Rein's Deli: 45 Years of Food and Family in Vernon

VERNON, CT — There are two things you will never get at Rein's Deli — the Matzo ball recipe and the dining room to yourself.

Other than that is is usually the red carpet treatment in terms of food and socializing at the iconic eatery.

Rein's took the opportunity to celebrate 45 years in business on Friday as the staff unveiled a new look after extensive renovations. It was thus a topic of conversation not only in Vernon, but at the state Capitol and even in other New England states.

Vernon Mayor Daniel Champagne presided over a late-morning ribbon-cutting ceremony at the current location — 435 Hartford Turnpike. From 1972 until a 1990 fire, Rein's was located across the street at the "El Camino" plaza, on a parcel that now houses medical offices. It has been at its present location for 27 years.

Dave Galat of Tolland, is one holdover from the old location with 31 years of experience at the restaurant. He had the job of honor on Friday — handing out pickles. The pickles are probably the most popular side dish, particularly the prized half-sours. Assistant General Manager Russell DeBella offered a rare look at the top-secret pickle stash on Friday and explained they are cured by a New Jersey company under the strict guidelines of the Rein's secret recipe.

Also top-secret is the matzo ball recipe, a primary ingredient for the famed house soup at Rein's.

"No one gets that," DeBella said.

Do people ask?

"All the time," he said, grinning. "But no one gets the recipe. People who want to make their own stock can buy the matzos, but they will never find out how we make the soup."

Everyone on Friday seemed to agree that the pickles and soup were givens. But what are everyone else's favorites?

DeBella said the brisket. Founding family member Todd Rein went with the Nova lox and eggs. State Rep. Tim Ackert, on-hand for the ceremonies, said the pastrami on rye. A portion of Friday's proceeds is being donated to Vernon's first-responders, one of hundreds of local causes adopted by Rein's.

“I am proud to have been invited to celebrate this day with the Rein family and staff. Rein’s Deli has been
such a staple in the community and today was just another example of this, as a portion of their proceeds
were donated to Vernon’s first-responders," Ackert said. "I’d like to wish them many more years of continued success in the community.”

State Sen. Tony Guglielmo praised Rein's for its charity work, especially free holiday meals.

“Rein’s has been a staple in the community for many years, providing hot meals and job opportunities for residents,” said Sen. Guglielmo. “I am thrilled that they are still catering to the community today. I even

have friends who arrange their road trips out of state, just to stop here in time for lunch. The food really does
feed the soul.”

One of those out-of-staters is a Massachusetts detective who has been working with Vernon police in a case this week. He secretly was losing no sleep over maybe driving to Vernon to pick up a prisoner.

"My kids play hockey and we stop at Rein's Deli a lot when we drive through Vernon," he said.

A group of eastern ski writers from central and southern Jersey makes it a habit of stopping at Rein's while heading north. The average pickle consumption for the group is seven bowls per visit.

Current Vernon police records supervisor Brian Smith, a former cop in Vernon, remembers getting flagged down constantly in the days before cell phones. And it was not to help little old ladies across the street.

"People would wave at the cruiser," Smith said. "I would stop and the people wanted to know how to get to Rein's Deli."

Todd Rein said, "It's like family from the regulars who come here twice a day to the visitors from out of state to the first-timers."

And it's a big family. Rein's employs about 150 and is packed with guests most days, even when a tour bus has not stopped. It serves more than 600,000 people a year, DeBella said. About 3,500 people can be served on a good Sunday, he said.

That translates to 100 tons of pickles, 60,000 loaves of rye bread (baked by a Deep River company according to Rein's specs) annually, DeBella said. Rein's makes about 1,500 matzo balls each week.

Some of the new features include a new brick interior decor that looks very New York, new LED lighting and a gluten-free menu that operates out of a separate prep station.

"Rein's is unique because it is a real deli about halfway between New York and Boston," DeBella said. "We have our core items and we also have other things on the menu we put our unique touches on. Rein's is a good restaurant, but it is also family. That is what has kept Rein's going for 45 years."

Photo Credit: CT House Republicans (ribbon-cutting); Chris Dehnel