Second Avenue Deli

The Second Avenue Deli was a kosher deli opened in 1954 and located on the southeast corner of 2nd Avenue and 10th Street in the East Village of Manhattan, New York City, and plans for re-opening it on East 33rd Street, some 23 blocks uptown, are underway. It was recognized by Zagat's restaurant guide as the "best kosher deli in New York." The deli's specialties included matzoh ball soup, corned beef special, pastrami, knishes, gefilte fish, cholent and other notables of Jewish cuisine. Despite the food being kosher, some Orthodox Jews would not eat there, as the meat was not glatt kosher and the restaurant was open on Saturdays.

The restaurant had a separate room decorated with memorabilia of Yiddish actress Molly Picon, including posters, song sheets, photographs, and the like.

The Second Avenue Deli shut down briefly in 1996, following the March 4 murder of its founder Abe Lebewohl, a Holocaust survivor, during a robbery. As of 2006, the crime remains unsolved.

On January 1, 2006, new owner Jack Lebewohl closed the deli indefinitely after a rent increase and an argument over back rent that the landlord had said was due. There were no immediate plans to reopen. On August 7, 2006, New York magazine reported that the old location of the 2nd Avenue Deli would be turned into a Chase Manhattan Bank branch.

On July 31, 2007, Jack Lebewohl announced that the deli would reopen in the fall of 2007 at 162 East 33rd Street between Lexington and Third Avenues. On October 17, 2007 an employee reported that the restaurant's planned re-opening has not been scheduled, and is expected in early November, 2007.