#Hashtag | Aug. 2023
#HASHTAG: JAKE SCHNEIDER
By Dustin O’Regan
ILLUSTRATION BY TOM BACHTELL
Schneider Deli (600 N. La Salle Drive), which opened in early August in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, blends both traditional and modern ideologies in a 21-seat, counter service Jewish delicatessen. For the past year, executive chef/owner JAKE SCHNEIDER has made a name for himself under his brand Schneider Provisions, which is known for its pickled veggies, homemade jams, and cured meats. Schneider Deli is the culmination of the Highland Park native’s culinary dreams. The menu will feature Jewish deli favorites, including bagels and lox; matzah ball soup; latkes; and a variety of handcrafted sandwiches, including Schneider’s famous corned beef. Fueled by Schneider’s love of Jewish food and a longing for delis of the past—and drawing inspiration from the strong Jewish women in his life who have always cooked with passion and joy—the menu will feature recipes passed down through generations with a contemporary spin. Here is how this busy gourmand stays current between dishes.
#ON MY NIGHTSTAND
Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski … my wife, Ariel, and I are both reading this right now. It’s turning everything I learned (or didn’t learn) in health class on its head. It explains everything about why and how we experience pleasure and the contexts that determine it. Fascinating stuff. I’m also spending a lot of time on my Jewish food cook books.
#ON MY MOBILE
I follow everything food related in Chicago. Bloggers, influencers, chefs, restaurants, publications … it’s important to stay up to date on what is happening in Chicago and nationally, both in the deli space and in the hospitality industry as a whole. I really enjoy, The Hunger. He says whatever he wants and I love his takes on the Chicago dining scene. When it comes to food Instagram influencers, I’m always following what @chicityfoodie (Seth Marcus) is eating. He gets everywhere in the city and suburbs.
#IN MY EARBUDS
I’ve been really interested in the Joiners podcast, a Chicago-centric hospitality podcast hosted by Tim Tierney and Danny Shapiro. Some of my favorite episodes so far have been Ronnie “Suburban” Kaplan of LTH Forum fame, Danny Raskin of Manny’s and (my old boss) Paul Virant.
