watching events, etc. Lester says just call in a couple days before your event and we can make as many of these tasty appetizers as you like.

Marvin the Maven

Hershey "Howie" Carl

A couple of days ago a guy came into Max and Benny's and we started talking about Chicago Jewish basketball greats and the name Hershey "Howie" Carl inevitably came up. Howie, who past away a few years ago, played high school hoops at Von Steuben and college ball at DePaul. I remember schlepping down to Alumni Hall on Belden and Sheffield from our place in West Rogers Park to watch Howie play on Coach Ray Meyer's Blue Demons team. As a fellow Jewish kid from the North Side, I thought that it was pretty amazing that Howie was playing at Catholic DePaul. Howie was an incredible shooter and he played well with his backcourt mate, the late Bill Haig. I know that Howie had a brief NBA career with the Packers, but my best memories of him are those beautiful long shots going swish through the hoop on those cold winter nights in that gym by the El tracks.

Cousin Richie

ANOTHER JEWISH BALLPLAYER THAT SHOULD BE IN THE HOF

If you've been in Max and Benny's you know by the pictures on the walls how much we love baseball. We especially love our two great Jewish Hall of Fame players Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax. But there is another past Jewish baseball star who has been ignored by the HOF Veterans Committee. He is Buddy Myer, a second baseman who played for 17 years from 1925-1941, 16 of those years with the Washington Senators.

It's a shanda that Buddy Myer is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was a contemporary of HOF second baseman Billy Herman, who he had comparable lifetime statistics, and Myer had considerably better stats than  Bill Mazerowski, another HOF second sacker. Myer played in 1923 games to Herman's 1922. Myer batted .303 compared to Herman's .304. Myer scored 1174 runs and Herman had 1163. Myer had 850 RBIs to Herman's 839.

Herman had about 200 more career hits than Myer, but Myer had about 200 walks, making their On Base Percentage very similar. Herman did outpace Myer in doubles, 486-353, but Myer hit 130 triples to Herman's 67. Both players had minimal home run power, only 47 for Herman and 38 for Myer. Myer played on two losing World Series teams, and Herman played in five World Series losers (four times with the Cubs).

Mazerowski  was a lifetime .260 hitter who played more than 250 games more than Myer, yet Myer had more than 115 more career hits. Mazerowski did have 138 homers in his career, but he had paltry base speed and only stole 27 bases compared to 156 for Myer.

We Jewish baseball fans don't have much representation among players in Cooperstown. This is why I am kvelling about Myer's stats and kvetching why the HOF Veterans Committee continues to ignore him for induction. 

Cousin Richie 

GLUTEN-FREE MENU

Please check out the gluten-free items on our menu. We have gluten-free individual pizzas, chicken tenders, pancakes and chicken soup. Max and Benny's also has gluten-free bakery items including cookies, brownies, cupcakes, bagels, English muffins and sliced bread.

HOPPEL POPPEL

A guy from Sheboyan came in the other day and said "Max and Benny's has the best hoppel poppel I ever tasted and I tasted a lot of it coming from Wisconsin." Thank you sir and we appreciate the compliment. Our patrons seem to love this particular dish, which consists of scrambled eggs with chunks of salami, potatoes, green peppers and onions. Many folks ask the origin of the name of the dish. It actually is a nonsense phrase from an old German nursery rhyme.

Marvin the Maven

NEW MENUS

Max and Benny's has new restaurant and carryout menus. Check the menus out in the restaurant and online. Hope you like them. We always appreciate your feedback.

Marvin the Maven

WHITE SOX MEMORIES

I was recently reminiscing about when my uncles Julie and Jerry Schlan bought White Sox season tickets for the 1960 season after the Sox won the pennant in 1959. I remember the White Sox sending out Dizzy Trout (Steve's dad, who worked in White Sox community relations), outfielder Al Smith (of spilled beer fame) and outfielder Jim Landis (the best center fielder that has worn white and black in my lifetime) to my uncles' business, Veterans Supply in South Chicago. Smith and Landis spent over an hour schmoozing with my uncles and their employees. I was working part-time for my uncles then, a star-struck 14 year-old kid seeing and talking to a couple of my beloved White Sox heros.What a thrill! And boy has the game of baseball changed! Can you imagine today's major league players peddling tickets for the team in the off season?

Cousin Richie 

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Things will be hopping during Father's Day at Max and Benny's. I especially love to see the tables filling with intergenerational fathers. Neat stuff. We have special Father's Day cookies for sale and plenty of other scrumptious bakery and deli items that you might want Dad to take home. And finally, dear children, liebe kinder, be kind to your Dad and remember him not just on Father's Day, but every day. Don't be like Mel Brooks' 2000 Year Old Man who sired hundreds of children but not one of them ever calls. All the best.

Marvin the Maven 

MAX AND BENNY'S ON THE LINKS

The rain held off today, so Max and Benny's very own Danny and Rachel hung out at our sponsored hole passing out special cookies and catering coupons to the hearty golfers who participated in the annual Northbrook Chamber of Commerce golf outing. Danny and Rachel loved the interaction with the golfers who were so pleased to have that Max and Benny's presence on the links.

Marvin the Maven  

SOUTH SHORE/SOUTH SIDER REUNION NIGHT

A South Shore/South Sider reunion night will be held at Max and Benny's on Monday, July 25th from 5:30 PM until 8:30 PM. All area high school alumni from all years are welcome. It's a great way to catch up with old friends and get reaquainted with those that you haven't seen in years. It really will be a great evening of fun and enjoyment. Complimentary commemorative plates for the event will be offered to the first 150 customers who order the special South Shore/South Sider buffet. Come early as there will be no reservations taken that night. For more information about what promises to be a wonderful event contact Richard Reeder at richard@maxandbennys.com.

JDRF FUNDRAISER AT MAX AND BENNY'S

Max and Benny's Restaurant will be having a fundraising event benefitting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) on the evening of Monday, July 11, 2011. That evening, between the hours of 5:30 PM and 8:30 PM, Max and Benny's will donate 20% of our dine-in dinner proceeds to JDRF. We encourage JDRF supporters to bring friends and family that evening to make this event a great success. We suggest that you call ahead and make reservations so that we can accommodate your group. Max and Benny's is located at 461 Waukegan Road in Northbrook, in the Brookside Shopping Center Plaza opposite the entrance to the Eden's Spur. Our telephone number is 847-272-9490.

CORPORATE CATERING IN DEERFIELD

Although Max and Benny's is officially located in Northbrook, Illinois, the largest number of our corporate catering customers seem to be located in Deerfield. After all, we are just across Waukegan Road from Deerfield. Perhaps Deerfield has more businesses than Northbrook, does anybody know that for a fact? No matter, whether you want the best and most delicious corporate or personal catering in the area, your first choice should be the scrumptious food that you can only find at Max and Benny's.

Marvin the Maven

PEOPLE OF THE BOOK

We Jews have got the reputation as being the "people of the book." So it makes sense that the the "Chicago Jewish Authors Literary Series" be hosted in the Prairie Room at Max and Benny's. The next speaker in the series is Libby Fischer Hellmann, the award-winning author of seven crime fiction thrillers, including the recent SET THE NIGHT ON FIRE. The event is on June 21 at 7:00 PM. All are welcome to attend. Complimentary refreshments will be served at the event, but come early for dinner at Max and Benny's and enjoy our wonderful food before the event.

Marvin the Maven

IN-HOUSE PARTY PLATTERS AT MAX AND BENNY'S

When you are planning to get together with family or friends for a special occasion and feel crunched for time, please consider putting Max and Benny's Party Platters to work for you. These family-style dinners, served in our restaurant on circulating rotating trays, are a fun and convenient way to enjoy our scrumptious food. 

TRADITION!

Remember the song "Tradition!" from the musical Fiddler on the Roof? Well when I think of tradition in Jewish food, I can't help think about our great offerings in the deli and restaurant at Max and Benny's. Our grandparents and great-grandparents who came to America from Central and Eastern brought with them traditional foods as gefilte fish, chopped liver, kreplach, matzo balls and kasha. Oh and did I forget the rugelach and mandel bread? These Jewish culinary traditions are kept alive and well at Max and Benny's in North Suburban Northbrook. Great comfort food not just for the Jewish community but for everyone. After all, to paraphrase a famous TV ad from years ago "you don't have to be Jewish to love Max and Benny's."

Marvin the Maven

MOTHER'S DAY

Soon we will be gathering together on Mother's Day to honor all the mothers in our family. What better idea than to treat your mom with a hassle-free, custom-made deli or dairy tray from Max and Benny's? And this year, Max and Benny's will include a complementary Mother's Day cake from our bakery with your tray order. Your mom will love you for it!

PASSOVER A LA CARTE AT MAX AND BENNY'S

So you are getting ready for your seder dinner, and you learn that you still need a few items. What to do? Come to Max and Benny's, your Passover shopping one-stop location. Not only do we get the folks from Northbrook, Deerfield and Highland Park who come to us for their last minute Peasach needs, but people come from the city of Chicago and cities in southern Wisconsin as well. So to paraphrase Julius Caesar "all roads lead to Max and Benny's during Passover. " After all, where else can you get, at the last minute, the best gefilte fish, potato kugel and chopped liver in town, if not Max and Benny's?

Marvin the Maven   

GEFILTE FISH FOR PASSOVER

We are so pleased here at Max and Benny's of the great response among our customers for our gefilte fish, especially now during the days before the Passover holiday. One customer Melvin, a born and bred New Yorker, placed an order today for thirty pieces of gefilte fish for his two holiday seders. Melvin, after the order was placed, said "Max and Benny's gefilte fish is the best I've tasted from any restaurant, and that's from a New Yorker."

Marvin the Maven 

SECOND NIGHT SEDER DINNER

Max and Benny's seder dinner for the second night of Passover is growing more popular each year. Many cooks are so tired preparing the first night's seder meal at home. Eating at Max and Benny's on the second night of Passover, with a complete seder meal with passover wine and tables with linen, makes a wonderful family experience. We hope that you join us. Give us a call at 847-272-9490 and make your reservation.

Don't Pass Over Max and Benny's for Passover

I know that it sounds a little bit corny, but I always tell customers at the deli counter to remember not to pass over Max and Benny's for all their Passover needs. What I mean by this is that we have regular customers coming and going to and from Chicago from their homes in Buffalo Grove or even as far as Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee who are always passing Max and Benny's while they are driving on the Edens Spur. I tell them that we are right off the highway, and just take a minute or two and you can come in and load up for all your Passover food needs at Max and Benny's, your one-stop Passover food center.

Marvin the Maven

GOING BANANAS AT MAX AND BENNY'S

Are you getting tired eating the same old breakfast fare? Stop by Max and Benny's for breakfast and see how we are going bananas to make your breakfast a more unique experience. We are now offering, as breakfast specials, banana bread french toast and healthy banana pancakes, made with bananas, low fat yogurt, bran and egg whites. So come to Max and Benny's for breakfast, where we are going bananas for you!

Cousin Richie  

MORE THAN A JEWISH DELI IN SUBURBAN CHICAGO

I can't tell you the number of times that new customers have come into Max and Benny's and told me that they came here expecting to find pretty much a Jewish deli, but once here they discover a welcoming 300+ seat restaurant with a menu encompassing all types and varieties of foods. Yes we do have our standard Jewish deli offerings, and we take pride in being the best there is in that culinary arena in the Chicago area.. But we have some of the best standard American dining fare around with tantalizing chicken, fish, meat and vegetarian specials that will delight your taste buds. New customers are also plesantly surprised to see our wide and inviting pastry selections, and are dazzled by our ability to customize any type of cookie or cake for them. And Max and Benny's, also surprisingly to many, has some of the most reasonably priced alcoholic beverages in the greater Chicago North Shore area. Come to Max and Benny's, a Chicagoland Jewish deli but oh so much more!

Marvin the Maven    

CARRYOUT PASSOVER DESSERTS

Are you invited to a seder and are asked to bring a Passover dessert? Then you should come over to Max and Benny's which has one of the largest selections of Passover desserts in the Chicago area, from scrumptious honey cake to key lime macaroon pie. One of my favorites is flourless chocolate cake. But there is plenty more, so stop by and see.

Marvin the Maven 

PASSOVER DINNERS TO GO AT MAX AND BENNY'S

Why labor over your hot kitchen stove this Passover, when Max and Benny's has all the delicious and familiar food for your Passover Seder ready for you to take home? Our dinners to go for the Passover Seder have been a Chicago area tradition now for twenty-five years. Besides your Bubbie, who makes brisket and chicken better than Max and Benny's? Not to mention the best gefilte fish, matzo ball soup and potato kugel in greater Chicagoland. And Passover desserts to die for! Macaroons, honey cakes, key lime macaroon pie and oh so much more! Make your life easier and more enjoyable by ordering your Passover dinner to go from Max and Benny's today. 

TSIMMES

My favorite Passover side dish at the Seder meal is tsimmes. Nobody makes this holiday delicacy of cooked vegtables and fruits better than the deli mavens at Max and Benny's in Northbrook. Since preparing tsimmes back in the day was a long process, the term "tsimmes" became Yiddish slang for a big deal or a long drawn-out process. But today with modern kitchen technology being what it is, the preparation time has been dramatically reduced and we can truly say that it's no big tsimmes to find wonderful and scrumptious tsimmes for Passover at Max and Benny's. Enjoy!

Marvin the Maven  

Matzah Brei

You know when Passover is around the corner when the regulars at Max and Benny's start ordering matzah brei for breakfast on a regular basis. Matzah brei, or fried matzah in Yiddish, is basically matzah soaked with water which is then mixed with eggs and fried in butter. It's so good! I like to eat it with sugar, but others like it with jelly or syrup.

Marvin the Maven

HAMENTASCHEN

Purim is the holiday where Jews around the world celebrate our people's victory over persecution and oppression personified by the evil Haman. We remember Haman, who received his just dessert (pun intended) in being hanged, by baking a triangular fruit-filled pastry for Purim called hamentaschen (Haman's pockets in Yiddish) which represents Haman's three-cornered hat. Max and Benny's takes pride in offering our delicious hamentaschen to the community during the Purim season. Stop by our bakery today and take some home with you.

KUGEL

Max and Benny's kugel has gained the reputation as the best "Jewish noodle pudding" in the world. It is the ideal side dish to complement your meal. Now through the miracle of the internet, with a click of a button, it can be ordered and enjoyed by everyone.

RUGELACH

Legend has it that our Bubbie Gussie was once asked to prepare rugelach for the court of the Russian czar. This is why we call our rugelach the "crown jewel" of Max and Benny's bakery. 

BAGELS

The bagel is the Jewish food product that has become part of the American culinary mainstream. However there are bagels and there are Max and Benny's bagels. Our bagels, boiled and baked with loving care, have that distinctive and flavorable taste that can only be found in our Bubbie Gussie's recipe.  

SEEDED RYE BREAD

Rye bread lovers crave Max and Benny's seeded rye. Flavored with delicious caraway seeds, it makes a perfect sandwich with corned beef or pastrami. Some people love eating it with just a schmear of butter or cream cheese. It is also wonderful when grilled for Reuben sandwiches.

MUSHROOM BARLEY SOUP

Max and Benny's mushroom barley soup has its origins in the small Lithuanian shtetl where our Bubbie Gussie was born. It represents the consummate Jewish comfort food, with extraordinary health benefits. Mushrooms are high in fiber, iron and niacin, while barley is also plentiful in fiber as well. Our guarantee is that our mushroom barley soup will soothe both your body and soul.

KASHA

I don't know about you, but I love kasha. For the unitiated, kasha is a buckwheat groat that when cooked can be eaten in a variety of ways. In the Eastern Jewish culinary tradition, kasha is prepared with bow tie pastas (kasha varnishkas) and frequently smothered with onions and brown gravy. I personally prefer the kasha without the varnishkas as a side dish to brisket and roast chicken. Many people like to put kasha in their matzoh ball soup or as filling for knishes. So the next time that you dine at Max and Benny's, consider enhancing your matzoh ball soup with some kasha, and be sure to stop at our deli counter and take home some kasha varnishkas.

Marvin the Maven

MARVIN THE MAVEN RETURNS FROM OVERSEAS

Hi folks. It's been awhile. Sorry for not posting sooner, but I just returned from India where I was opening up a new deli. I brought over some Max and Benny's halavah, and I must admit that it was a big hit. The people of India have been eating halavah for centuries, but they seem to have taken a special liking to Max and Benny's halavah. Bagels are a big hit in India, especially among the younger call center set. However the jury is still out on lox and cream cheese.   

Marvin the Maven

THE GREAT MARSHALL HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR TEAMS

Many of the Max and Benny's customers have noticed the photos of the Marshall High School Junior basketball teams that are on a wall in the Back Room of the restaurant. These teams, coached by the legendary Lou Weintraub, dominated their Chicago Public League competition from 1939 through 1944. Our uncle, Jerry Schlan, who is now 88 and lives in South Florida, was a member of the 1939-40 team along with West Side basketball legends Whitey Siegel, Izzy Acker and Alex Eisenstein.

During that era, the Chicago Public Schools had two Leagues, a Junior League for boys who were 5'8" or under, and a Senior League for the bigger boys. The Marshall Juniors put together an amazing string of ninety-eight consecutive wins from 1939-1944, capturing four city championships along the way. This winning streak remains a national record, and the Marshall teams from those four seasons are now enshrined in the Chicago Public Schools, Illinois Basketball Coaches and the National Basketball Halls of Fame.

Lester Schlan and Richard Reeder