How Rye & Brine started
Rye & Brine opened in 1986 in a rowhouse on Pine Street with a slicer, a steamer and a recipe for pastrami from a cousin in the Bronx. The first year we sold pastrami, corned beef and pickles, and the pickles paid the rent.
The slicer is on its third motor. The bagels came in 1994, when we took over the bakery next door and knocked through the wall. The pastrami recipe has not been touched, and the cousin still checks.
What we insist on
- Brisket cured in our own brine, ten days for pastrami, fourteen for corned beef
- Meat sliced to order, by hand, never from a pile in the case
- Bagels boiled in malt water and baked on wet boards, from five every morning
- Pickles fermented in salt brine in the basement, no vinegar
Who is behind the counter
Fourteen people. Three on the slicers, two in the bagel room, one on soups and salads, and the rest at the counter and the register. At noon on a weekday all of them are talking at once.
Good to know
How much meat is on a sandwich?
Half a pound on pastrami and corned beef, weighed on the scale. Add a quarter pound at checkout if that is not enough.
Are the salads sold by weight?
Yes. The price shown is for half a pound; pick a pound, two pounds or a five-pound tray at checkout.
Is the kitchen kosher?
No. We follow the recipes, not the rules, and we serve the Reuben and the turkey club with cheese.
Can I order for later?
Yes. Pick a time at checkout. Sandwiches are sliced and wrapped ten minutes before, platters are packed the night before and finished the morning of.