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Mendy’s: Knishmaker or Kingmaker?

Deciphering Anthony Weiner’s alleged meal at the iconic deli

by
Adam Chandler
July 16, 2012
(Flickr)
(Flickr)

While chatter (and extremely irrational commentary) continues about whether or not Anthony Weiner will run for office, there remains one vital part of the story left to be interpreted. According to the New York Times, what pushed Weiner’s renascent political ambitions from abstract speculation into slightly-less-abstract speculation was this tidbit:

A filing made Friday to the New York City Campaign Finance Board shows that he [Weiner] is still paying rent on a campaign office in Manhattan and that he, or someone working for him, held a meeting on July 7 at Mendy’s, a kosher deli in East Midtown.



The meal cost $40.27. Any inkling of the table talk: priceless.

As historians and “historians” alike know well, Mendy’s was the site of a scene in the famous Seinfeld episode “The Soup” from the sixth season. In the episode, Jerry promises Bania a meal in exchange for an Armani suit that Bania, whom Jerry can’t stand, has gifted him.

Jerry takes him to Mendy’s where Bania implores Jerry to order the swordfish, which (of course) would never be served at Mendy’s. Meanwhile, Bania orders only soup, thus disqualifying it as a meal.

As you can see, what you order at Mendy’s is a decision worthy of Talmudic scrutiny. Rather than try to decipher the political calculus of Anthony Weiner’s second act, The Scroll decided the most insight would come figuring out what Weiner (and/or his camp) had to eat at Mendy’s on that fateful day.

I called the restaurant and spoke to one cashier and one manager, neither of whom could recall what Weiner had ordered or if he had been there at all. After researching Mendy’s menu and working some calculations out, I devise a theory of how the $40.27 was spent:

Half Hard Salami Sandwich & Matzoh Ball Soup ($10.95)
Frankfurter entree with beans ($13.95)
Potted Meatballs ($8.45)
Cold Bottle of Water ($2.00)
Cold Seltzer ($1.35)



Total: $36.70 + NY Tax (8.875%) $3.57 = $40.27

The soup counts. You’re welcome.

Adam Chandler was previously a staff writer at Tablet. His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, Slate, Esquire, New York, and elsewhere. He tweets @allmychandler.