Reuben Restoration
Over at the former K's Deli in Tenleytown, it’s all about emmes. Out are quesadillas, Cajun fish, pastas and any trace of the amorphous global flavor that once dotted the menu of a restaurant that, when it comes down to it, wasn't really a deli. In is real New Yawk deli food — pickles, corned beef, the works. And K's has a new name to show for its return to basics — Morty's.
See, once upon a time, the original incarnation of K's Deli had an authentic Morty (and authentic deli grub) in the house. Back in the 1980s, Mel Krupin — with the help of his younger brother Morty — opened an eponymous place called Mel Krupin's up Wisconsin Avenue. Arguably, it was one of the only honest-to-goodness delicatessens within the District's borders.
But in 1999, the Krupins sold their AU neighborhood joint, and changes began with the menu which expanded well beyond what a deli's should. Later went the name, which morphed into K’s Deli — an attempt to preserve the Krupin heritage without using the actual name. But customers knew that K's had lost its machers. Between 2004 and 2005, sales dipped 65 percent.
This April, Eric Eun and Jared Kim bought the place and knew right away that K's customers wanted less fiesta, more pastrami, and a Krupin. So, they decided to bring back the original Mel Krupin's menu and hire Morty as their general manager. They even renamed the place after him. And since then, with Eun and Kim managing the business end, Morty has been a regular at his namesake deli -- schmoozing with the lunch-faring crowd almost daily.
Let's kibbitz about the new old menu. The free bowl of Brooklyn-imported pickles upon arrival, a deli spin-off of gratis chips and salsa and a survivor of the Interregnum, isn't going anywhere. Same goes for the Reuben and stuffed cabbage. Also, the “Best Matzo Ball Soup,” as voted on by the "Kosher Iron Chef," according to the menu, gets no renovations.
But the pasta and appetizer departments will definitely see some cutbacks from the K's days. Basically, if it doesn’t taste good with a pickle, it’s outta here. And after years of no menu attention, the egg cream — at least, Washington’s version of an egg cream — has been invited back. The New York deli potion made of seltzer and choco-milk contains neither egg nor cream, but always Fox’s U-bet syrup. Well, almost always. Morty shakes his head and faces the truth: he has to use Hershey’s. A New York deli can only become so New York in Washington — a town that doesn’t make Fox’s U-bet easy to come by.
Another newcomer is the reinvented cupcake behind the glass counter. After committing two-and-a-half days to the cupcake development project, taste-testing 47 trial versions of the yellow cake base and 137 variations of the buttercream frosting, Morty's has created cupcakes that are a bit more East Village and a lot more Magn-ificent. The intent was to mimic the all-mighty Magnolia cupcake. And if they were around back in January, they just might have won a certain Ask DCist battle. The Bleeker Street-cousin comes in strawberry, mocha and chocolate buttercream frostings -- and, at $2.99 each, with a pricetag that is also pretty Magnolia-authentic.
Besides the cupcakes, many of the changes won't be visible for a couple of weeks. The outdoor sign, complete with a smirk-happy Morty caricature, drawn by his graphic designing daughter, made its debut in WaPo’s Reliable Source last week, and will be hitting Wisconsin Avenue in just days. The menu is in the computer and almost ready to print.
One thing that won't change from the old Mel Krupin's to the new Morty's is deli hospitality — one element of the original New York formula. If you remember something from the old menu that you liked and don't see it on the new menu, on-hand waiter Tony says that Morty's will put it together for you.
It sounds like such a sure thing that Morty would have more chutzpah if he didn't come back.
Morty's
4620 Wisconsin Avenue NW
(202) 686-1989