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| Sandwich prep (not Al's or Wolfie's) Florida State Archives |
By Jane Feehan
Wolfie’s Restaurants
in Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale built their reputation on overstuffed corned
beef or pastrami sandwiches and a huge menu of delicious deli fare. Fans
returned repeatedly for that great food, which included bowls of coleslaw and pickles
and tiny pastries at each table, ready for munching on before ordering.
Overstuffed sandwiches and bowls of deli delights were around
before Wilfred “Wolfie” bought Al’s Sandwich Shop around 1940. Some say Al Nemets
conceived the big-sandwich and bowls-of-slaw-and-pickles idea.
About Al Nemets
Russian-born Alvin J.
Nemets (1907-1989) left his country during the 1917 Revolution. He joined his
parents, residents of Philadelphia, in 1921, after traveling in Europe. Nemets
worked as a glass cutter with his father for a time but moved to Miami Beach during
the early 1930s where some say he learned about the restaurant biz at Bernstein’s.
In 1936 he opened his own place, a deli and restaurant, on Fifth and Washington in Miami Beach. A few years later, newspaper ads indicated the shop’s address was on 23rd Street. According to historian Seth Bramson, Nemets—and his shop—were well known in the 1930s. His idea of overstuffed sandwiches, those deli bowls and the shop’s popularity appealed to Wolfie Cohen when he purchased the restaurant.
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| Miami Beach 1937, Florida State Archives |
Cohen grew the shop's reputation among visitors and residents and got coverage by food writers. How about a corned beef cheeseburger for “taste thrills?" wrote foodie Helen Burns of the Miami Daily News (May 6, 1950). It was not long before the reputation for tasty food, not ads, brought customers through the door. Cohen’s sandwiches drew celebrities from across the street at the Roney Plaza Hotel, elevating the restaurant's profile. Wolfie Cohen, who died in 1986, opened Wolfie’s, Pumpernik’s and the Rascal House in his remarkable career.
Nemets’ career was also stellar. After selling his place to
Cohen, Nemets joined the U.S. Navy in 1940; he served as warrant officer first
class. After the war he remained in the restaurant business. He opened the Rendezvous
Restaurant on Miami Beach at Collins and 20th. He also managed Pumpernik’s
Restaurant, Wolfie’s, and the Bonfire. According to his obituary, Nemets opened
the Newport and Roney Pub restaurants in the early 1970s and was active there
until the early 1980s.
Alvin J. Nemets died in 1989 at 82 years of age. His legacy,
which includes those overstuffed sandwiches and deli bowls,is one of many stories of achieving the American Dream with an idea and hard work.
For a postcard of Al’s Sandwich Shop (and other old
restaurants), visit: https://wolfsonianfiulibrary.wordpress.com/2024/07/30/menus-memorabilia-for-miami-beach-eateries/
For more on the Wolfie's story, use search box.
For an excellent collection of Miami Beach photos, see
Bramson’s book below.
Bramson, Seth H. Miami Beach. Arcadia Publishing, 2005.
Charleston, SC, Chicago, IL, Portsmouth, NH, San Francisco, CA
The Miami News, Nov. 12, 1940
The Miami Herald, Sept. 13, 1946
The Miami Herald, Nov. 30, 1946
The Daily News, Oct. 8, 1986
The Miami Herald, Oct. 24, 1989
