Stacks: Closed.

[Turtleboy]

I walked by Stacks, the glatt kosher deli located on 11th and Penn, today, and I think it is closed.

Well, the lights were off, the shutters were shuttered, and there was a big sign in the window that said "Closed," so I think I got the hint.

What it didn't say, was whether it was closed for the day, closed for some changes, or just closed for good.

I suspect it's closed for good. My trusty Jewish calendar doesn't show any holiday today, and shabbos doesn't start till real real late. Also, every single time I've gone it's been just awful. Almost like they went out of their way to be awful.

I went in the first week and they put MAYO! on the sandwhiches, without even asking and without saying they would do so on the menu. I ordered the latkes, and they put big globs of sour cream (parve obviously) and apple sauce on top of the latkes (instead of on the side, and again, without giving any warning on the menu).

Also, on subsequent occasions when I kept going back (I really wanted the place to succeed, probably for sentimental reasons more than anything else), it always sucked. The service was lousy, the portions were mediocre, the meat and bread wasn't fresh. I think what was needed was for the entire restaurant to take a field trip to the Second Avenue Deli or to Katz's because they just had no clue what a kosher deli was supposed to be.

I'm sad that it's closed b/c of the dearth of kosher food in DC (even though I'm as treyf as treyf can be). And I hope that the owners realize that the reason it closed is not because DC can't support a kosher place, but because this place did everything wrong from the start.

[JennyUptown]

I walked by on my way to Ten Penh last week and wondered the same thing. The place looked dusty and deserted.

[Mark Sommelier]

You could see this one coming a mile away. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Stacks was owned by the same guy who owns Signatures.

[Turtleboy]

You could see this one coming a mile away. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Stacks was owned by the same guy who owns Signatures.

There were stories about that, but I'm not sure.

I thought it was owned by Jack Abramoff, who is a big time Orthodox Jewish Republican Lobbyist (enough labels for ya?) in D.C.

The story is that he was tired of not being able to go out to nice dinners with clients, so his orignal plan was to open Archives (the nicer restaurant) with Stacks as the add on.

I thought they would get enough business from the kosher only crowd to keep them open, but it was so bad (and so unncessarily pricey) that even they deserted it.

[8Track]

I don't know if this is related or not, but Abramoff is in a heap of trouble for his astronomical fees for lobbying on behalf of Native American groups. He was fired by his law firm and there are Congressional investigations into the matter. I like Signatures (which by the way has a kosher kitchen as well) and hope it's not next.

[KHT20]

I'm sad that it's closed b/c of the dearth of kosher food in DC (even though I'm as treyf as treyf can be). And I hope that the owners realize that the reason it closed is not because DC can't support a kosher place, but because this place did everything wrong from the start.

There's a new Jewish deli opening soon in Ballston called Chutzpah, on the corner of Wilson and Quincy-ish, I believe. Hopefully it will fill the void...

[DonRocks]

There's a new Jewish deli opening soon in Ballston called Chutzpah

Isn't there a Bavarian deli somewhere called Oom-pah?

You could fill the void left by Stacks' departure with an electron neutrino.

[Turtleboy]

I'm sad that it's closed b/c of the dearth of kosher food in DC (even though I'm as treyf as treyf can be).  And I hope that the owners realize that the reason it closed is not because DC can't support a kosher place, but because this place did everything wrong from the start.

There's a new Jewish deli opening soon in Ballston called Chutzpah, on the corner of Wilson and Quincy-ish, I believe. Hopefully it will fill the void...

There are other Chutzpahs elsewhere too.

But alas, I'm a city dweller, and rarely trek out to the burbs, although a decent pastrami on rye may tempt me.

Also, you are right -- Chutzpah is a "Jewish" deli, but not a "Kosher" deli. Although I don't keep kosher, I still bemoan the fact that there are no kosher restaurants in the city.

[ozgirl06]

Wasn't April 9th still Passover? It seems like forever since the beginning of the month, but 1st and 2nd seders were April 5&6 and Passover is an 8 day holiday. For Stacks not to change their kitchen over for Kosher for Passover is entirely likely. Has anyone been by there lately to see if they've reopened?

[Turtleboy]

Wasn't April 9th still Passover? It seems like forever since the beginning of the month, but 1st and 2nd seders were April 5&6 and Passover is an 8 day holiday. For Stacks not to change their kitchen over for Kosher for Passover is entirely likely. Has anyone been by there lately to see if they've reopened?

I made my first post April 23, not April 9. They seem to be gone.

Over on chowhound (Kohser area) someone posted that they heard a rumor that the Prime Grill, a kosher place from NYC is going in the space. I'll believe it when I see it.

I think 8Track is probably closest to the truth -- the owner Jack Abramoff is in a heap of trouble right now, and the restaurant wasn't his real business, just a side adventure.

[ozgirl06]

oops. you're right. sorry about that - i don't know where I got April 9th from.

It's a shame about Stacks, but kosher delis (other than Max's) don't seem to stick around for very long at least in the downtown area.

I did hear another rumor that a kosher steak place (name unknown) was thinking about going into downtown Bethesda. Anyone else hear something like that?