SERVICE WITH A RYE SMILE VENERABLE NATE 'N AL'S MARKS 60TH YEAR IN BIZ.Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer BEVERLY HILLS Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. - There was no free lunch for diners shelling out 60 cents for a $12 pastrami sandwich Tuesday at the 60th birthday of Nate 'n Al's Deli. For it took two hours waiting in 80-degree heat just to get in the place. ``Are you guys meshugeneh (nuts)? Get outta here!'' yelled the Rosenblum Twins comics to the throng of diners standing outside the modest Beverly Hills deli during a star-studded celebration. ``I would never stand in line.'' And yet, stand in line they did. Hundreds played hooky from work to schlep schlep or schlepp also shlep Slang v. schlepped also shlepped, schlep·ping or schlepp·ing also shlep·ping, schleps or schlepps also shleps v.tr. across Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. for deli delights at 1940s prices. Nate 'n Al's, a storefront Beverly Hills celebrity landmark since 1945, didn't disappoint. ``There's no better deli in L.A. - this is an L.A.-Beverly Hills moment,'' said Ken Sherman, 57, of Los Angeles. ``It's not the price - it's the tradition.'' While vintage autos lined up outside, Hollywood stars whizzed past the queue to nosh on the deli's man-sized pastrami, turkey and corned beef sandwiches - not to forget its famous cole slaw slaw n. Chiefly Southern U.S. Coleslaw. Noun 1. slaw - basically shredded cabbage coleslaw salad - food mixtures either arranged on a plate or tossed and served with a moist dressing; usually consisting of and potato salads. The birthday cake? Made of chopped liver. To gild the lily gild 1 tr.v. gild·ed or gilt , gild·ing, gilds 1. To cover with or as if with a thin layer of gold. 2. To give an often deceptively attractive or improved appearance to. 3. , the Mendelson family, founders of the eatery, even decked out two waitresses in diamonds valued at $1 million per worker, courtesy of Martin Katz Ltd. ``I do feel elegant,'' beamed Arlene Malmberg, 62, a 28-year waitress and queen for the day who said she'd worn nothing but ``schlock'' up to that point. Around her neck hung a $595,000 necklace, accompanied by $125,000 earrings and an 8-carat, emerald-cut diamond ring worth $275,000. ``They'll be gone in an hour, just like Cinderella's.'' Nate 'n Al's, located on trendy Beverly Boulevard, has long been known for its star sightings. Legend has it that Doris Day stopped by Nate's every morning in her bathrobe for breakfast. Larry King, who brought his breakfast buddies by Tuesday for bagels and lox, bought his Beverly Hills home because it was close to Nate's. He was joined throughout the day by sitcom icon Suzanne Pleshette (``The Bob Newhart Show''), who donned waitress garb to serve her husband, comedian Tom Poston, as well as Oscar winner Jon Voight, Variety columnist Army Archerd and actress Nicollette Sheridan of ``Desperate Housewives.'' ``Of course I love Nate's deli - roll out of bed, roll into Al's,'' said the vamp actress, wearing a strapless strap·less adj. Having no strap or straps, as a dress or an undergarment. n. A garment having no strap or straps. strapless Adjective black gown, well past noon. ``My good Jewish family, everybody needs one.'' Each year, the famous deli dishes out 130,000 matzo balls, 16,000 gallons of chicken soup chicken soup Chicken broth Folk medicine Jewish penicillin A fowl broth with a long tradition as a home remedy for URIs, which may be a nasal decongestant, inhibit growth of pneumococci in vitro, and stimulate immune responsiveness in WBCs Mainstream medicine A and 80,000 pounds of corned beef. Behind its counter glistened a full line of fatty treats: tubs of cream cheese; noodle kugel ku·gel n. A baked pudding of noodles or potatoes, eggs, and seasonings, traditionally eaten by Jews on the Sabbath. [Yiddish kugel, ball (from its puffed-up shape), from Middle High German. ; knockwurst knock·wurst n. Variant of knackwurst. Noun 1. knockwurst - short thick highly seasoned sausage knackwurst sausage - highly seasoned minced meat stuffed in casings ; and other knishes. Army Archerd hurried down the sidewalk with a bag of challah, lamenting that all the great delis were gone, except Nate 'n Al's. Hot customers drooled. ``We're getting rowdy,'' yelled Dr. Georgia Burns at a bouncer. Burns said she took a bus from Playa playa or pan or flat or dry lake Flat-bottomed depression that is periodically covered by water. Playas occur in interior desert basins and adjacent to coasts in arid and semiarid regions. del Rey and waited more than two hours for a 60-cent lunch: ``I like a good deal.'' ``It's a rip-off; you have to eat in,'' complained Aboubakr Talkhan, 75, of Los Angeles, brandishing a Nate's ad that said ``no take-out limit.'' ``Pshhht!'' Bilha Karpel was shopping at the Gap in Beverly Hills when she saw the hoopla hoop·la n. Informal 1. a. Boisterous, jovial commotion or excitement. b. Extravagant publicity: The new sedan was introduced to the public with much hoopla. 2. outside Nate's and decided to drop in for a pastrami sandwich for her 16-year-old son Guy at Milken Community High School Milken Community High School, colloquially called Milken, is a private Jewish High School in the Bel-Air area of Los Angeles, California. Though it is affiliated with the Reform Stephen S. Wise Temple, it is officially non-denominational. . ``Labor of love,'' said Karpel, 43, of Encino. ``I love him more than anything.'' Others thought the wait insane. ``Why should I wait in line?'' said Fay Block, 74, of Los Angeles, from across the street. ``I know what the food tastes like. ``Oh, Jon Voight, I've seen him 99 times, I have his autograph. ... I don't think these old people should be standing in this heat.'' Dana Bartholomew, (818) 713-3730 dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Actress Suzanne Pleshette serves up food Tuesday as part of the 60th anniversary of Nate 'n Al's Deli in Beverly Hills. (2 -- color) Waiting in long lines, customers were eager to buy their own 60-cent pastrami sandwiches, one of the 60th anniversary specials available at Nate 'n Al's on Tuesday. (3 -- color) Pleshette takes a break to enjoy a conversation with Barbara Davis, Tom Poston, Army Archerd and Jon Voight. John Lazar/Staff Photographer |
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