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WITHIN THE FAMILY
No More Joy on Broadway
By Alex Sachare
“Roast beef hero with lettuce, tomato, salt, pepper and
lots of Russian dressing.”
That
was my sandwich of choice at Mama Joy’s, which became a part
of Columbia and Morningside history on April 30 when it closed its
doors for the last time. Its passing did not go
unnoticed.
It
was the lead news story in the April 26 edition of
Spectator, as well as the topic of that issue’s main
editorial which concluded, “Within the walls of Mama
Joy’s is a long history that includes virtually all of us and
our friends, and in many cases, generations of
Columbians.”
When
I first revisited Mama Joy’s a couple of years ago, 27
summers after my graduation, I noticed some changes but felt a
welcome familiarity. The aisles were more cramped, to be sure, and
there were more upscale products than I remembered. The lone
cashier had been replaced by tollbooth-like rows of checkout
counters. But the roast beef sandwich was still the best, and
watching the sandwich-makers while waiting on line remained one of
the better shows on Broadway.
“After 46 years in the community, I have decided to take
time out to smell the flowers,” Herbert Estrin wrote in a
letter that was posted in the window of Mama Joy’s and
reprinted in an ad in Spectator. “I, as well as my
daughter Maritza, cannot express enough our gratitude to all of you
who have supported us through the years. If Mama Joy’s (my
mother, Lillian Estrin) was still alive she would want me to thank
each and everyone of you for loving her as much as she had loved
all of you.”
Estrin, whose commendable service to the community includes the
endowment of several College scholarships for underprivileged
students from the city, often may still be found at the University
Food Market, in which he has an interest. And while the sandwiches
there are good, they are not quite as good, and the experience is
not the same.
I’m glad I juggled my schedule so I could order one last
“roast beef hero with lettuce, tomato, salt, pepper and lots
of Russian dressing.” It was the best sandwich I’ve had
in years, and one I won’t forget.
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