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(New York Jewish Week) – Sammy’s Roumanian, the one-of-a-kind Decrease East Aspect Ashkenazi restaurant that’s been described as “a darkish and dingy place” the place “each evening was a bar mitzvah,” has been sorely missed by many New Yorkers because it shuttered its doorways for good in January 2021.
Former prospects might discover themselves eager for its chopped liver, ready tableside with schmaltz and crispy onions, or lovingly recalling raucous evenings fueled by bottles of vodka served on ice. However in the event you’re feeling nostalgic for the musical stylings of Dani Luv — the person who entertained Sammy’s diners nightly for greater than 20 years with schticky songs like “Hey Jew,” a tackle the Beatles’ “Hey Jude” — you’re in luck: Luv might be again on stage this very Friday evening within the East Village.
Luv might be performing on the after-party for “The Comedy ‘CLUB,’” a comedy present that includes an all-Jewish lineup offered by Lil’ Fish Comedy. Its producer, Ali Fischbein, hopes that, with Luv on board, the night will devolve into the form of party-like-we’ve-just-arrived-from-the-Previous World balagan that made Sammy’s Roumanian well-known.
Fischbein, 27, started producing comedy reveals through the pandemic — her first few had been held in an alleyway and served as fundraisers for the Sixth Avenue Neighborhood Middle, which had grow to be an emergency meals distribution middle through the early months of COVID-19.
As of late, Fischbein is one thing of a veteran with regards to Jewish-themed comedy reveals. Final month, she partnered with Yonah Schimmel’s Knish Bakery and Previous Jewish Males — the model and Instagram account — to do a comedy present at the back of the shop, full with a klezmer clarinetist.
The comedy present within the again room of Yonah Schimmel’s Knishes on April 9, 2022. (Patty Brown)
“Being Jewish and being in comedy are form of like a wedding,” Fischbein advised the New York Jewish Week. “I’ve all the time thought-about myself a Yente, however the matchmaking in my world is creating shared experiences and connecting individuals — matchmaking comedy with an viewers.”
As for Friday’s present, “We simply needed to create an expertise the place individuals can relive Sammy’s and snigger whereas doing it.”
After all, there’s no reliving Sammy’s with out its important entertainer — Luv — who Fischbein booked via his web site after seeing him carry out at one other occasion.
For his half, the 64-year-old, Israeli-born Luv — whose actual identify is Dani Lubnitzki — has been protecting busy with personal occasions and gigs because the closing of the restaurant that made his profession, with hopes of at some point returning to the Sammy’s stage, which Luv says is a chance.
(The New York Jewish Week was not capable of verify that, however when the restaurant introduced its closure in early 2021, proprietor David Zimmerman stated he supposed to reopen once more in a brand new location, writing in an Instagram submit: “We could also be closed now, however when all that is over and we really feel protected sufficient to carry arms through the hora, we might be again stronger, louder, and tastier than ever earlier than.”)
We caught up with Luv in all his glory forward of his Friday evening present to learn the way he acquired began at Sammy’s, what he’s been as much as because it closed and what it’s like bringing his type of leisure to youthful generations.
This dialog has been condensed and edited for readability.
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The New York Jewish Week: What’s your origin story at Sammy’s Roumanian?
Dani Luv: It was superb. I lived right here [in New York] within the ’80s and had gone again to Israel for six years. In 1998, I had a really tough 12 months in Israel economically, so I stated, I’m gonna return to New York the place I’ve connections, and I’m going to search for some work for a 12 months or two. I got here again to New York on my birthday, Sept. 17, 1998. I didn’t even understand it was my birthday as a result of every little thing was so tough after I made the choice to return to the US. Solely after I was on the airplane did I understand.
I lived with a good friend for a few weeks, and I began to gather telephone numbers of musicians. About two weeks after I arrived, one in all them referred to as me and stated, “Are you aware Sammy’s?” I had eaten there as soon as and performed a personal occasion as soon as in one other upstairs — it was for the employees of a Billy Crystal film that had simply wrapped, however I’d by no means been downstairs.
One of many musicians there needed to eliminate his Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday performances. The remainder is historical past. The place was superb for me. It suits me so properly. The place could be very free, very New York. It appears to be like like a shithole [but] with loads of environment. Nice crowds. [When I started] the common age was 45 to 80. After 10 years, it turned 25 to 45. It’s like the following technology was coming in swiftly.
After two years, my good friend who did the Friday, Saturday, Sunday performances let me change him as a result of he had too many outdoors personal gigs. Actually, he couldn’t take the drunk individuals — there have been so many drunk individuals. I like these sons of bitches. So it turned six days per week, altogether for 21 years till March 2020.
How did you develop your act? Did you research any Yiddish vaudeville?
I sing covers: Sinatra, Billy Joel. Very official stuff. When it comes to jokes, I like my jokes nevertheless it’s not precisely stand-up comedy, despite the fact that I name my act comedy and music. It’s principally improv. I take into consideration the viewers, I speak about Jews and shiksas. It’s a really quaint Jewish, New York type. It’s little insults — individuals heckle me and I reply them again. It’s mingling with the gang. Principally I sing and joke all evening. Even in the course of a tune, I’ll make some joke concerning the couple that simply got here in. I’ll see a woman on the door and she or he simply appears to be like so Jewish, she’s not even there for 20 seconds and she or he’s already complaining.
On the finish of the evening, we did loads of dancing. Once more, dancing with humor. When the brand new technology began to come back, we added one other half hour of dwell disco. So I used to be a DJ on the finish, too. However once more, I didn’t shut the f— up. I used to be speaking and DJing and making individuals snigger.
What was your favourite a part of the job?
I like to do what I do. It’s one thing that I’ve constructed. So there’s not only one spotlight, it’s all of the dancing through the years.
After we did a hora, it was a 15-minute hora, the place the Jews and Christians and African-American and Chinese language New Yorkers had been all dancing. That’s one thing that may solely occur in New York. It could cease and begin and cease and begin once more, all the time with loads of jokes in between. It was actually comedy, dancing and music. It was all the time the spotlight of the night.
What have you ever been as much as since Sammy’s closed?
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The primary couple months I did just a few personal events, principally followers from the Sammy’s crowd. Nevertheless it was actually tough the primary 12 months. In 2021 issues acquired a bit higher. In September till only in the near past, I began in one other restaurant referred to as Bacall’s [Family Steakhouse in the Theater District].
The place was attractive — it seemed like Saddam Hussein’s place. It was so lovely it was disgusting. However no person knew who I used to be or what I did. We had been making an attempt to do a nightclub from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., however there was no promoting. You can not do it through e mail. It is advisable put it in a paper — Sammy’s crowd isn’t one factor. You can not purpose for a sure minority or a sure age group.
Some Sammy’s individuals would come as soon as, however they by no means got here again. They tried to do the identical meals with an enormous menu, nevertheless it wasn’t the identical. I nonetheless acquired nice critiques from individuals. It was a distinct crowd, as a result of the restaurant was close to Broadway, so it was individuals coming from everywhere in the world. They noticed me objectively, as a result of they might come to eat earlier than the present with out realizing who I used to be. I used to be nonetheless profitable, the critiques on Google had been superb.
However my contract is over and I didn’t actually just like the place anyway.
Why do you assume Sammy’s is so necessary to each Jewish New Yorkers and to New York on the whole?
It was like nothing else. The type was Jewish. The meals was near Jewish, some issues had been very Jewish. It was principally Japanese European Jewish meals. Very fundamental meals, however nice meals.
There was loads of nightclubs and, whether or not they had been Israelis or Jewish, there’s nothing left. So I believe it’s necessary to have a minimum of one place that reminds us of the outdated days, that feels very genuine, that connects us to the Jews on the Decrease East Aspect and Chrystie Avenue in the beginning of the century via World Battle II. It isn’t ever going to be the identical location, sadly, nevertheless it’s additionally not too far.
What are you hoping to deliver to Friday’s comedy present?
The identical Sammy’s environment. Mingling with the crowds, and making them snigger. Hopefully there might be dancing and singing as properly. I’m very excited.
The Comedy ‘CLUB’ is internet hosting Dani Luv tonight, 5/13 at Nublu Basic (62 Ave. C) within the East Village. Purchase tickets right here, and comply with @lilfishcomedy for updates on future reveals.
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