I fondly remember working part-time after High School for "Wally's Kosher Deli" in the Milk Pail at 3320 West Devon Avenue, just west of McCormick Boulevard in Lincolnwood, Illinois. Before the Milk Pail, it was Blanche's Super Milk Market.
A BIT ABOUT WALLY BRIN'S YOUTH:November 04, 1941, Chicago Tribune: Crane Tech High Defeats Anundsen in Soccer, 8-0, in a north section Chicago Public High School soccer league game in Winnemac park. Wally Brin, playing center forward, scored four goals for the west siders. It was the fourth win in six games.May 02, 1942, Chicago Tribune: Wally Brin hit a home run in the last half of the seventh inning after two were out to give Crane H.S. a 12 to 11 victory over Foreman H.S. in Altgeld park. It was Crane's sixth straight win and left it the only undefeted team in the west section.October 22, 1942, Chicago Tribune: Wally Brin is the captain of Crane Tech H.S. soccer team. Undefeated Aledo H.S. with only one game to play, clinched at least a share in the Little Six Conference championship last Friday night, October 16, when it downed Avon H.S., 33 to 13. All other conference teams have lost at least one game.June 03, 1943, Chicago Tribune: Crain Tech H.S., defending west section champion, defeated Steinmetz H.S., 6 to 4, in Altgeld park, cutting Steinmetz's lead in the current race to half a game. Wally Brin caught the first six innings for Crane H.S. and then when to the mound in the seventh, relieving Gene Revell and checked the rally after Steinmetz had scored four runs.Wally was a minor league baseball player for the Chicago White Sox before he entered the Army. He was an Army MP for three years during WWII.
I worked part-time after High School for Wally's Deli in the Milk Pail, which was 5 blocks from my house, for 4 years, most nights but some weekend mornings too.
It was a great job and pay, especially for a high school student. Wally was a great guy to work for. We cooked the best brisket corned beef, 15 briskets at a time, three days a week, in the back room of the Deli.We were free to eat anything from the Deli except for the Lox and Smoked Chubs (small white fish), which I ate nearly every night for 4 years. Wally knew!
Rosen's Rye Bread was delivered into a locked box in the alley behind the building every morning around 4 o'clock. They were so hot that you needed gloves to handle the loaves.
The top sellers were the 1. Meat, 2. Cheese, 3. Fish, and 4. Vegetable Lazy Susan Trays. The average order was 3 types of trays, feeding anywhere from 30 to 300 or more. Being Kosher, we catered to Synagogue events, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, Weddings, Funerals, Shiva (a week-long mourning period in Judaism, [aka Wake; non-Jewish]), Family Reunions, Sweet-16 parties, and other special events. We delivered at no cost.
Wally's made a killer 3-bean salad, chopped chicken liver, lox cream cheese, and many other Jewish favorites that people would drive 20-plus miles to purchase.
Wally found me a part-time day job two summers in a row with one of his restauranteur friends. One was a fast-paced breakfast and lunch sit-down restaurant downtown with a deli/sandwich counter where customers lined up outside waiting to order. Another summer job was with the "Bagel Nosh" in the Gold Coast neighborhood on State Street in the Rush Street area.
Wally found me a part-time day job two summers in a row with one of his restauranteur friends. One was a fast-paced breakfast and lunch sit-down restaurant downtown with a deli/sandwich counter where customers lined up outside waiting to order. Another summer job was with the "Bagel Nosh" in the Gold Coast neighborhood on State Street in the Rush Street area.
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Wally's served sandwiches, hot and cold. One evening, a regular customer, a complainer, came in, "Last night, my sandwich didn't have enough corned beef on it." Wally's served huge sandwiches. He ordered a hot pastrami sandwich with heavy mustard on both sides and a half-pound of coleslaw. I put a lot of mustard on both sides of both slices of rye bread so he couldn't pick it up with his hands. Wally asked me if that guy had been in a few days later. I told him I hadn't seen him since I put mustard on both sides of both slices of the rye bread. Wally burst out in laughter. He said he didn't know how to get the guy to stop complaining. While he gave me a hug and thanked me, he said, "That's the funniest way to rid the Deli of an unwanted customer I've ever heard."
You knew he was genuine because Wally was always upbeat, in a good mood, and treated everybody respectfully and kindly.
The Milk Pail closed its doors in 1992.
Not to be confused with the Milk Pail Restaurant in Dundee, Illinois.
Not to be confused with the Milk Pail Restaurant in Dundee, Illinois.
Copyright © Dr. Neil Gale, Ph.D. All Rights Reserved.
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My husband and I used to frequent the Milk Pail every Sunday morninng during the first year we were married, August 1989, while living in our first apartment in southeast Evanston. We went for the excellent smoked chubs, cream cheese and bagels. We moved to Des Plaines, IL in September 1990 and that ended our regular visits. Many, many fond memories!
ReplyDeleteI worked at the milk pail from 1965-1968,when the owner was Art Blanche. Louie Geske was the manager.
ReplyDeleteI worked there after school off and on from 1968-73-do you remember tom the night manager,ralph and Perry-the day staff and more or Maury who said he worked at the board of trade-joel weissman
DeleteYes, I remember Tom Moore and Ralph the stock man. Ralph’s daughter worked years later when I sipped.I remember Bert Bender, he’s an architect and lives in Key West. Morris Krumbhorn went on to work at the Board of Trade or maybe the Mercany trade. I also remember Herb Jacobi, Tom Moore Junior, Steve Greenberg and of course Red. Also Skip Reds brother.
DeleteI worked at The Milk Pail from 1991 to 1994. The deli and grocery were combined in one operation by then, owned by Steve Brin and his partner Harry Friedman. To this day I tell family members how the tongues and corned beef briskets were cooked (by Norm Drell) in that big cauldron in the back. The place was a social nerve center in those pre-digital days; anything that was happening in the community was sure to be telegraphed there.
ReplyDeleteDuring my time at Wally's, we boiled 15 briskets at a time. We had a small steamer at the counter and served hot corned beef or pastrami sandwiches or hot to go.
DeleteYep, the steamer was still there when I was there. I worked 3pm-11pm most days, so I got the job of emptying the water and cleaning everything out. By that time, though, hot pastrami wasn't really done - just corned beef.
DeleteThe owners were related to my husband. I remember shopping there as a kid way before we met.
ReplyDeleteIt’s funny how people are connected. I still miss the place. Not enough good deli’s around anymore
Lastly I remember when a customer left and was parked in the front of the store. As she got in the seat a passing car hit the open door and she was terrified and her door went down the street,
ReplyDelete