Maya Jankelowitz

It’s an immigrants’ love story. Freda and Jack met and married in Johannesburg, South Africa, circa 1930s. They had a son and daughter and a handful of grandchildren. Their grandson Dean always dreamed of America—the America on TV—and as a teenager he packed his few items and began his great adventure. It wasn’t until 2003 that life opened its mighty divide and Dean met Maya. Maya, too, had come to New York City to find that spark and special something. Dean convinced Maya that they could make a life together. And they got married in Maya’s homeland Israel, at its spiritual center, the Western Wall. Blessed in 2007 with their firstborn, Noam, family life began. The hours and time spent working in restaurants, and their passion for hospitality, fueled the desire to open their own shop. In 2011 Benjamin arrived, and good fortune brought along a restaurant space lease on Lafayette Street in New York City that same year. With the inability to make any more decisions and the inexperience of business they settled on the name of Jack’s Wife Freda. Freda with the memory of home, of soul, of being, of welcoming. Dean’s grandmother Freda was an incredible host, gracious and, warm, always having family, friends, and strangers over- and always lots of food. So when we woke up and said “Jack’s Wife Freda!” we laughed and laughed some more, and then said, “Why not?” On Friday, January 13, 2012, we opened with all our courage, a handful of determined souls, our favorite clothes… Menu items are dishes we know and love. Teamwork is who we are. Our love for New York City is reflected in all we do… Jack’s Wife Freda is a lively all-day bistro executing American-Mediterranean cooking and classic cocktails in understated digs. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week. Long hours, deep sense of hospitality, playful sense of humor, and reasonable prices. Revising familiar twists on everyday food. Husband-and-wife owners Maya & Dean Jankelowitz have drawn on their New York restaurant backgrounds (Israel and South Africa, respectively) and their family histories to bring appealing new flavor to an urban archetype. Together, they’ve created a hospitable hangout with understated style and savvy all-day service, infused with their warm, welcoming personalities and foods that remind them of home. If you were going to give the cuisine a long and unwieldy name, it might be South African Israeli Jewish Grandmother Cuisine. (Name given by New York Magazine) And now, the very first Jack’s Wife Freda cookbook is coming your way.