A Day in the Life with Maya of "Jack's Wife Freda" / Tues, Nov 19, 2013
While feeding a discerning downtown crowd at SoHo's favorite neighborhood restaurant Jack's Wife Freda, co-owner and hostess Maya Jankelowitz manages to fill everyone with love and a sense of belonging.
7:43am — Meet Maya Jankelowitz (@deanswifemaya), co-owner of Soho’s #1 neighborhood restaurant Jack’s Wife Freda — Home
7:52am — Mission Impossible: husband Dean trying to put Bennie’s shirt on without knocking his glasses off — Home
8:01am — Cuddle puddle before school — Home
8:38am — Shoes off, kisses on — PS 63
9:05am — Running into someone you know on the street? Hallelujah! — NoLita
9:13am — Updating the ever-important Jack’s Wife Freda schedule on the run — NoLita
9:20am — Welcome to Jack’s Wife Freda — NoLita
9:21am — Calm before the storm — Jack’s Wife Freda
9:41am — Staff breakfast: chopped salad, pita, 2 eggs over easy and soft cheese — Jack’s Wife Freda
10:15am — Receiving deliveries — Jack’s Wife Freda
11:56am — Restaurant regular Mara and her mom stop by for lunch — Jack’s Wife Freda
12:17pm — Noon. Time to pop bottles — Jack’s Wife Freda
12:19pm — A lunchtime celebration for a promotion! — Jack’s Wife Freda
1:06pm — Cat-walk during the lunch rush — Jack’s Wife Freda
1:27pm — JWF regular @manrepeller stops in for lunch — Jack’s Wife Freda
2:43pm — Chatting with Nada, a resident of the neighborhood for the past 30 years who frequents Jack’s Wife Freda and sits at the same table, every time — Jack’s Wife Freda
2:46pm — Free hugs. A mother to all Soho — Jack’s Wife Freda
2:50pm — Artist Curtis Kulig gets his paper delivered to the restaurant every day. His paintings hang on the wall — Jack’s Wife Freda
3:14pm — The restaurant’s name is an homage to Dean’s grandparents. The food reflects a shared Israeli / South African heritage — Jack’s Wife Freda
3:17pm — On the lunch table today: burger and chopped salad, grilled haloumi cheese and grapes, matzoh ball soup, kale greek salad, cantaloupe juice and a “nana” tea — Jack’s Wife Freda
4:54pm — Getting some fish for the kids’ dinner and putting a photo up for the restaurant’s instagram account — Whole Foods
5:07pm — Dean and the kids play a new video game before he heads out for his shift at the restaurant — Home
6:01pm — Bennie clean and snug after bathtime — Home
6:07pm — Emily from JWF comes to watch the kids. JWF servers are identified by their striped shirts! — Home
6:47pm — Hugs before heading uptown to the Bergdorf Goodman Home holiday soiree — Home
7:35pm — Hi Rachel Strugatz, WWD Accessories editor and Jack’s Wife Freda french-fry-quality- tester — Bergdorf Goodman
8:14pm — Elad’s home-ware line for Bergdorf (L’objet) is being showcased tonight — Bergdorf Goodman
8:50pm — Final hug from tonight’s date and old friend from Israel, Galit. So many hugs and so much love for the the woman who feeds an entire neighborhood. Goodnight! See you tomorrow! — Alphabet City