With the opening of Super Mensch, owners Adam Rosenblum and Elmer Mejicanos filled the need for a Jewish deli in San Francisco’s Marina District. But it’s also a personal project for Rosenblum, who grew up with East Coast Jewish deli culture and has long been inspired by institutions like Katz’s. In fact, drawings of popular deli storefronts are hung on the walls throughout the space.
Casual dates and friend meetups (the chocolate cake and the Super Mensch sandwich, which features a pound of pastrami, are easily split, as are the dips).
Don’t be put off by the food-influenced cocktails like the Babka Old Fashioned and the Matzah Ball Soup Margarita. Diners are in good hands with managing partner and beverage director Elmer Mejicanos. A favorite is the boozy egg cream, made with gin, cacao liqueur, cold-pressed cacao juice, egg foam, and, of course, seltzer.