Pulse: Chatter: Traditions: Dueling Delis

It was mass panic back in July among Murray’s deli loyalists when the Bala Cynwyd institution closed its doors for renovations. The place had been bought a year earlier by George and Joseph Wakim (who also own the popular Lebanese restaurant Al Dar), but buzz nevertheless had Murray’s succumbing to the Sharks-vs.-Jets rivalry it had engaged in for years with Hymie’s — that other Jewish deli/institution, located across the street. But rumors were just that: Murray’s reopened last month with a new sheen and an old-school big-city-deli vibe — plus a beer license. All of which means the improved Murray’s might give Hymie’s — which underwent its own revamp a few years back, to the delight of its loyalists — a new run for its money. For anyone keeping score at home, here’s the latest tally in the ongoing deli arms race.