Saul Zabar's Essential Gift for Dad

Some foods are more than favorites, they become part of a family story. This Father’s Day, we gathered together the tastes Saul Zabar loved most, the foods he spent decades perfecting, tasting, discussing, and proudly sharing with generations of New Yorkers. The result is our NEW Saul Zabar’s Essential Gift for Dad, a collection filled with the unmistakable flavors of Zabar's and the passion of the man who helped define them.

Saul believed great food should become part of everyday life. He approached every product at Zabar’s with curiosity, precision and passion, always asking how it could taste just a little bit better. Included in this gift are his favorites. Zabar’s famous Special Blend Coffee, the original blend Saul dreamed up and perfected over years of tasting and refining. Lightly roasted to let the nuanced flavors of the beans shine through, it’s the coffee Saul drank every single day, scooped fresh and roasted the Zabar’s way.

Zabar’s brunch wouldn’t be complete without Nova. Our hand-sliced Nova Smoked Salmon is still prepared according to Saul’s recipe. It’s sliced to order by our expert appetizing slicers, craftsmen who have perfected the art over decades behind the counter. Silky, delicate and rich. Sure, it stacks beautifully on a bagel with Zabar’s Cream Cheese, but Saul also loved it piled high on our famous rye bread.

That rye bread tells its own story. Saul worked tirelessly to perfect the recipe, experimenting for the ideal crust, texture, and unmistakable caraway flavor that New Yorkers crave. The result is a true deli classic: crisp on the outside, flavorful and tender inside, and perfect for sandwiches, smears, or simply tearing off a warm slice at the kitchen counter. We also included another longtime favorite from the Zabar’s kitchen: our beloved tuna salad. Customers have been devoted to it for years, and Saul himself enjoyed it daily, folded into a wrap, layered onto rye bread, or eaten straight from the container on busy days at the store.

Because no classic New York meal is complete without dessert, we added two of our oversized Black & White Cookies. They’re soft, cake-like and frosted in the iconic half-vanilla, half-chocolate style that generations of New Yorkers grew up loving. Big enough to share, though Dad may not want to. If you ever met Saul, then you know why we included a classic Zabar’s cap, he was seen nearly every day wearing one at the store. It’s a little piece of New York that your Dad can wear proudly long after the last goodie is gone.

This collection is more than a Father’s Day gift. It’s a tribute to Saul Zabar’s passion for great food, to the flavors that built a New York institution and to the simple joy of sharing something truly delicious with the people you love.