618 Hospitality Group founders Nick Liberato (Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, Paramount Network’s Bar Rescue, and Netflix’s Restaurants on the Edge) and Michael Dalewitz (Co-Founder & Chairman of Whizzable) proudly announce the grand opening of The Borscht Belt Delicatessen’s newest location in Newtown, PA, bringing a taste of delicious nostalgia and Jewish delicatessen to the Philadelphia suburbs. The Borscht Belt officially opened at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, May 30th, at 2124 South Eagle Road in Newtown, located within the Village South Shopping Center.
The Borscht Belt first opened in Stockton, NJ, in the spring of 2021 and was quickly welcomed by locals and tourists alike as a go-to destination for New York-style deli fare alongside traditional Jewish American appetizing cuisine and baked goods. An ode to the 1950s and 1960s Borscht Belt region of New York’s Catskills Mountains focused on bringing families together through food, entertainment, and traditional Jewish culture; Chef Nick Liberato takes a creative approach to classic menu items while honoring longstanding traditions. The Newtown, PA location of The Borscht Belt will maintain the spirit of the original concept, paying homage to the region’s rich history and subtly nodding to the iconic old-school New York delis and bagel shops. Liberato plans to have the largest smoked fish & appetizing selections in Pennsylvania.
“This restaurant is my love letter to the Jewish Delicatessen, featuring old-school flavors with my contemporary twist inspired by my travels and cultural experiences,” said Liberato. “Opening the Borscht Belt in 2021 amid a pandemic was a gratifying challenge, and we’re excited to take significant experiences from that process and apply them to this bigger location in Newtown.”
This time, The Borscht Belt has opened with an expanded menu, full-service seating, advanced technology to minimize wait times, and a new collection of original artifacts directly from the Borscht Belt region of New York.
Chef Liberato’s menu features a selection of signature deli sandwiches piled high with freshly sliced meats — including the new “RPG” sandwich, which was an iconic Catskills favorite, which features Chinese roast pork on garlic bread with duck sauce and pickled cucumbers. Additional mainstay menu items include daily fresh bagels sourced directly from Ess-A-Bagel, and bialys from Shelsky’s; various platters with freshly sliced lox, a variety of smoked and pickled fish selections, spreads & salads; homemade knishes and potato latkes; award-winning fresh steamed pastrami and corned beef; Lower East Side pickles; and daily fresh baked goods including babka, rugelach, and rainbow and black & white cookies.
The menu also features Grand Plateaus for brunch – piled high with tiers of lox, smoked and pickled fishes, meats, spreads, and salads. The Borscht Belt boasts an extensive assortment of gluten-free and vegetarian offerings to accommodate all parties and many breakfast beverages, including freshly squeezed orange juice, freshly brewed coffee, and espresso drinks featuring Stumptown Coffee Roasters, and more.
Dalewitz, who is an advisory board member of the new Borscht Belt Museum, spent over a year procuring significant artifacts originating from the Catskills region, which are on display in the Newtown restaurant for patrons to admire and learn about the region’s history and cultural significance.
Additional updates to The Borscht Belt include the latest restaurant technology, mobile ordering kiosks, and a custom Borscht Belt express ordering app powered by the newest leading-edge POS technology company, Whizzable. The delicatessen features 24 full-service indoor dining seats available for walk-ins or reservations through OpenTable, 12 outdoor seats for full-service and reservations, as well as 20 first-come, first-serve bar seats in The Bungalow Room, which also serves as a private dining room.
The Borscht Belt is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. – 3 p.m., offering robust dine-in, take-out, and catering.
Marilyn Johnson is a freelance food and travel writer covering the food and drink scene of Philadelphia, South Jersey food, the greater Mid-Atlantic area, and beyond. Email Marilyn at phillygrub@gmail.com with food and travel news. If you liked this article, throw Marilyn a coffee! Follow Marilyn on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.
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