Chef Series: Maya Jankelowitz of Jack’s Wife Freda
During my time at eponym, a creative eyewear development startup, I created, wrote, and produced the Dinner Party series for our client Steven Alan. From sourcing a group of chefs and food influencers – Fredrik Berselius of Aska, Maya Jankelowitz of Jack’s Wife Freda, and Peter Meehan of the late Lucky Peach magazine – to crafting Steven Alan’s interview with them about their life’s work, I had the exciting opportunity to get to know some of my favorite people in their home kitchens and restaurants.
This piece features Maya Jankelowitz, an Israeli native who’s been in the restaurant industry ever since she stepped foot in New York City. After cutting her teeth at Balthazar for over a decade, she opened the Mediterranean-American bistro Jack’s Wife Freda with her husband (also a Balthazar alum) in 2012, now a mainstay in the city serving up beloved dishes like Green Shakshuka and Spiced Beet Dip.
Writing & interview by Rachel Cantrell
Photography by Heather Sten
from the piece
“In the bustling lunch rush at Jack’s Wife Freda, Maya Jankelowitz is a calm, brilliant presence. Even as the Carmine Street restaurant began to fill up, with Maya there sipping Moroccan mint teas with us, the restaurant maintains a cozy, comfortable feeling of being over at a friend’s house for dinner. And that’s exactly what Maya and Dean have been accomplishing with Jack’s Wife Freda since 2012 – a restaurant that’s simple, delicious, and welcoming to everyone. We got to catch up with Maya on the story behind the restaurant, how she keeps her effortless cool, and how to make the classic Jack’s Wife Freda spicy beet dip.”
