Maven's Delicatessen Serves Up 'Certified Delicious' Jewish Fare
The long-anticipated Maven’s Delicatessen in Pawtucket is a family affair: Founder Jason Sugarman’s fond memories of childhood visits to delis in Florida with his great-grandfather inspired him to launch Maven’s; his wife, Lauren Sugarman, lent her graphic design expertise to the deli’s style; and his cousin, Nicole Sandoval, is the new general manager.
“I’ve always loved delis and scratch kitchens,” Sugarman says. “We make 95% of everything we serve, including our bread, bagels, pastries and meats.” Acknowledging that he’d never seen as huge a turnout at a restaurant opening as Maven’s had, he says, “It was a challenge; we keep getting better; we’ve made a lot of improvements since early December [2023].”
Maven’s offers traditional Jewish deli fare––which is not certified kosher––including matzo ball soup, knishes, noodle kugel, bagels, chopped liver, tongue, corned beef and pastrami. While corned beef and pastrami are among the deli’s best sellers, there’s a learning curve to understanding how to follow the meat’s grain and how much fat to cut. “We aim for the sweet spot in the middle––not too much and not too little fat, as the fat provides flavor,” says Sugarman, who likes his on the fatty side.
Sugarman and his team are already rolling out new offerings. Customers can order sliced meats and other deli fare, and Sugar-man envisions “meal in a box” offerings for the Jewish Sabbath and other holidays. Maven’s is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and is also offering food deliveries.
Discovering which menu items a restaurant’s insiders crave can be enlightening, so when asked about his favorites, Sugarman said he goes for the matzo ball soup, a pastrami or salami sandwich, and bagels and lox. He said that Jamie D’Oliveira, a partner in and culinary advisor to Maven’s, likes the beet salad. While Scott Taylor, now Maven’s executive baker, loves baking Maven’s rainbow cookies, black and white cookies, cheesecake and carrot cake, his preferred dessert is “carrot cake all day long, with a cup of coffee.” Robert Nam Cirillo, Maven’s new executive chef, craves brisket and corned beef sandwiches.
“I want to see this grow past one [location], and to build something, with a team of people, that will last beyond me,” said Sugarman.
Nancy Kirsch is an award-winning freelance writer in Riverside, Rhode Island. Visit her at NancyKirsch.com.
Maven’s Delicatessen
727 East Ave., Pawtucket
401.205.8560; MavensDeli.com
Open 7 days for breakfast, lunch and dinner
