Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House facts for kids
Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House was a famous Jewish delicatessen (a type of restaurant) in Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. It was located at 172nd Street and Collins Avenue. The restaurant first opened its doors in May 1954 and closed on March 30, 2008.
The building had a cool 1950s style called Miami Modern. It also had a big, bright neon sign out front. Many people from New York who were on vacation loved to eat there. Even airlines like Pan American and Northeast served food from Wolfie's on their flights between Miami and New York!
Wolfie's also had a special "Early Bird" menu from 3 PM to 6 PM. This was great for people who wanted to save a little money. The famous neon sign even appeared at the start of the "Night Fever" music video by the Bee Gees!
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How It Started
Wolfie Cohen started the Rascal House after opening other popular Jewish delis. His first restaurant, also called Wolfie's, was in Miami Beach. He had another one at 21st Street and Collins Avenue, which closed in 2001. Wolfie Cohen also started a third deli called Pumpernik's, which is also now closed.
For a while, one of Wolfie's restaurants had a funny sign. It said, "The only thing that needs to come dressed is our chickens!" This meant that the restaurant was a casual place where you didn't need to dress up.
What Made It Special?
These restaurants were famous for giving customers lots of free extras. When you sat down, you'd get baskets of unlimited mini rolls and danishes. You also got stainless steel buckets filled with cold pickles, sauerkraut, and other veggies. These came with your meal at no extra cost!
The delicious recipes for the breads and danishes came from the head baker, Manny Miklowitz. He learned how to bake from his father, Sam Miklowitz, who owned bakeries in Brooklyn, N.Y.. Manny started at Pumpernik's. Then, Wolfie Cohen chose him to open the bakery at the Rascal House in 1954. Manny Miklowitz ran the bakery until he retired in 1974.
Changes Over Time
Wolfie Cohen's daughter, Robin Sherwood, who is a film actress, owned the Rascal House after her father passed away in 1986. She owned it until 1996.
In 2005, a big storm called Hurricane Wilma hit Florida. It damaged both the original Rascal House sign and the building itself. The building was fixed and reopened. However, the old, famous sign was taken down. It was replaced with a new, simpler sign that was closer to the ground.
What Happened Next?
After the Rascal House closed in 2008, the company that bought it, Jerry's Famous Deli, changed the location. It became an Epicure Gourmet Market. This new market opened in 2008. There were plans to build a new apartment building with the Epicure Market inside, but the real estate market slowed down, so the apartment project didn't happen.
Delicious Food
The Rascal House had all the classic foods you'd expect at a Jewish delicatessen. They had a huge menu with many different deli soups and sandwiches. These menus were often big and laminated.
Every table got a bowl of cold pickles and a basket of different rolls. The most famous dish at Rascal House was their classic stacked corned beef sandwich. They also served other Jewish home-cooked meals. One popular breakfast item was matzah brei, which is like scrambled eggs made with strips of matzoh (a type of flatbread).
In Movies and TV
The Rascal House was quite famous and appeared in several TV shows and movies:
- It was often mentioned on the 1980s and early 1990s TV show The Golden Girls. The show was set in Miami, and the characters often talked about eating at "Wolfie's."
- The restaurant can be seen briefly in the Bee Gees music video for "Night Fever."
- Wolfie's also appears in the TV show Miami Vice, in season 1, episode 19. Don Johnson's character drives past the restaurant in a short scene.
- You can also see Wolfie's in the movie The Crew, which starred Richard Dreyfuss and Burt Reynolds.
