Elyssa Heller started Edith's as a pandemic-born sandwich shop inside of the Brooklyn institution, Paulie Gee's pizzeria. Named after her Great-Aunt Edith, Edith's was supposed to last just six weeks and was started with $8,000 of savings. The pop-up immediately went viral, its twists on classic Jewish comfort food enabling Edith’s to become a permanent jewel-sized sandwich shop in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. Edith's brings global Jewish flavors to the forefront of New York's culinary landscape and offers food influenced by the Jewish diaspora, exploring the flavors and cultural experience of Jewish cuisine. Elyssa's goal with Edith's is to create an empire built on delicious sandwiches, bringing global Jewish food to everyone.
A born and bred Chicagoan (but New Yorker for the last decade) Elyssa grew up on smoked chubbs and loved spending Sundays at the deli with family. She is a retired Canadian volleyball player and graduated from Queen's University. Elyssa lives in Brooklyn with her dog Murray (named after Bill) and you can often find her behind the register slinging sandwiches.
1) When Harry Met Sally - One of my favorite movies, I watch it when I need a dose of comfort or want to fall in love with New York all over again.
2) Olipop Grape Soda - I love soda, but not all of the guilt and sugar that comes with it. I recently became obsessed with Olipop which makes soda thats actually good for you. The grape flavor is just tart, sweet, and the flavor is just so delicious.
3) Enamel Fondue Set - I love having friends over to watch reality tv shows and hang out on my Brooklyn rooftop. Fondue is something that everyone has fun doing and you can get really creative with it. Everyone likes fondue and I love my red enamel fondue set since it's nostalgic and easy to clean. The only way to entertain after a long day at the sandwich shops.
4) Tenoverten X Edith's Nail Polish Trio - Our metallic polishes are perfect for layering or wearing solo. As an entrepreneur I don't always have time to pick out the perfect outfit for a meeting, all of my self-care practices or time for myself, but when I have my nails done, I feel like I can walk into any situation confident. I can switch up the colors easily using my Tenoverten Rose Wipes.
5) My tokyobike - Biking is my favorite way to experience the city and get to our Williamsburg & Tribeca sandwich shops. My tokyobike is a hybrid bike perfect for a quick ride over the Williamsburg bridge.
6) Kitchen Confidential: Anthony Bourdain - An amazing book about kitchen culture, passion, food, business & life. The best part about it is that you naturally read the book in Tony's voice.
7) Burning Herbs - I burn yerba santa, palo santo and Japanese cedar to feel a sense of calm, grounding and renewed energy. They technically all do different things and have different benefits but they help me to relax and ease stress. For many years, palo santo was harvested by deforestation. The wood can be obtained from fallen branches, while the oil can be extracted from fruit. These methods leave the forest unharmed.
8) The Sephardi Breakfast Wrap - The greatest breakfast sandwich of all-time. Our breakfast wrap is the perfect representation of Edith's and how we tell important stories through delicious, unpretentious food.
9) Zabar's - The most iconic grocery store and wonderful food destination in New York City, arguably the world. Zabar's has everything you could ever want or need and has been unchanged for decades. Whether it's hosting a brunch, stocking your fridge with specialty smoked meats & fishes or sending a gift; wandering through the maze of specialty goods will never get old.
10) Comfy Sneakers - I'm on my feet constantly and always am wearing comfortable sneakers. My favorite ones at the moment are my ALD x New Balance 860V2's
