Pike Place profile: I Love New York Deli owner

Everybody loves Pike Place Market, with its fresh produce, unusual wares and colorful people. Here's one of the faces you'll find there.

Who: Jon Jacobs, 53, owner of I Love New York Deli. Opened November 2007.

Where I live: Maple Valley, but grew up in Brooklyn and Long Island.

What I sell: Authentic New York Jewish deli food. "Meats, pickles and even mustards are from New York."

Most popular item: "Pastrami on light rye with mustard and coleslaw and half sour pickle."

On how I ended up at Pike Place: "I was working as a manager for Safeway ... For 12 years I have been talking about this, but Pike Place never had (a stall opening). Then one day, I was buying a bag of doughnuts, and I saw that the next stall was empty. I said, 'This is it for me.' I pursued the commercial real estate guy for Pike Place. He said, 'We will mail you the paperwork.' I said, 'Nope. I want to fill this out right now.' I like to do things in a New York minute."

— Tan Vinh,

Seattle Times staff reporter

I Love New York Deli, main floor of Pike Place Market, around the corner from where the guys throw the fish. 206-381-DELI.