Niles Township High Schools Night

Max and Benny's is hosting a Niles Township High Schools night for those of you who attended Niles North, Niles West and Niles East on Tuesday, January 25th from 5:00pm until 8:30pm. We will have a special buffet for $12.95 per person or order from the menu. Although reservations are not needed, we suggest that you reserve a spot by calling Crystal at 847-272-9458 or emailing Richard@maxandbennys.com . This should be a fun-filled event and a wonderful opportunity to connect with old friends and meet new ones. Hope to see you there!

Chicago Jewish Authors Literary Series

I hope that you will join me on Tuesday evening, January 18, 2011, as Max and Benny's launches the  first chapter in our Chicago Jewish Authors Literary Series. I will be discussing Saul Bellow's "Letters." We will meet in the Back Room of the restaurant beginning at 7:00 PM. There will be complimentary cookies and coffee. Bellow, who grew up in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood, would have enjoyed this venue to discuss his writing, as he loved to eat at some of the great Jewish eateries such as Joe Pierce's on Division and Braverman's on Chicago as a youngster and young man. Please let us know if you will be attending by emailing crystal@maxandbennys.com.

Richard Reeder    

Reuben Sandwich

I'm somewhat biased but I truly believe that the Max and Benny's Reuben Sandwich is the best of its kind in the Chicago area. I've taste tested Reubens far and wide, and nobody, and I mean nobody, can beat our grilled sandwich on rye filled with corned beef, swiss cheese and sauerkraut and topped with Russian dressing. I don't know why a Reuben is called a Reuben, but I do know it tastes great. So order one soon!

Marvin the Maven 

SUFGANIYOT

Sufganiyot, those little jelly doughnuts so popular in Israel during Hanukkah, have been a big treat this year at Max and Benny's bakery. So many Hebrew schools are now making sufganiyot part of their Hanukkah festivities, that Jewish American children are learning to love these sweet treats as much as their Israeli counterparts. Max and Benny's has sufganiyot all through these days of Hanukkah. Come on in and enjoy these tasty morsels.

Marvin the Maven

SWEET AND SOUR MEATBALLS

Sweet and sour meatballs are always popular at Max and Benny's, but it seems especially so during Hanukkah. They go along so well with latkes! Customers can order them at the deli counter to carry out, or if they prefer to dine-in the restaurant, the sweet and sour meatballs can be ordered as either an appetizer or as a main course with potatoes. In any case, they are so, so good!

Marvin the Maven

Hanukkah at Max and Benny's

I love Hanukkah. It's a holiday of lights and joy, of dreidels and presents. What better place than Max and Benny's to be your one-stop Hanukkah location? We even have our own Hanukkah menu! How many other restaurants can say that? Dine-in or takeout your Hanukkah meals from Max and Benny's scrumptious selections. My favorite is the brisket and chicken dinner, with latkes and chopped liver. What better gift than a tin of Hanukkah cookies from our marvelous bakery? And while you are at Max and Benny's don't forget to pick up the chocolate Hanukkah gelt and dreidels for the kids. We appreciate your business, and all the best to you and yours this Hanukkah Holiday.

Marvin the Maven

COMING TOGETHER OVER A CORNED BEEF ON RYE

It was nice to see Governor Quinn and his erstwhile political foe Bill Brady coming together yesterday at Manny's deli cafeteria Downtown, burying the hatchet over corned beef sandwiches on rye. In our 25 years of business, Max and Benny's has noticed that the consumption of corned beef on your favorite bread or roll, tends to bring out warm feelings among customers. A corned beef sandwich is a great comfort food, especially over the Holiday Season. So folks, if you want to get warm and fuzzy, come visit us at Max and Benny's and order your corned beef sandwich!

Marvin the Maven      

TURKEY AND LATKES!

So many Thanksgiving carryout orders at Max and Benny's! Thank you customers. So when you pick up your turkey and sides Thanksgiving Day, please remember that Hanukkah follows in just a few days. So you might want to consider purchasing latkes, Hanukkah gelt and other wonderful Hanukkah goodies on your visit to Max and Benny's on Turkey Day.

Marvin the Maven

SULLIVAN TURNS OUT! MATHER STAYS HOME!

Max and Benny's 1st Annual Sullivan-Mather Night last evening was a huge success, with Sullivan grads outnumbering Mather alums by 7-1. There was even a sprinkling of Senn Bulldogs who attended the event. Lots of hugs and kisses and smiles galore. The Max and Benny's buffet evoked memories of the great tastes of  Rogers Park and West Rogers Park, which included Ashkenaz corned beef sandwiches, Sally's BBQ beef sandwiches and even Hilda's chocolate phosphates. The next high school reunion night at Max and Benny's is already being planned for January and it will be for graduates who attended a north suburban high school. Which one? Stay tuned.

Cousin Richie
Mather '63

Hanukkah, Chanukah or Hanukah?

When the festive Jewish holiday of candles and latkes is transliterated from Hebrew or Yiddish it gets spelled many ways, Hanukkah or Chanukah or Hanukah and then some. However, by far the most popular usage is Hanukkah. In ranking popularity according to Google hits, Hanukkah had 12,700,000 hits, compared to 2,440,000 for Chanukah and 739,000 for Hanukah.

Marvin the Maven

WHAT A NIGHT!

What a night last evening! About 300 plus alumni from Von Steuben, Roosevelt and Senn High Schools gathered together at Max and Benny's to meet and mingle, swap stories of today and yesteryear, and of course to eat some of our delicious food. Judging from the hugs exchanged and the smiles on the faces of folks as they were leaving the restaurant after celebrating with their friends, I think that I can safely say that the first Max and Benny's North Side High School Night was a success.

Cousin Richie

A ROOM OF YOUR OWN

Most of you who read this blog know that Max and Benny's has a room in the back of the restaurant that is perfect for any event. The room can hold up to eighty guests. The room is used for many occasions, including business and networking meetings, holiday and birthday parties, shivas and bar and bat mitzvah receptions. Truly a multi-purpose room! What many folks don't realize is that we have a full liquor bar that serves the room. So as the Holidays approach, a room your own is awaiting at Max and Benny's!

Marvin the Maven

OMELETTES

Thirteen is a lucky number at Max and Benny's because that's the number of omelettes that are on our menu. And these scrumptious egg creations are not just served at breakfast, but throughout the day. My favorite is the Hoppel Poppel, which is a tasty concoction of scrambled eggs with generous chunks of salami, potatoes, green peppers and onions.

Marvin the Maven

HALAVAH

Halavah (sometimes spelled halvah) has always been a favorite at the Max and Benny's deli counter. Growing up as kid, I was always ducking into the local deli to grab a nosh of halavah. I had always thought of halavah as mainly a Jewish delicacy, but as I grew up and learned more about the flaky confection, I became aware that halavah had its roots in Turkey and the Ottoman Empire. It seems that the early Jewish delis on the East Coast started carrying halavah because they were influenced by the Armenian and Syrian groceries in their neighborhoods. In any case, we are so happy that our customers continue to love Max and Benny's halavah.

Marvin the Maven

GO LOYOLA ACADEMY FOOTBALL TEAM!

Max and Benny's will be cheering for a win tonight for the Loyola Academy Ramblers football team as they play St. Rita. The Loyola team are a great bunch of young men, who just happen to love Max and Benny's sandwiches. Good luck guys. Bring home a win!

Cousin Richie

A FISH STORY

As I was viewing the fish placed in our deli counter today, I couldn't help but recall Carl Sandberg's poem about the Jewish fish crier on Maxwell Sreet whose "face is that of a man terribly glad to be selling fish, terribly glad that God made fish, and customers to whom he may call his ware from his pushcart." So from pushcart to deli counter, Chicago's Jewish community has always loved its favorite fish delicacies, whether it be sable, whitefish, herring, lox or gefilte fish. Stop by the deli counter at Max and Benny's and see our fish on display, as we too are "terribly glad to be selling fish."

Cousin Richie 

SO MANY TYPES OF CATERING

I'm always amazed by the different types of catering that we do at Max and Benny's. And it's not just catering to Northbrook and Deerfield and other local towns, but we cater throughout the Chicago area. We provide catering to small and medium size businesses as well as Fortune 500 companies. We are well known for catering shivas, but also cater joyous occasions such as bar and bat mitzvahs as well. This time of year we would like you to consider Max and Benny's as a choice for catering your upcoming holiday parties. Our catering menu can be found on our website.

Marvin the Maven

CARRY OUT THANKSGIVING DINNER----WHY NOT?

I know that years ago the idea of a carry out Thanksgiving dinner would seem very very strange. But times have changed. People are busy, and spending hours in the kitchen preparing Thanksgiving dinner is something that many folks don't wish to do. So we at Max and Benny's bring to you, our valued customers, a special carry out menu that can be found here on our website, or in paper at the restaurant. Our special Thanksgiving carry out menu features fresh roasted turkey, either whole or sliced. There are also stuffing cranberry sauce, turkey gravy green bean casserole and your choice of mashed or sweet potatoes. And we have plenty of a la carte items for your carry out Thanksgiving feast. So dear friends, check out the carry out menu closely and consider us at Max and Benny's this year for all your Thanksgiving carry out needs.

Cousin Richie

LATKES

Latkes, the Yiddish word for potato pancakes, are made fresh daily at Max and Benny's. So you don't have to wait to Hanukkah to eat these savory delights. Most folks like their latkes with either sour cream or apple sauce. I happen to be a sour cream guy myself. Stop by the deli or sit down at the restaurant and order some!

Marvin the Maven

Blackhawks and Bulls Logo Cookies

Yes Blackhawks and Bulls fans, those logo cookies that you have seen at the United Center are the same cookies that are baked and sold at Max and Benny's. They make great gifts for Blackhawks and Bulls fans of all ages.

Kosher Style

We always say that Max and Benny's is a kosher style restaurant and deli. What does that mean? Clearly we are not kosher since our meat does not go through the rabbinical kashrut authorities. We also mix dairy and meat products and that is definitely not kosher. We also serve pork products, also a kosher no-no. However since we do serve many products that you would find at a kosher food establishment such as matzoh ball soup, corned beef, chopped liver, kreplach, for example, Max and Benny's is labeled as kosher style in American deli-restaurant parlance.  One additional point: A kosher restaurant would never be open on Friday night or Saturday during the day, times when Max and Benny's is serving our great food to the public.

Marvin the Maven

The Schvitz Boys

The boys at the schvitz last night told me how much they liked the Max and Benny's chopped liver that Sid brought to the party. Jay Boy then asked "What does it mean when someone who is ignored says What am I Chopped Liver?" Well as a true deli expert I explained it to Jay Boy. You see, chopped liver is traditionally served as a side dish, a complement to the main course. Thus someone who feels that he/she is being relegated to a secondary role in a social situation can use that phrase in showing displeasure.  

Marvin the Maven

ANOTHER OPUS FROM DELI BARD

The doctor may tell you
Your cholesterol is up
So that makes it challenging
For breakfast, brunch and sup

Max and Benny's has your back!
Do not fear! Do not wilt!
There is plenty on the menu
Without adding to your guilt.

In good taste,

Bubbeleh Bobbie

KREPLACH SOUP

One of our most popular soups at Max and Benny's is kreplach soup. A kreplach is a meat dumpling and it is usually served in a bowl of chicken soup. Some people call kreplach soup the Jewish won ton soup. I enjoy a hot bowl of kreplach soup all year long, but I especially like it when the weather changes this time of year.

Marvin the Maven    

HOT DIGGITY DOG

Kids and adults, well let's say just about everybody, loves Max and Benny's hot dogs and bagel dogs. You can get a jumbo half-pounder, a quarter-pounder, francheezie, plain bagel dog, bagel dog francheezie and bagel dog supreme.What, pray tell, is the bagel dog supreme? Well it's a Jumbo Vienna hot dog wrapped in bagel dough and stuffed with corned beef, american cheese, onions and green peppers. Enjoy your favorite Max and Benny's hot dog creation soon!

Cousin Richie

FRENCH TOAST

I don't know exactly why, but I love to have French Toast for breakfast this time of the year. Maybe it's the changing weather affecting my tastebuds. Anyway, Max and Benny's has seven terrific choices of French Toast on our menu. My personal favorite is Grilled Thick Challah. What's your favorite?

Marvin the Maven

Max and Benny's Diner?

It was great that we were mentioned in Time Magazine recently when famous journalist Joe Klein interviewed Congressional candidate Dan Seals one evening in the restaurant. However the captioned picture in the story identified us as "Max and Benny's Diner in Northbrook." Mr.Klein----better fact checking please!

Cousin Richie 

DELI BARD

Every deli-restaurant should have a favotite poet. Ours is Bubeleh Bobbie, who scribes the following:

Blintzes,bialys, bagels and borscht

Max and Benny's has the best

From me that's not forced

My favorite is corned beef with pickle and rye

Other restaurants can't cut it.

No matter how hard they try.



We at Max and Benny's thank  Bubeleh Bobbie for her poem in good taste.

Veal Brisket Sandwich

The sandwich that Chef Gale Gand of Tru loves so much at Max and Benny's is the veal brisket on challah. We think that you will love it too.

Cousin Richie

North Side High School Nights

As we plan for our two Chicago North Side High School Nights in November, please tell us some of your favorite restaurants and delis in the old neighborhood and some of the foods that you liked best. We want your input as we develop some special menu items those two evenings. Example: BBQ beef sandwich on a sesame seed bun at Sally's on Western near Devon.

Marvin the Maven
 

Try a Max and Benny's Bialy

Although the bagel has made it into mainstream American culture, the bialy remains somewhat of a "stranger" to most Americans. Simply put, a bialy is only baked, not boiled and baked like a bagel. A bagel has a hole in its middle, while a bialy has a slight depression on its surface, traditionally filled with diced onions. However at Max and Benny's you can choose from the following type of bialys: plain, onion, oat bran, onion stick, plain stick and oat bran stick. So the next time that you are at the deli counter, think about complementing your bagel order with some bialys.

Cousin Richie 

Chopped Liver

Customers say the darnest things! A lady comes into the deli today and points to the chopped liver and says to me "chopped liver, never had it, but what a strange name for a food." I say "lady would you like to try some." She says "sure, why not? " After a taste, the chopped liver novice lady remarks "awesome, delicious, give me a pound of the stuff."

Marvin the Maven

Thank You Mrs. Kray and Ms. Rubin

Our thanks to Bonnie Miller Rubin for her excellent piece about dining out on Rosh HaShana in today's Chicago Tribune. Max and Benny's is one of the featured restaurants in the piece and there is a wonderful quote from one of our customers, Mitzi Kray of Northbrook, who says of Max and Benny's "the food here is delicious, the ambience is warm and we're with family. Isn't that what the holidays are all about."

Cousin Richie

Rugelach

Dorothy, a customer of many years always says to me "Max and Benny's rugelach is to die for." I wouldn't be so extreme, but boy oh boy our rugelach is so very good. Apricot is my favorite. What is yours?

Marvin the Maven

Corporate Catering

We want to thank our many corporate customers for choosing Max and Benny's as the caterer for their events. Although the majority of these corporate events are in the Northbrook/Deerfield/Highland Park area, we have delivered orders to Downtown Chicago, southern Wisconsin and McHenry County. So please consider us as your choice of caterer as you plan your next corporate function.

Cousin Richie

GO YOU NORTHWESTERN!

I was talking to a few fellas this morning from the Milwaukee area who stopped by the deli to buy some items for Rosh HaShanah. They love the food at Max and Benny's. They are Northwestern University alumni who have season tickets for Wildcat football games. This year they are planning to stop by the restaurant for breakfast before each game, since we are so easily accessible by getting off at the Waukegan exit on the Eden's spur. Then they said they plan to get off the Edens on the way back home, exit at Dundee West, make a right on to Waukegan Road, and stop by to buy some more food at the deli. It's so convenient, since they can exit from our parking lot, enter the Spur on Waukegan that leads to the highway back to Wisconsin. One of the guys in the group (Ben was his name, there wasn't a Max in the group by the way) said that Max and Benny's was the best Jewish food he ever tasted and he mentioned that we are becoming an increasing favorite food destination for Wisconsin residents.

Marvin the Maven      

Norway

I just came back from Norway, where the lox (spelled lachs there) is pretty good. They just haven't figured out yet to combine it with a bagel and cream cheese.

Cousin Richie

Joe Girardi's Turkey Chili

Although I'm a White Sox fan, we at Max and Benny's have a very special relationship with Yankee manager Joe Girardi. Joe and his family have been coming to the restaurant for many years. First when he lived in the area when he played for the Cubs, and now when he and his family visit his in-laws during the off-season. Joe loves our turkey chili, always orders it, so we decided to put an item on our menu called "Joe Girardi's Favorite Turkey Chili."

At last Sunday's game with the Yankees, we brought some turkey chili down to the Yankee skipper, and he was so very happy to receive it game day. Joe-----keep coming back to Max and Benny's, but don't be so tough on the White Sox!

Lester   

Chocolate Phosphate

According to Ken Green in his book "I"m from Division Street," the chocolate phosphate was created at the Joe Pierce Deli by counterman Hyman Weiss. "He mixed chocolate syrup with seltzer water and it became the most popular drink in Chicago."

Good Luck and Thank You Loyola Academy

We want to thank all our friends at Loyola Academy for giving us the opportunity to feed their football players and their supporters. We really appreciate the business, and we want to let you know that we're hoping for a spectacular season this year. GO RAMBLERS !!!

Danny from Max and Benny's

Fun Things Happening at Max and Benny's

As the owner of  Max and Benny's, one of the aspects of this business that gives me the greatest pleasure is seeing intergenerational members of families enjoying themselves at our restaurant. One generation loves our Jewish comfort foods that bring back memories of their Bubbies' and Tanties' kitchens when the world was a little slower paced than today. And the younger generations are finding joy in discovering these foods as well. I also take delight in seeing how our customers react so favorably to new products at Max and Benny's, such as the Whoopie Pie that can now be found in our bakery. So I hope to see you real soon, and let us know what you think of our website and blog.

Lester Schlan

White Sox "Big Hurt"

Max and Benny's Frank Thomas' "Big Hurt" Cookie was featured on the Comcast White Sox post-game show on August 12, 2010. What is your favorite Max and Benny's Cookie? Let us know.

"Cousin Richie"

North Side High School Days!

Here's a shoutout to all graduates of Roosevelt, Von Steuben, Senn, Mather and Sullivan High Schools. Max and Benny's will be having two events in early November to reconnect with your friends from high school in the old neighborhood. One will be for the Roosevelt, Von Stueben and Senn crowd. The other will be for the guys and gals from Sullivan and Mather. Definite dates to follow soon. Let us hear from you if you are planning to come and if you have any ideas on how to make these events very special!

"Cousin Richie"