Palm Beach Daily News: Toojay’s has brought a taste of New York to Palm Beach for nearly 40 years
Toojay’s is a Palm Beach original.
Their first flagship New York-style deli opened in Royal Poinciana Plaza in 1981. At that time, there were two Jay’s: Jay Brown and Mark Jay Katzenberg, who eventually sold the business.
Today, TooJay’s has 30 corporate-owned locations concentrated mostly in South Florida and has plans in the works to open three to four new restaurants in the coming year.
New York-style delicatessens have been part of the American culinary scene for more than 100 years. Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the cherished recipes were nurtured by Jewish immigrants who longed for the flavors of their favorite Eastern European foods.
Preserved meats, smoked fish, pickles, flavorful soups, salads, seeded-rye breads, bagels and pastry are the mainstays of this branch of Jewish cuisine.
Menus at TooJay’s have evolved over time under the watchful eye of Senior Vice President Alan Nuckles, a 36-year veteran of the company. He is credited with sourcing ingredients and developing recipes for many of the most popular items on the menu. Everything is made from scratch in the company’s central commissary and delivered to stores daily.
