The Original Wolfie's deli opens Nov. 2 in the Rosemary District

The Original Wolfie's Deli & Wolfie Cohen’s Rascal House will open Thursday, Nov. 2, in the Rosemary District with songs and schtick from entertainer Dani Luv, a fixture at Sammy's Roumanian restaurant in New York City.

At the Original Wolfie's, Sarasota's deli king Sol Shenker will curate a menu of favorites from such iconic American delis as South Florida's Wolfie's, Pumpernik's and the Rascal House, Miami's Epicure Market and Southern California's Jerry Famous.

Yes, Wolfie's pedigree reads like the credits of a Hollywood movie. But the main thing you need to know is the address: 1420 Boulevard of the Arts. The restaurant will offer full-table service for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Takeout orders will move to the Original Wolfie’s from its Box Office, which will become the location for the restaurant's catering. 

“Our goal is to create a warm, welcoming, lively atmosphere, just like the traditional delis,” said Shenker, a Culinary Institute of America grad, in a statement. “We do this for the love of the food — the highest quality pastrami, brisket, bagels and lox — and now we have the privilege of doing it for the love of our community, because it makes people happy. And if it’s done right, we’ll be reminded of our parents and grandparents.”

During his 23 years in Sarasota, Shenker served as chef or owner at several popular New York-style delis, including the former Embassy Suites hotel and its later incarnations as well as Sol’s NYC Delicatessen in a former Applebee’s in Main Plaza. Back in 2016, Sol’s NYC Deli was forced to move to make room for a new development.

To kick off the grand opening festivities at Wolfie's, singer and comedian Luv will perform in the evenings from Nov. 2-4 and during brunch (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) Nov. 4-5. Look for him from 5-9 p.m. Nov. 2, 5:30-10:30 p.m. Nov. 3 and 6:30-10:30 p.m. Nov. 4.

Luv will perform his rendition of “Casablanca,” crooning “a bris is just a bris,” along with favorites from Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Neil Diamond and Billy Joel.