Kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen is a classic deli in the heart of Uptown Houston

Houston, Texas– Ziggy Gruber is following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather in the delicatessen business. kenny & Ziggy’s New York Delicatessen in Uptown Houston is the culmination of Ziggy’s life’s work.

Ziggy’s grandfather Max immigrated to the United States from Hungary in the early 20th century. By 1927, Max had opened the first Jewish-style deli on Broadway in New York.

“Me and my grandfather were very, very close,” Ziggy said. “He was my best friend and he taught me everything.”

As a young man, Ziggy opened his own deli in New York before moving to Los Angeles to open one on Sunset Boulevard.

Ziggy thinks what he’s doing is important because the traditional deli business is shrinking across the country.

“Parents worked very hard to make sure their children didn’t have to work so hard; so they sent them to doctors, lawyers, you know, businessmen,” Ziggy said. “They decided not to go into the delicatessen business, so I’m the last of the Mohicans in that regard.”

In 1999, Houston businessman Lenny Friedman and former Carnegie Deli owner Freddy Klein met Ziggy and convinced him to move to Houston and open a deli in the Lone Star State.

In the more than two decades since, Ziggy has continued to offer some of the country’s finest traditional delicacies.