Lox, Bagels, Matzo Balls, Challah Back In Town: Popular Jewish Deli Now Open In Evanston

EVANSTON, IL — A trio of Wilmette natives and New Trier High School alumni have opened their much-anticipated delicatessen in downtown Evanston.

Mensch’s Deli opened last week at 1608 Chicago Ave., the former location of the Golden Olympic diner, which closed in 2021 after more than a half century in town.

Jack DeMar, Kiki Eliopoulos and Eric Kogan graduated New Trier in 2012 and first tested out the Jewish deli concept last year down with weekend brunch pop-ups at one of DeMar's two nearby restaurants.

DeMar is a fourth-generation Evanstonian from a family of restaurateurs who dropped out of college to join the family business, which at one point had as many as 40 Demar's diners around the area.

All have closed but one in Blue Island, which is owned by a different branch of the family, while DeMar opened Pono Ono Poke at 1630 Chicago Ave. in 2017 and Picnic at 1619 Chicago Ave. in 2022, the Evanston RoundTable reported.

Mensch's includes three areas, a full dining room with room for 75 at booths and tables, a small dining area for quick service and a deli case. Bread is baked by 2 Figs Baking in Franklin Park and bagels are sourced from New York Bagel & Bialy, while the "vast majority" of its meat and fish are brined and smoked onsite, aside from salami from Romanian Kosher Sausage Co. and lox from New York’s Acme Smoked Fish, according to Eater Chicago.

So popular was Mensch's July 3 opening, the RoundTable reported, deli ended up having to close early after running out of essential items.