Chef David Viana is a James Beard Award nominee and former “Top Chef” contestant.
He also co-owns Heirloom Kitchen, a prix-fixe restaurant in Old Bridge and Asbury Park that was named USA Today's Restaurant of the Year, and Lita in Aberdeen.
But this celebrated chef doesn't just create carefully presented dishes.
“I'm a sandwich nut,” Viana says, “and when everything comes together perfectly in a sandwich, that's the best thing in the world to me.”
Now, Viana is teaming up with Heirloom Hospitality founder and co-owner Neely Robinson, executive chef Zachary Abramzon and sous chef Jack Cunningham to bring the “perfect” sandwich to Old Bridge.
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Abramzon & David's Delicatesse will open in November at 3847 Route 516, next to Heirloom Kitchen's Old Bridge location, replacing an insurance office.
And, just like when Heirloom Kitchen opened more than a decade ago, it will bring a new flavor to Central Jersey.
“This isn't your average deli or Italian sandwich place,” Robinson says. “It's an extension of Heirloom Kitchen's mission to draw inspiration from the world.”
The globally inspired menu will feature eight rotating sandwich varieties, including a pastrami sandwich inspired by Robinson's traditions, a Portuguese sandwich inspired by Viana's traditions, a Cuban sandwich, a meatball sandwich and a banh mi.
Other items on the menu include soup, turkey or tuna salad, potato salad and coleslaw. Abramzon & David's Delicatesse will also be selling Cuban coffee and breakfast sandwiches on weekend mornings.
“I love the vehicle that is bread. I'm Portuguese, so bread is a staple,” says Viana, whose father is a baker. “There are a few sandwich places that I know and love, and this is both a tribute to them and my attempt to create something that could become an Old Bridge institution.”
That may be a welcome development: Robinson said that even though she's worked in Old Bridge since Heirloom Kitchen was founded in 2013, she still doesn't know where to get a good sandwich in the neighborhood.
“When the space next to us had been vacant for over a year, we even contacted Jersey Mike's and asked them to come take a look at the space,” Robinson said.
Little did she and Viana know that the sandwiches they would be serving would be theirs, rather than a Jersey Mike's.
Sandwiches are served in a minimalist space that seats 20, with tables stacked with Viana's favorite cookbooks, a homage to Heirloom Kitchen's cookbook section and Viana's own extensive cookbook collection.
“We wanted it to feel like a gathering place, not a typical sandwich shop,” Robinson said. “It'll have an eclectic feel with a touch of nostalgia.”
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Robinson and Neely hope to eventually expand the concept to multiple locations and also use it as an incubator space for new culinary ideas.
“Maybe it will inspire us to start a baking program in our restaurants or use the same application for our celery pastrami as we research and develop our pastrami from scratch,” Viana said. “Maybe something really fun could come from having Zach, Jack and I in the kitchen together.”
Abramzon is of Ukrainian and Israeli descent, while Cunningham is a former football player and “always cooks food that can be eaten with your fingers,” Biana joked.
The sandwich shop is also about the chefs who work there, and Robinson and Biana said it was important to them to create new opportunities for them to grow and “shine.”
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This complements the company's other employee-friendly practices: At Lita, employees are trained to work both front and back of house, and everyone starts at the same salary and shares tips; at Abramzon & David's Delicatesse, for example, all the chefs in the Heirloom Kitchen create a sandwich that might stay on the menu for a while.
The concept was born when Viana was feeding her own chefs. When Heloom Kitchen hosted a restaurant pop-up in Philadelphia in 2021, the team would often return to the Airbnb at 2 a.m., with Viana making sandwiches for hungry, tired staff.
“Serving people sandwiches at midnight is a very chef-like thing to do,” he said.
That eventually led to Abramzon's dream of opening his own sandwich shop, which he confided in Biana as soon as he was hired.
Local accolades:Tucked away in a strip mall, Old Bridge Restaurant is considered one of the best restaurants in America.
Abramzon & David's Delicatesse is also the ideal project for the busy Robinson and Viana right now, who have other plans.
“We have a concept we can execute when the right opportunity arises, but we're just patiently waiting for it,” Robinson said. “This just felt like a natural fit.”
learn more:instagram.com/abramzonanddavids; opening in November at 3847 Route 516, Old Bridge; heirloomkitchen.com.
Contact: JIntersimone@MyCentralJersey.com
Jenna Intersimone has been on staff with USA Today Network New Jersey since 2014, but she's a native New Jersey girl who considers herself well-versed in everything from the New Jersey Shore to the Garden State's bustling downtowns. To get unlimited access to her articles on food, drink, and fun, subscribe now or activate your digital account. You can also follow her on Instagram @seejennaeat and on Twitter @. translation:.
