Wise Sons Deli Pop-Up Satisfies Jewish Breakfast Cravings
SFoodie arrived at Saturday morning's Wise Sons deli pop-up an hour after the doors opened. Surprise: Only one table was free. A mostly twentysomething crowd ― yearning, apparently, for a proper Jewish breakfast ― had packed Jackie's Vinoteca, which was buzzing with tales of high school Israel-trip hookups and Camp Tawonga exploits. The vibe was Jewish deli, like some younger, spiffier, less grouchy version of L.A.'s venerable Langer's.
Alex Hochman Wise Sons Deli's corned beef hash with fried egg, $9.
First-time operators Leo Beckerman and Evan Bloom kept the menu tight for their inaugural effort adjacent to Off the Grid: McCoppin Hub, offering only cheese blintzes ($9), a bialy with lox ($8), and corned beef hash ($9) along with a few sides, allowing for prompt service. Everything but the lox was house-made. We started with a dense, chocolate-laden slice of babka ($3) and knew instantly that Beckerman and Bloom (yes, we've already made numerous Producers jokes) weren't fooling around. Babka is hard to come by locally, the Brooklyn babka at Pal's Takeaway excepted. The Wise Sons version was spot on, perfect alongside a cup of De La Paz drip ($2).
We then went for the hash, which Beckerman and Bloom kept simple: potatoes, onions, and a perfectly fried egg that oozed yolk with barely a tap. The simplicity allowed for the gorgeous chunks of house-corned beef, juicy and salty the way we like it, to shine. We can't wait to taste this stuff, unadorned, between two slices of rye. Beckman told us on our way out Wise Sons should offer both corned beef and pastrami sandwiches beginning Feb. 5. 
Alex Hochman Wise Sons' house-baked chocolate babka, $3.
It's exciting to watch two budding young operators make a go of it in deli-starved San Francisco. Beckerman and Bloom are currently searching for a permanent space ― SFoodie looks forward to what an expanded Wise Sons repertoire could offer someday. Did somebody say stuffed derma?
Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen at Jackie's Vinoteca and Cafe, 105 Valencia (at McCoppin), adjacent to Off the Grid: McCoppin Hub. Operates Sat., 9 a.m-1 p.m.
Also:
- Read Alex Hochman's Q&A with Wise Sons' Evan Bloom and Leo Beckerman
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