Over the summer I had heard talk about Dream Deli—it’s a new deli that is influenced by the owners’ Jewish and Italian heritages, opening on SE Division Street. I was definitely intrigued, and wanted to learn more—in part because if there’s one thing Portlanders are clamoring for, it’s a Jewish deli.
I reached out to Jessie Levine, one of the owners, who brought along John Bissell, the other owner, to our conversation. Here is what I learned from them.
Dream Deli: What’s in a Name?
Straight off: I love the name, “Dream Deli,” and wanted to understand why Jessie and John decided to name it that. “So, Dream Deli kind of came from the concept that we’ve been dreaming and scheming about opening a restaurant together for almost the duration of our relationship,” said Jessie. “Which will be 12 years in December!”
She continued, “And then also in the sense that it’s a deli, right? But it’s not like a traditional Jewish deli or a traditional Italian deli—though it nods to both of those things. I have Jewish and Italian heritage, John has Italian heritage. So we’re picking and choosing the dreamiest aspects of the different kinds of delis that we really like. And putting it together into something that I think feels nostalgic and familiar, but also feels fresh and new.”
Their Favorite Delis and Inspiration for Dream Deli
I asked them about some of their favorite delis that have inspired them as they create this dream deli of their own. “We lived in LA for a while, and Langer’s Deli in Los Angeles is kind of my ideal of a Jewish deli,” said John. “And then similarly, out in Venice Beach, there’s Bay Cities Italian Deli. They make some of the best sandwiches that are ready-to-go. You can just walk in and grab a Godmother, which is their idyllic Italian grinder. So are those are two.”
He continued, “And then we also did a research trip out to New York and went to a place called S&P. It’s a really historic place—it was a sandwich counter for almost a century, and it’s been taken over by Court Street Grocers. They keep it pretty much exactly the same, and it’s just like a very egalitarian, awesome little sandwich counter.”
I then asked, “That wasn’t Eisenberg’s at one point, was it?” Turns it, it was! I used to walk by Eisenberg’s when I’d catch the N/W/Q trains by Madison Square Park. I had missed the news of the name change in 2022.
John also mentioned another New York deli, Anthony & Son in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. “They really nail the Italian deli side of things,” John remarked.
Dream Deli Is Going To Be a Pacific Northwest Deli
So while it’s easy to say that Dream Deli is a Jewish and Italian deli, there’s more to it.
“I think fundamentally, what it is going to be, more than both of those things, is a Pacific Northwest deli,” explained John. “I think that from a culinary standpoint, I do really good with tradition, and being able to draw from the traditions of Italian delis and Jewish delis is definitely a really big springboard/jumping-off point.”
He added, “But at the end of the day, what it’s inspired by the most is the amazing bounty of product that we have here.”
Both Jessie and John expressed their love of how bountiful our region is. John mentioned that Portland is the first place he’s lived where we there’s access to a farmer’s market year-round. That there are pig farms and cattle ranches within 20 miles of the city. Then there’s the Gorge with its incredible fish and the coast with its superb shellfish.
“Really, this awesome product and the relationships that I’ve been able to build with farmers and ranchers over the last two years—that ends up being the biggest thing that drives it all.”
“It’s something we’re passionate about,” added Jessie.
Farmers Markets Case in Point: Gentle Rain Farm
“After we get off the call with you today, we’re going to go out to Gentle Rain Farm,” said Jessie. “We’ve built a relationship with Sue [Nackoney, the farmer], who’s at the PSU Farmer’s Market every Saturday. As we’re in this kind of incubation period and gearing up to open, we’re trying to visit farms. And I feel it’s a cool storytelling experience, too.”
“My background is in public relations and marketing for restaurants,” Jessie continued. “And I think when you can really embrace the makers and the people who are supplying you and learn their stories, it just becomes a lot more meaningful. The food doesn’t just arrive on a truck—somebody grows it.”
“And I think that people really embrace that here, and they really care about it. We hope that they’ll see what we’re doing and and it’ll be received well,” she added.
Sandwich Inspiration From Italy
I have to admit: Prior to our conversation I was thinking Dream Deli would be operating in a kind of Italian American vein for the Italian side of things, specifically when it comes to sandwiches. Like the grinder/sub/hero and other cold cut oriented sandwiches, a meatball parm, sausage and peppers, arancini, while using PNW (local) ingredients.
Well, I was wrong—they are finding much of their sandwich inspiration is straight from Italy.
“So with like the Italian side specifically, I think that the American concept of Italian delis is very much focused on this idea of the Italian grinder,” explained John. “I’ve cooked Italian food professionally for over five years. So from the Italian sandwich standpoint, I actually draw a lot more inspiration from sandwiches found in Italy itself.”
He continued, “So things like a whole roasted porchetta that you would find in Lazio. Or the idea of a “5 and 5” sandwich—a chickpea sandwich from Livorno.
The Jewish Deli, an American Tradition
Conversely, the Jewish deli side is definitely an American thing. As John said, “With the Jewish deli side, that is a tradition that was more or less created here in America.”
Look for things like chopped liver on toast, a tuna melt, a corned beef sandwich on rye—classic Jewish deli food. “That’s kind of where the Jewish inspiration comes from,” he said.
He’s also looking forward to working with both of those flavor profiles (Jewish, Italian) to put together some interesting vegetable-forward dishes, salads and soups.
Kosher? No. Mortadella? Yes.
This will not be a Kosher deli, as they will be employing a whole animal butchery program there (the aforementioned porchetta probably gave it away, too). And John has a really good relationship with Rebel Farms. “We’ve been talking with them,” said John. “We already have kind of our our standing order for brisket worked out!”
He also mentioned his love of sausage making and charcuterie making, so they’ll be getting in whole pigs from Revel for that, as well. They will also make their deli meats in-house, which will go on their sandwiches.
I semi-jokingly asked, “Will you make a like an olive loaf?” (There are observations out there that Gen X kids loved their olive loaf.) His response?
“Mortadella is one of my favorite things to eat” he said. “So there will be some versions of that, whether it’s like an olive loaf or another version of Mortadella.”
He added, “And what we’re working on now, actually, is a way to cure ham with Koji culture. So that way it has the texture of like a Mortadella or of an olive loaf, but we’re able to use the whole muscle from the pig.”
The Usual Jewish Deli Suspects, With a Twist
I wondered if folks will enter Dream Deli thinking they can get a bowl of matzah ball soup, a knish, or a bagel. Turns out they are working on different ways to reimagine things like a knish or a rugelach, but in a way that makes sense within their concept.
“But it’s such a good springboard,” he remarked, referring to these classic Jewish deli items. John mentioned his love of a savory pastry, like a knish. “A savory pastry is just one of my favorite things,” he remarked. “So there will definitely be things that are familiar flavor profile-wise that might just be presented in a slightly different way.”
In particular, Jessie mentioned one of the soups they are going to offer. “We’re calling it a ‘Jewish Wedding Soup’ that’s kind of a mashup of a matzah ball soup and an Italian wedding soup. You’ll have the mini meatballs alongside mini matzah balls.”
She added, “Or like like a bacon challah knot!” I gotta say, this all sounds delicious.
I also asked if they were going to include any Sephardic or Ethiopian Jewish food traditions. “There might be some touches of that,” said John. “So when we’re thinking about some of the salads—or maybe some of the vegetarian options—-we’ll consider pulling from some of those other influences, as well.”
Bread at Dream Deli
Jessie also mentioned that they will not be doing bagels—but there will be other breads. Their bread program will be a mix of those baked in-house, or in partnership with their friend Brad, who recently opened Good Dough in the old Trifecta Tavern space. Brad runs Bread Fest, too.
“John and Brad are friends and worked together at Ava Gene’s,” said Jessie. “And we’re big fans of his bread. We just love the guy! He’s working on some proprietary breads for Dream Deli.”
John then mentioned an example of a traditional Jewish baked good with a PNW twist: “I’m really interested in this idea of cherry and hazelnut rugelach. These products that are so good here.”
A Few Other Details About the Food
Seasonal ingredients will also be part of the equation. “If we were to be opening right now, it would just be wild foraged berries. And it’s so so easy to translate that into these Ashkenazy pastries. But yeah, it’s just, it’s going to be dependent on this season. And the menu is going to be super dynamic based on what product we’re able to get.”
They’re also going to have some vegan options. “Oh yeah—we’re trying to figure out the perfect vegan sandwich!” John exclaimed. “We have some fun ideas kicking around for the wintertime.” John mentioned that the best sandwich he’s had in the city is still the Fermenter’s Beet Reuben.
And apparently now my reputation precedes me as someone who loves salad. (“We know you love salad!”) Jessie told me that they are determined to create some memorable salads at Dream Deli. “We definitely want there to be some meal-level, filling salads that rotate with the seasons.”
Making Corned Beef, Future Pastrami
John talked about one of his challenges, which he expects will become a favorite at Dream Deli. “The thing that has been the most time consuming as far as figuring out how to do it, is the corned beef on marble rye sandwich,” he explained. “I think I’ve tested over a dozen different methods and procedures for making it. Because it’s such a long process to do it, the testing has been quite challenging.”
He added, “But I’ve come to a good place with these really high quality briskets from Revel Meats. It’s a process that has yielded a really, really tasty simple sandwich.”
I asked about another king on the Jewish deli menu: the Pastrami on Rye. “I think eventually, we definitely do want to be able to do that,” said John. “Having such a small space and being able to figure out the smoking aspect is something that we will figure out with due time, and I think that’s where corned beef will be the jumping off point for that.”
Drinks
“We’re also putting together what I think is a really fun and snappy beverage program that’ll be all local wine and beers, as well,” said Jessie. That will include some NA beverages, but they are still developing that side of the menu.
They’re also looking at opportunities to work with wineries and breweries, similarly to how they are working with local farmers and ranchers. “That’s their life’s work, to make beautiful wines or brew beer,” said John. “And it’s a storytelling opportunity—there’s so many cool products that are produced in our region. In every way, as much as possible, we want to be a showcase for that.”
Food and Hospitality Experience
John and Jessie talked a little bit about their experience in food and hospitality. “I started cooking in Colorado when I was in college just as a way to pay the bills,” said John. “And after I got out of college, I moved into a much more formal cooking. I worked for a chef in Denver named Steve Redzikowski, and worked at his restaurant in Denver called Acorn for about three years.”
He continued, “And he taught me how to cook in a lot of ways. Then I moved to LA with a pursuit of working in fine dining and worked for Chef Ludo Lefebvre at his tiny little tasting restaurant before moving into management, where I realized that I lived in LA and I had to be able to pay the bills.
“So I started working for a chef named David LaFevre in Manhattan Beach, who has a bit of an empire down there. He taught me how to manage and also how to work with farmers market produce, and I stayed with him for about two years. And then after that, I kind of journeyed into Italian food and opened up a restaurant called Hippo as the Chef de Cuisine. I worked there in a very high volume Italian restaurant for three years and helped open it and got us up and running.
“And then, during the pandemic, I actually was reached out to by Chef Steve again in Colorado, and moved into the executive chef role at the restaurant where I had originally started. I was there for two years before being recruited to move out here. I was recruited originally by Submarine Hospitality, which then went through their big changes as their restaurant group changed. I ended up in the executive chef role at Ava Gene’s and was there for the last year and a half.
Jessie added, “But he was actually recruited by Submarine to open his own restaurant at the Ace Hotel. That project fell through, unfortunately.”
The Location
I asked them why they chose this location for Dream Deli.
“Oh, it’s just the dreamiest space—and that kind of connects to the name too,” said Jessie. ”We saw the space originally when the previous tenant was in there—it was a plant shop and boutique called Gone West. So it’s on the corner. And this is a corner that we’ve loved since we moved to Portland.”
She continued, “We love Division, we love the Cat’s Paw Saloon and the Tomorrow Theater, so we just felt like, ‘Oh my gosh, what a dream!’ And the space itself is small—we’ve always kind of dreamed about having a small restaurant. Something that’s cozy and quaint and manageable with the two of us.”
Being on a corner, it has a lot of windows, so it’s filled with light, which is a nice bonus.
Getting the Space Ready
They’ve been working with a local architect, Pooja (Kashyap) Apple, at Curious Architects. “Our kitchen equipment supplier has been around the block,” said Jessie. “So that was really helpful to have someone who knew what to be anticipated in terms of health code and the like.” They also have had a beginner’s mindset, which can help one feel more relaxed during a complex job or project.
She added, “The buildout has been fully designing the kitchen and the restaurant from basically a window and concrete box. So we’ve learned a lot.”
They mentioned that much of the space will be occupied by the kitchen and its equipment. Having a bread program, a pastry program, and a whole animal butchery program does take up space, and they are doing their best to fit it all in.
And you’ll be able to see the activity in the kitchen when you are there at Dream Deli, “This working kitchen is really just going to be divided by some glass, so everyone will see exactly what’s going on every moment of the day,” said Jessie.
And while I sort of imagined Dream Deli to be a takeout spot, they will have seating both inside and outside in the warmer months. Inside there are about 19 seats.
The Feel of Dream Deli
So how will it feel to be inside Dream Deli? “I would say colorful and cozy,” Jessie remarked. “It is small—925 square feet inside. So it’s just cozy by nature of the size.”
She says they are definitely having fun putting it all together, that this creative process has been really enjoyable. She said, “I feel like the creative process of selecting things and designing it has been really fun. And there are certainly nods to to the things that we’re pulling references from, like Jewish delis and Italian delis. I feel like a lot of Jewish delis have blues, as a kind of a popular color, so our branding has some familiar shades of blue.”
She continued, “From the Italian side, I sort of became obsessed with this vintage Italian clock that was made in Milan in the 1980s, and so I was able to source one of them. So we’re sourcing some fun pieces here and there.” That includes a handmade mirror in the bathroom.
Despite the fact that she’s not a designer by trade, Jessie has enjoyed putting thought into the look and feel of the space. “I think it’s the stuff that we feel references our inspiration points, like these Jewish Italian frameworks, and then also just stuff that we like and is joyful.”
Dream Deli Opening Date
It’s still a bit up in the air, but they are hoping to open during the fall season.
It was great to chat with Jessie and John about Dream Deli and I wish them all the best as they prepare the space, menu, and everything else needed to open there on SE Division.
Dream Deli [opening fall 2025]
3542 SE Division Street, Portland
Dream Deli website | Instagram
Meg Cotner
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