Chick & Ruth’s Delly
For this Maryland Institution, It’s All in the Family
By Kevin J. Kohler, Assistant Editor
A bunch of things run through Ted Levitt’s mind as he recites the Pledge of Alliagence every morning, but none of them have to do with the logistics of running the famous deli that may well be the heart of old Annapolis. And while he is certainly quite patriotic, patriotism isn’t really on his mind either. Saying the pledge is simply his way of focusing on other people, which is what he loves to do.
“It has everything to do with thinking of something that’s a good thing, and it makes you think, ‘How can I do good things?’” says Levitt, who started the tradition with his dad, Chick, in 1989, when his son’s school wasn’t saying the pledge and customers were talking about flag burners. For Levitt, coming to work every day really is all about being a good person—serving other people, making them happy, and enjoying himself in the process.
While times have changed, and the menu has expanded from two pages to eight, the deli, which is really a full-service restaurant, is run in much the same way as it was when Chick and Ruth purchased it in August 1965. These days, Ted’s wife, Beth, handles the behind-the-scenes items, allowing Ted to stay up front and work the floor like his dad did.
“I socialize all day long—talking to the customers, doing magic for people. She takes care of whatever has to be done, and I just continue playing,” says Ted, fondly known as “Uncle Teddy.”
Family, Friends, and Fame
People—framed on yellow walls, memorialized with sandwiches, working behind the counter, and enjoying themselves in the deli’s 31 tables and booths—make Chick and Ruth’s the landmark it is.
At age eight, Ted began helping his parents by slicing meats, and his children, Scott and Lauren (for whom the Inn upstairs is named), still lend a hand when they’re not studying medicine or managing a New York theatre. Last month, Ted and Beth celebrated their 27th anniversary; a momentous occasion both personally and professionally as they’ve been working side-by-side all those years.
Everybody’s family at Chick and Ruth’s. Celebrities are pictured on the walls along with everyday couples who got engaged at the deli. Approximately 25 staff, about half of whom have five years or more with the deli, are identified on the deli’s web site, along with locals, visitors, dignitaries, and military friends the Levitts have gotten to know over the years. Genny, who will have 30 years with the restaurant come May, helps make many of the dishes, including the cream of crab soup. “Without her, the place would never run,” says waitress Jessica Beasley, 20, who will soon complete her first year.
Various groups meet upstairs throughout the week, and a great many customers are regulars—often with their own established seats. Ted even has a box of hundreds of names he calls on birthdays.
“I think as time moves on, there are very few places where they truly treat you like a friend and not just a customer,” says Ted. “Most people, once they come in here, come back, because the staff treats them like locals. The more modern the city, state, and country get, the better we look.”
Food, Fun, and First-Rate
Over 10 million people have been served by Chick and Ruth’s Delly, which Chick, who was dyslexic, spelled phonetically on a legal form early on. The variety of items offered at the deli is astounding, and business is about 40% breakfast, 40% lunch, and 20% dinner, according to Ted. Breakfast items include homemade muffins, bagels, Belgian waffles and pancakes, and all sorts of egg platters, but the most popular are the creamed chip beef, the corned beef hash, and the crab omelets.
Lunch items include 62 sandwiches named after politicians and other key people, a tradition that started almost from the beginning. “First, with few exceptions, they have to be regulars. Second, they have to be friendly, and they have to be doing good things,” says Ted.
The famous bread-and-butter pickles that come with each sandwich are from Caplan and Zurbin in New Jersey, just as they’ve been since day one. The deli goes though about three barrels or 300 pounds a week. Soups are made from scratch and many of the meats, such as the corned beef are cooked daily. Hamburgers can range from one-third to three pounds, and milkshakes can be even heftier. Dinner platters include T-bone steak, meatloaf, crab cakes, and more. Everything is available to go or can be delivered, and the deli caters as well.
Not much has changed over the years, but now, at night, five big screen TVs show sporting events, and there is a happy hour offering 25% off appetizers and 22 kinds of beer. Still, entertainment is more often provided by Ted’s humor and slight of hand, and fun is always being served up.
“I don’t treat it like a business. I’m here to have a good time,” says Ted, who is the type of person that is most at home at work and finds it hard to take a long vacation.
At the end of the night, Beth and Ted arrive home, which is about 10 minutes away in Crownsville. Often, Beth wants to make plans with people to go out. For Ted, there’s no need. “I was out all day,” he says. “I don’t need to go out anymore.”
Visit Chick and Ruth’s Delly at 165 Main Street, Annapolis. 410.269.6737, www.chickandruths.com. Hours: Sunday through Thursday 6:30am – 11:30pm, Friday and Saturday 6:30am – 12:30am.
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