Wise Sons Taking CJM Cafe Space

The Contemporary Jewish Museum. [Photo: Bruce Damonte]

Leo Beckerman and Evan Bloom of Wise Sons Deli are now officially in expansion mode: after acquiring a commissary kitchen for baking and meat production at 22nd and Mission a few months back (they're moving in this week), they've now announced that they'll be taking over the operation of the Contemporary Jewish Museum's cafe, which went dark in December of last year. The menu at the new cafe will be a miniature version of the 24th Street mothership's, with Jewish deli sandwiches, salads, and soups. Another key addition: a takeout window, which will double as SF's only outpost for purchasing Beauty's Bagels from Oakland.

The plan is to operate the 30-seat cafe during museum hours, with the takeout window offering extended hours on days the museum is closed or opening later. Diners won't need a museum ticket, though they will have to go through security (just pretend you're in Israel). Online and phone ordering for the takeout window will be available for local office types, who can pick up and devour their pastrami in the lovely CJM courtyard. Wise Sons will have to double their 20-person staff to pull off the dual locations; no word on how that'll affect their timeline for expanding the mothership to dinnertime, though they do have recently-acquired third chef Matt Shapiro to help with the transition. The plan is to open sometime this summer.

· Wise Sons Deli expansion, part one [Inside Scoop]
· Wise Sons Deli expansion, part two [Inside Scoop]