Popular Jewish Deli To Come To Washington Square

BROOKLINE, MA — A popular Cambridge Jewish Deli is set to open in Washington Square, if all goes to plan, this summer.

Mamaleh's Delicatessen opened in Kendall Square, Cambridge in 2016. Almost immediately they had lines out the door. They're known for the classics: homemade bagels, lox, pastrami, corned beef, blintzes, black and white cookies, babka and egg creams.

Alan and Rachel Munzer have owned restaurants since 2015, but have wanted to open an outpost in the town in which they live, they told the Select Board Tuesday.

The Brookline restaurant is set to open in the space once occupied by Dunkin, at 1659 Beacon St, which closed in the second half of last year. The couple said they plan to renovate the space to cater to counter service.

The Munzers said they closed their Cambridge location for a couple of months during the pandemic. When they reopened it, they transitioned from a full service with tables to counter service and take-out. Finding that successful, the plan is to bring that model here, too.

"We're still fighting through the Covid era and beyond and plan to be a staple in the Boston area for years to come," the owners wrote on their website. " While 2020 was challenging to say the least, Mamaleh’s was resilient and turned the pandemic into an opportunity to try new things."

In an effort to make the Brookline dream a reality, they partnered with a local crowdfunding company last month. The company, NuMarket, allows people to contribute money to a business’s crowdfunding campaign and get perks in return. In this case 20 percent return on any amount you donate, with credits to use at their locations. So far, people have contributed some has raised $106,000 toward the owners' goal of $180,000.

They will have seats for 25 indoors, and 12 outside. The restaurant has plans to open Monday through Sunday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

It's been a while since there was a deli in the neighborhood. The Washington Square staple B&D Deli closed in 2005.