Zabar's Blog

Zabar's Nova by the slice.

If you arrive on Sunday morning, regardless of the weather, you'll see the line we've become famous for: people waiting for their Smoked Nova. Have a sneak peek at what we'll be doing each and every day:

Shop online for Smoked Nova delivery and skip the line!

Zabar's & Symphony Space TEN4TEN

 

It's a year of big anniversaries as Zabar's celebrates 80 years, Symphony Space's Selected Shorts turns 30, and Symphony Space and Zabar's mark TEN YEARS of working together! Comedian, author, and frequent Symphony Space artist Dave Hill joins forces with Zabar's own Saul Zabar in this short film about exactly how far we'll go for each other.

Enjoy, and don't forget to take advantage of our TEN4TEN offer, available through February 14, 2015. Use the code to get 10% off at zabars.com on orders of $50 or more, and at selectedshorts.org to get 10 single story downloads for $10, or select one of their most popular CD's for only $10!

 

A reading of the "Bagel Book"

Is there poetry in food? Perhaps. Is there poetry in Zabar's catalog? Well, we think the way Sam reads it there is! 

Thank you, Barbara, for sharing this adorable video of Sam as he peruses some of our favorite treats in the 2013 Zabar's Catalog, or as he calls it the "Bagel Book". 

Sam - we'll see you at the store one day!

This week's 50% OFF Zabar's Deal of the Week

50% off savings on a different Zabar’s product each and every week!

This Week's Deal
Zabar's Handsliced Corned Beef, 8 oz.
NOW JUST $6.49 - Regularly $12.98
Through Sunday 2/26, while supplies last, at Zabars.com


Whether you like yours with cabbage and potatoes, as the base for a Reuben sandwich, or simply stacked on Zabar's rye or pumpernickel bread, this is the hand-sliced Corned Beef you need. This is the hand-sliced Corned Beef they line up for at Zabar's deli counter. But why stand around? Relax at home, we'll bring the same hand-sliced Corned Beef to you! 

And don't forget - if you live within Zabar's Home Zone and order $49 or more your shipping is FREE! Find out if your shipping address is within Zabar's Home Zone on our home

Watch Harold make a Perfect Corned Beef Sandwich:

An interview with Saul Zabar

This interview just came across my screen again and it's completely enjoyable. It's a pretty comprehensive origin story of Zabar's and Saul has a great way of just telling it like it is!

The program is CityWide, CUNY TV's dynamic talk show for New Yorkers who care deeply about our city. The program is hosted by attorney and former City Council member Ken Fisher.

Enjoy watching it and if you have any questions for Saul, leave them in the comments!

Smoked Fish - like nowhere else!

Food. Curated. shot an excellent video of Saul Zabar as they take us on a tour of his weekly smoked fish buying. Like no other store, Zabar's smoked fish is hand selected to meet Saul's discriminating taste.

Watch it here:

FOOD CURATED: Zabar's Picky Tradition of Hand-Selecting Its Smoked Fish

Meet Saul Zabar, the co-owner of Zabar's, a famous specialty food shop on the Upper West Side of New York City. Over the decades, Zabar's has developed a reputation for high quality product and service when it comes to smoked fish. Their smoked fish department is one of the busiest fish counters in the city, hand-slicing and selling thousands of pounds of smoked fish to loyal customers every week. It's a reputation Zabar's is very, very proud of, and Saul believes a lot of it has to do with his keen taste for smoked fish. Not long ago, I had the rare opportunity to join Saul during his weekly visit to ACME Smoked Fish in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to see how he hand-selects fish for his shop's fish counter. ACME is Zabar's main smoked fish supplier - sourcing, smoking, packaging and delivering over 90% of Zabar's smoked fish product. According to ACME, it's a "family" tradition and a very special relationship that began over 50 years ago, a weekly visit that often comes with a basket of Zabar's fresh bagels and rugelach. Enjoy this special behind-the-scenes experience. Thanks for watching food. curated.! Happy Eating!

NEW at Zabar's; Butter Bells + $5 instant coupon!

I’ll risk hyperbole here and say up front that the Butter Bell butter crock changed my life.  Let me explain. 

I’ve been obsessed with all things food related for something like 20 years now, such that my career is food-related, as are my vacations, requirements for potential neighborhoods to live in, and what I do for fun (cook) in my free time.  The other side of this is that I am also willing to go to a lot more trouble to make things just so with my food than a less…focused person might be.  I am particular.  I don’t take a lot of shortcuts.  I like things a certain way.  This has been the case for decades.

Nevertheless, even I had resigned myself long ago to struggling with cold, hard butter which mangled my poor, soft baked goods.  I had a butter-loving cat at the time, so that combined with stifling SE Michigan summers meant leaving it out on the counter was out of the question.  I had all but forgotten the wonderful and simple pleasure of soft butter spread on fresh bread (not toast).  And muffins.  And banana bread.  And popovers.  And so on. 

Then a friend told me about the Butter Bell butter crock, and all at once, every one of those barriers to spreadable butter fell away and in that small way, my life changed for the better.  So now, ten years later, I’m spreading the word to all of you!  Here’s how it works: 

1) Pour about 1/3 cup of cold water into the base of the Butter Bell crock
2) Pack 1/2 cup (one stick) softened butter into the bell-shaped cup of the lid
3) Replace the lid into the crock. That's it!
 
The water creates an airtight seal, and combined with the crock, keeps the butter cool on your counter. Both actions prevent spoilage, even at room temperature. Ingenious!  Want to see more? Here is a video:

Just because I love Butter Bells so much, Zabar’s has begun selling them, and we are introducing them with a bang (pun intended) over the Fourth of July on zabars.com.   

From June 29^th – July 7^th, when you purchase any Butter Bell butter crock for $19.98 online at zabars.com, you can take $5 off your entire order.  Just enter coupon code ZBTB5 at checkout.  If you’re local, please check out our awesome selection of wonderful specialty butters in the cheese department the next time you’re in the store.

Zabar's Cheese Plate: Springtime in the City

Spring is a time of rebirth, new beginnings, and everything seems fresh.  We feel inspired to try something new.  So why not try a new cheese?  There are so many cheeses that are perfectly fresh and full of flavor this time of year and we love them!  After all the heavy, strong foods we ate throughout the winter, a small piece of cheese is just the ticket to get us in the springtime mindset.  To help, we have selected a few cheeses that we think scream spring! 

First is Bucherondin, a customer favorite for a reason.  This great goat’s milk cheese is soft but not too runny, flakey but not dry and just the right amount of goat tang to keep your guests coming back for more.  Chaource reminds us the fresh cream that is often poured over fresh berries for a springtime treat.  But instead of just cream, this cheese is full of buttery, slightly assertive flavors that ooze all over.  All you need is a spoon to enjoy this special treat.  If Chaource is like fresh, spring cream then Boschetto al Tartuffo is like the fresh grass.  Full of truffles, this cheese is perfect for spring because it is full of flavor and yet nothing overpowering.  The texture is giving but not too soft with wonderful chunks of truffle throughout.  It really is a treat for your senses.  To finish off this spring explosion, be sure to try Parrano.  This delightful Dutch cheese is what would be created if Parmesan and Gouda had baby.  Sharp and salty yet slightly sweet and nutty, this cheese is sure to please everyone.  Try it with roasted vegetables for a delicious, easy meal.

Serious Info about the Jura Capresso Automatic Coffee Station + Watch the Video

I promised all of you a bit more technical information about this ENA-4 Jura-Capresso Automatic Coffee Station that we are featuring right now, and I'm going to be as concise as I can since this is a blog post.  However, if you have more questions about it please do not hesitate to email us at [email protected], or call the store at 212-787-2000. You can, of course, always stop in to speak to us in the store; we've helped many, many people with coffee makers over the years, and we'd love to help you, too!

OK!  So I was thinking about what kind of information is important for people to know about this machine before welcoming it into their kitchens, so I did a lot of research, and came up with the following:

How do I use the machine? It really is easy; if you've already loaded it with water and beans, you just push the button on the top of the machine, and out comes fantastic coffee.  It grinds, tamps, and brews coffee into the cup you set under the adjustable-height spout. Then you turn that same button to tell the machine how much coffee to make for you, and how strong you want it.  There is also a place for adding preground coffee, which is great for when you want the occasional cup of decaf (or vice versa!).    

It's (almost) all about the grinder.  If you talk to enough baristas and coffee experts, you will learn that your grinder is a really, really important factor that can make or break your ability to make great coffee.  Or even good coffee.  The fineness of the grind and how consistent the particle size is have a significant impact on the flavor, texture, and aroma of the finished product.  Happily, Jura-Capresso understands this and has equipped their ENA-4 with a commercial grade, solid steel conical burr grinder.  It is capable of producing that fine, even grind that is critical to a great espresso.  You can easily spend hundreds (and hundreds) on just a grinder of this quality, so it's a sweet deal to get it for this price in a machine that also makes your espresso for you with the touch of a button!  You should also know that the grinder is calibrated by hand during assembly in Switzerland.

This machine is like a refrigerator.  By that I mean that it is a kitchen appliance that you should expect to use and enjoy for years and years rather than something disposable. Jura-Capresso makes top-of-the-line automatic coffee centers and their customer service is excellent, and anybody who loves great coffee, or, believe it or not, would like to economize if they frequently buy coffee out. OK, so that wasn't technical information but it's a really important thing to realize.The size is also great; it packs all this excellent technology into a slender, beautiful 14"h x 9"w x 17"l.

It can save you money.  Yes, really!  Here's how:The average American spends about $30 per month on retail brewed coffee. If you invest in an automatic coffee station like the ENA-4 is, it will pay for itself in only 6-7 months. Plus, the coffee will almost certainly taste much better and there's no standing on line every. single. morning. Just the time savings alone should bump up the timeline, right?

I hope I've given you useful information, and remember, you only have until April 25th to also get all of your free gifts with purchase (use coupon code JURA4U), and it qualifies for free ground shipping in Zabar's Home Zone.  Wouldn't your office staff/friends getting married/spouse love one of these?  

Check out this video where David Lopez gives us the rundown on why this machine is so great: 

"Escher String Quartet Plays for Zabar’s Shoppers"

From WQXR, a suprise performance this morning at Zabar's

Shoppers at Zabar’s got an unexpected treat with their smoked fish, cheeses and baked goods Wednesday morning. The Escher String Quartet planted itself in front of the fish counter of the Upper West Side food emporium and began playing the first movement of Beethoven’s “Serioso” Quartet.
- From WQXR.org 

Read the full article, watch the slideshow

Watch the video: