(This speculative nonfiction piece is based on a few minutes of recovered 8mm film from 1958, commemorating the author’s maternal grandparents’ wedding anniversary.)
Schuster’s Kosher Restaurant
1415 Coney Island Avenue, Coney Island
Serving the American Dream in Brooklyn Since 1935
Anniversary Appetizers
Cold
Smoked Fish Platter—sable, lox, herring, sturgeon (upon request), whitefish, carp. Something for everyone. “For the table,” Max says. “Extra herring for my husband, please,” Rose adds. “And make sure you bring fresh pumpernickel, too.” Max squeezes Rose’s hand, and her gold tooth gleams under the ceiling light.
Hot
Chicken Fricassee—a mishmash of chicken wings, small beef meatballs, a little gizzard and pipik in a tomato sauce. A holiday classic you can eat anytime.
Stuffed Derma—two slices of kishka, savory grain-filled rings of cow’s intestines you can chew on for hours, topped with gravy. The grandkids’ favorites, although you may not want to tell them what the ring is made of. Lillian (the original Lillian Perlman, not the Lillian who married Lil’s brother, Ike) says to her husband, Milt, “Let’s bring some home for our girls.” Who should have been invited to this celebration, anyway. All four of them and Howard’s sister, Gina, too!
Soups
Borscht—from Russia, made from beets. At a dairy meal, you can add cream. Meat or dairy, add a boiled potato.
Mushroom Barley—a hearty soup that’s always better on the second day. Made with beef stock and a variety of mushrooms.
Vegetable—also hearty, features split peas and barley.
Chicken Soup—choice of lokshen, kreplach, matzoh balls.
No one orders soup. Rose can always make soup at home, and hers will be better and last longer. But Milt says, “Let’s bring home some borscht. I can have it for lunch tomorrow.” He always comes home from the store—the grocery he owns with his brothers—for lunch. Borscht will be a welcome change from Bumble Bee Tuna on Wonder Bread toast.
Main Dishes
Lungen Stew—delectable braised and spiced chunks of cow’s lung meat that remind you of the Old Country, only you get higher quality and more meat with your American dollar. Served with onions and garlic. Lillian’s (the real Lillian) favorite.
Stuffed Miltz—cow’s spleen just the way Bubbe used to make it, may her memory be for a blessing. Even with dementia, she lived for years with Max and Rose in the Bensonhurst apartment building Max bought with his Empire State Building paper-hanging job money. Who cares if it’s spleen? It’s tasty and a good economic choice. “Spleen” sounds so American, almost rhymes with Dream. Rose’s sister, Sarah, orders this and compares it to their mother’s version. Schuster’s gets the family’s highest compliment: Not bad.
Stuffed Cabbage—the way Mameh still makes it, eh? Tender chop meat mixed with rice and rolled into blanched leafy green cabbage leaves. Topped with a tomato sauce. A Monday night special, because we all eat chop meat on Monday nights. Rose asks Max to remind her to call the butcher tomorrow. She needs more chop meat for the week.
Stuffed Breast of Veal—a hearty shareable meal where we slice open the breast meat, insert stuffing made from veal, wild rice, and spices, and roast to perfection before cutting into spareribs with the meat falling off the bone, so tender it is. The anniversary couple chooses this for their special day. “We can splurge a bissel on our anniversary, no?” Max says.
Half-Roasted Chicken—not just for Shabbos! We’ll pluck the feathers and massage the paprika, onion, and garlic powder. Roast the skin to perfection so that it crunches in your mouth before you get to the moist breast meat. Usually Rose’s favorite. Not exciting, but it’s good, and there are always leftovers. Rose’s daughter-in-law orders this. She pulls off the skin before eating. The real Lillian just shakes her head, such a shande to waste the best part, and lights up a cigarette.
Boiled frankfurter—for the eyneklekh. A juicy bite for the American grandchildren. Five-year-old Jeffrey wants to order a hot dog, but his mother, Lillian (only Perlman by marriage), a nurse, doesn’t consider this healthy.
Spaghetti—Lillian’s choice for Jeffrey. Marinara sauce on the side. No meatballs.
Desserts
Anniversary special! This is for you, Max and Rose Perlman!
Mazel tov on papering the Empire State Building, you American Dreamers, you!
Mink-sleeved ringlets—raspberry jelly-filled puffed pastry topped with dark chocolate.
Also made for the Perlmans’ 30th wedding anniversary celebration here at the restaurant, February 1948.
Pink carnation cakes—a vanilla and berry sponge cake with strawberry American cream frosting to match Rose’s pink carnation anniversary corsage. “I wish we could have shared this meal with my cousin Gussie!” Max says. “She introduced us,” Rose adds. “I knew Gussie from Ostrova, before I came to America.” Max says, “May her memory be for a blessing.”
Note to Wait Staff: After serving dessert, but before bringing out the coffee, wait until Max presents Rose with his anniversary gift (an inscribed gold wristwatch with February 1958 and Love, Max!). Remember, Schuster’s is all about family and tradition! May we still be open to host Jeffrey’s wedding anniversary!
_______
Barbara Krasner holds an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and her work has appeared in Jewish Fiction, Jewish Literary Journal, the Jewish Writing Project, Vita Poetica, Minyan, and elsewhere. A multiple Pushcart Prize nominee, she lives and teaches in New Jersey.