Stage Deli

The story

The Stage Deli once accused its rival Carnegie Deli of making pastrami with New Jersey water. Two blocks from Carnegie Hall, this beloved delicatessen was opened in 1937 by Russian-Jewish immigrant Max Asnas and became a gathering place for celebrities whose names ended up on the menu — Dolly Parton, Adam Sandler, Conan O'Brien among them. It held an annual Matzoh Bowl to crown the city's best matzoh ball soup. Carnegie Deli eventually took over the old location in September 2026, closing a chapter in one of New York's great culinary rivalries.