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TRU Astoria general manager Yanni Stathakis.
“For somebody who loves to please and
loves to cook for people, nothing is a better
feeling than that.”
He said his typical customers range
from tourists who know they have to try a
pastrami sandwich while they’re in town to
experts who already love it.
COVID-19 was disappointing for
Steinberg, who loves serving customers
and feeds off the energy of crowds of
thousands at food markets. Plus, selling
mobile food was 95 percent of his
business. He spent February preparing for
the summer Smorgasburg season, right
before businesses essentially shut down.
When Smorgaburg launched on a
smaller, socially distant scale in July,
Steinberg was in the first lineup of vendors
opening week. Even though he’s faced
some challenges, and it wasn’t the same as
last year, he didn’t appear to let it get him
down.
I met him there on a hot, humid August
evening to try the pastrami for myself,
When he has catered mostly house
parties, kafka, chicken kebabs, fresh
flatbreads and Israeli-style salads were
popular items on the menu. Plus, he
claims that he makes “the best baba
ghanoush around.” He said some local
spots in Astoria like the King Souvlaki
truck on 31st Avenue and Sal, Kris, &
Charlie’s Deli have influenced him,
along with all the places he has worked.
One of his goals for the end of the
year is to have his own storefront in
Long Island City or Forest Hills as a
hub for deliveries. He feels lucky to
have his own business.
“I was working for so many years
managing people’s businesses ... so it
felt great,” he said. “The payoff is not
immediate — it’s nice to work hard and
build something in your own name.”
You can order food from Steinberg
at www.chefsteinbergcatering.com.
and brought along my sister and her
boyfriend so we could share. Brimming
with energy, Steinberg greeted us
while wrapping up a classic pastrami
sandwich, a Reuben (his number-one
seller), and a Dr. Brown’s black cherry
soda — he insisted. We also watched
him at work at his booth, slathering
classic rye bread with Thousand Island
dressing, carefully cutting through the
thick smoked meat, adding Swiss, and
waiting for the perfect moment to slice
it in half, to show off the melted cheese
slowly pulling apart.
His favorite moment is watching
“that eye roll” when people take their
first bite.
“I definitely miss that,” he said.
He didn’t get to see ours, but I
watched my sister and her boyfriend
take their first bite, and can attest that it
happened.
He also sent us off with a piece of
babka baked that morning. It’s one of
my favorite desserts, but quality can
vary. This one would have stood out at
the family parties Berg mentioned — it
was dense, gooey and delicious. I was
supposed to save some for later, but
once I had a bite, I couldn’t stop eating
it. I didn't share this well at all.
Since COVID-19 slowed down
the food market scene, Steinberg
has been focusing on pushing his
catering business. Kebab plates and
babka have been popular, which
means getting up at 4 a.m. to bake the
dessert in his kitchen. Often people,
especially in Astoria, order too much
because they want to try everything,
or can’t get it anywhere else, he said.
He recently delivered food from his
catering menu that seemed like it was
for a small gathering, but it was for a
couple.
Photos by Howard Chen and Andrew Leung
Photo by Danielle Brody
/www.chefsteinbergcatering.com
/BOROMAG.COM
/www.chefsteinbergcatering.com
