Iconic West Hollywood Greenblatt Jewish grocery store closes for good

Greenblatt’s Deli and Fine Wines will close its doors for good today after 95 years in West Hollywood. The iconic Jewish grocery store, which has fed countless Angelenos and Hollywood stars over the years, will close due to difficulty managing the business and finding staff, a source at the restaurant said. Eater confirmed the news today as dozens of diners and longtime fans stocked up on sandwiches, cold cuts, bottles of wine and other items during its last day of operation. A source from the restaurant said one of the reasons it was closing so abruptly was that owner Jeff Kavin wanted to “close gracefully” before the Jewish holidays, which are usually an extremely busy time for the restaurant.

The source also told Eater that Kavin will be looking to sell Greenblatt’s, but that if another buyer isn’t interested, it’s unclear whether the deli and wine store will ever reopen. Greenblatt’s slogan has always been “the wine merchant who sells himself as a delicatessen”, highlighting the restaurant’s extensive collection of vintage and affordable wines that patrons can open for a small fee in the downstairs dining rooms. -stairs or upstairs. Today around two in the afternoon, the famous upstairs dining room, with its soft, warm light and colorful stained-glass windows, was full of people. Greenblatt’s dining room had been closed for most of the past year and a half due to the pandemic and only recently reopened its dining room a few months ago. Due to its proximity to nightclubs and comedy venues, Greenblatt’s had always been open until late, often until 2 a.m.

Greenblatt’s was founded in 1926 by Herman Greenblatt, when Sunset Boulevard was still a dirt road. The Kavin family acquired the business in the 1940s and have owned it for three generations. According to her website, celebrities from Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando to Errol Flynn and Billie Holiday were repeat customers. Old Gourmet Magazine critic Colman Andrews called Greenblatts “the best pastrami in the country” while actor Halle Berry said Squire Magazine that it was his “favorite charcuterie … home to the best wine in town”.

Although the news comes without much notice, one can hope that a buyer like Irving and Shelli Azoff, who bought the famous Beverly Hills delicatessen Nate n ‘Al Delicatessen, as well as the Apple Pan in West LA, can come. save Greenblatt’s from shutting down forever. Until a new operator buys the restaurant (if that happens), 7:30 p.m. today is the last time to order a sandwich and buy wine from Greenblatt.

Matthieu kang

Matthieu kang

Matthieu kang

Matthieu kang

Matthieu kang

Matthieu kang

Matthieu kang