If you grew up anywhere in NYC, you were surrounded by many delis and candy stores, which were much more than their names imply. Bubbe’s Deli and Grocery, at the intersection of routes 44/55 and 299, formerly the Mountain Harbor Deli, is a step back in time to when these mom-and-pop stores were practically on every corner. It’s a mix of a grocery, deli-type breakfast, lunch, dinner, and sandwich maker, a “pick up a six-pack” stop and a great place to run into people you may know. That’s Bubbe’s Deli and Grocery.
Owners Dana (the tall guy with reddish hair) and Beryl (the young lady with bright eyes and a glowing smile) worked in various restaurants while attending SUNY New Paltz. “That’s how we started dating. She was the cute girl who used to call the bingo at Snugs, and I would go there every Sunday and harass the poor lady. She started working at Huckleberry, and that’s when I won her heart,” Dana shared. “Right before I graduated, I started dishwashing at the Gilded Otter. The environment there was chaotic and fun. I just fell in love with it.” Beryl added, “ I came up here for school, and I worked in restaurants. I did a little bit of everything. I used to wash dishes for him (Dana).” After working together at Mountain Harbor, they decided to buy the business and create Bubbe’s. So, although both have degrees in public relations, they had fallen in love with food service.
“When we worked under Mountain Harbor, I was doing about 70 hours. Beryl was working about 40 hours. When we started Bubbe’s, we were doing about 60 hours a week here. We would be here every single day from sun-up to almost sundown. We now have eight people on staff.”
The deli offers an assortment of sandwiches and salads with names like The Overlook, Flaming Cluck, Veggie Tales, and Turkey Cristo. The other half of the sandwich menu includes a delicious assortment of breakfast sandwiches and a “Build Your Own Sandwich” with choices including bread, wraps, meats, cheeses, veggies, and sauces. The grocery offers all types of snacks, a long wall of cold beverages and basics, including bread, milk and bacon.
They plan to expand and add a steam table and offer hot food. Dana explained, “Particularly for the winter, we want to have meatloaf, mashed potatoes, meatballs, fish, and hot sandwiches. I want to turn the side yard into a BBQ place; throw a big grill smoker out there. I want to make it more of a hangout spot.” Beryl added, “I want to get rid of the office and open up more space for tables to sit inside. Eventually, we also want to do our own roast beef!”
Their customers include climbers, hikers, residents, tourists, college students, people working in the area, and many regulars. They are busy all day. “On the weekends, we get busy right when the door opens,” Dana said. “We get climbers who start their day really early. They sleep in their cars in the parking lot,” Beryl added.
It fits that the place is named Bubbe’s Deli, named for Beryl’s mom and meaning “grandma” in Yiddish. The word “Bubbe” implies warmth, caring, safety, and a smothering grandmotherly hug, so it’s a perfect name for a place with such caring and wonderfully upbeat owners and staff who love what they do in serving tasty food to whoever stops by. What’s not to like? Delicious! Try it!
Open every day 7 a.m. – 9 p.m.
845-633-8482