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Absolutely honored to sit down with Sam Zeitlin, the founder of Zeitlin’s Delicatessen, a nontraditional yet undeniably cool Jewish deli that’s reshaping how Chicago experiences cultural food traditions.

From his early pop-up successes to the much-anticipated opening of his first brick-and-mortar in Lincoln Park, Sam opens up about the tension between honoring legacy and reimagining it for today. 

For him, building a deli has never been about nostalgia alone; it’s about creating a living room for the city, a place where food, memory, and migration intersect.

We discuss how Sam’s upbringing and cultural identity shaped his hospitality lens long before he entered the industry.

The challenges and wins of balancing tradition with innovation in Jewish food, how Zeitlin’s is more than a deli, it’s a home base for community and cultural belonging.

We also explore the importance of integrating business with his passion for his family and being a responsible cultural steward in a city where culinary identity is ever-evolving. 

Sam reminds us that food can be a love letter—to heritage, to place, and to the people. In this narrative where culture meets craft, this is a representation of the commitment we all share to ensure that hospitality is not built for one person but for all communities in which they serve. 

Follow along on their exciting journey, pop ups and if able - throw them some support for their next chapter here. 

As always, we want to thank our partners at Blind Barber Chicago for hosting this necessary conversation. 

See you out there, 

The T o S Crew 

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