Saul Zabar’s Legacy: The Taste of Excellence

Saul Zabar, who passed away at 97, embodied what it means to be a no baseliner — someone who builds excellence not through comparison, but through purpose, mastery, and integrity. For more than seven decades, he transformed his family’s modest appetizing counter into one of New York’s most iconic neighborhood stores, known and loved around the world.

I always enjoyed visiting Zabar’s, shopping there, and consuming the exceptional appetizing — the smoked fish, the breads, and the cheeses that defined a truly New York experience. It was a neighborhood place where every detail reflected Saul’s quiet standard of perfection.

What made Saul Zabar a no baseliner was his unwavering commitment to doing things right, without shortcuts or trends. He valued substance over scale, craft over commerce, and community over competition. His success came not from seeking to be the biggest, but from ensuring that everything bearing the Zabar’s name was the best.

Saul Zabar’s legacy endures in every customer, every flavor, and every moment inside that store — a timeless example of excellence earned the right way, without baselines.