Sol’s NYC Deli is moving

SARASOTA — It has been a long, strange 2016 for Solomon Shenker. 

One of the top chefs in the area, Shenker opened Sol’s NYC Delicatessen in the former Applebee’s space of Main Plaza, next door to the Hollywood 20 movie theater, in February following a 2015 falling out with his former business partners — who happened to be his sister and brother-in-law — at the Sol Meyer NY Delicatessen, also on Main Street in downtown Sarasota. 

On Friday, Sol's NYC Deli announced it would be relocating again, to make room for Main Plaza redevelopment.

Fans of the New York City delicatessen-style restaurant and bar have until 3 p.m. Saturday to enjoy the outstanding Jewish soul food, the delightfully decadent cheesecake, craft beers and deli-themed craft cocktails. 

Shenker owns Sol's along with Main Plaza owners Jesse Biter and David Chessler.

Sol's will be moving to a new downtown site in early 2017. They aren't saying where yet.

“We knew from the start that the restaurant may have to change locations down the road,” Shenker said in a news release. “My partners are working on some amazing plans for this end of Main Street, but obviously we won’t be able to operate with a major construction project happening on the other side of the wall.”

Shenker said he sees this as an opportunity to further refine his model and better serve customers.

“It’s all about representing my heritage with great New York food,” Shenker said. “Of course, this isn’t New York City, this is Sarasota, so we used this opportunity to try different things and see what people liked. The past year has been a huge learning experience and we’ve made a lot of friends along the way.” 

Shenker said that the plans for the new location are still “top secret” but that the move would allow him to reopen with the "perfect combination: the right spot with just the right amount of space, along with the food and service that locals and snowbirds have come to love."

Sol's NYC Deli seats 167, which is about three times the capacity of his original downtown Sarasota deli. 

“From the first time we tried Sol’s food, we knew he was poised to take Sarasota by storm,” Chessler said in a news release. “I think he’s done that over the past year, and we’re excited for the future of Sol’s brand, as well as the future of Main Street’s east end.”

For more information on Sol’s NYC Deli go to Facebook.com/solsnycdeli or solsnycdeli.com