Micah Wexler and team have been hard at work in Santa Monica lately, trudging through the usual construction issues and city permits to bring Wexler’s Deli to the Westside. Never one to back down from a challenge, Wexler is intent on making the namesake sophomore outpost of the popular Grand Central Market stand bigger, better, and smoked-fishier than before. And he's closer than ever to making that dream come true.
First, the opening. While nothing is confirmed, most estimates peg the doors opening date to somewhere in late March or early April. As you can see from the photos, the place is still pretty bare bones, but the structural stuff is all in place, and finished details will start to come into focus very soon. That being said, peg early spring as very tentative.
So what will the place look like? Well, it’ll look like a Wexler’s repeat mostly, with the same columns for jars of pickles and bagels and while tile dominating the landscape. There’s also going to be even more fun art on the walls (there are plans for a large mural at some point), but overall the clean and simple setup of the GCM original will show through clearly here.
Expect a long run of counter seating and bar stools to dominate the room, opposing a long banquette with some two- and four-tops as well. There’s a standing counter for those in a hurry, and lots of deli cases showing off the smoked fish goods.
Speaking of which: the new kitchen at Wexler’s is more than double the footprint of the entire GCM space, which means there’s lots of room for innovation. Expect a larger array of smoked fish to be available all the time, plus one-offs like matzo ball soup that will be unique to the Santa Monica outlet.
Ultimately the place is still in a state of flux, but when it opens there should be tall ceilings and plenty of natural light flooding in, giving Santa Monica diners the chance to really sit and enjoy their modern Jewish deli fare.
Wexler’s Deli Santa Monica
616 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA