Nosh on this Jewish deli update

No bagels, no life: The upcoming Jewish deli on K Street will be named Solomon’s Delicatessen, after Tower Records founder Russ Solomon.

The deli comes from Sheila Wolfe, Lydia Inghram and Jami Goldstene, who co-chair the annual Jewish Food Faire. Joined by Hot Italian founder Andrea Lepore and the Red Rabbit team of Sonny Mayugba, John Bays and Matt Nurge, they’re aiming for a September 22, 2017, opening date.

The location at 730 K Street will actually occupy a space that once belonged to Tower Records. As such, the two-story business will function as a community destination for both deli goods like smoked fish, bialys and matzo ball soup as well as live music.

And the slogan “No bagels, no life” echoes Tower’s old motto.

“After all my life, I end up named after a bagel,” Solomon said, laughing and surrounded by pastrami sandwiches, latkes and black and white cookies.

Wolfe said the deli will be open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and “late-night noshing,” and will offer a mix of products sourced locally and from afar. In other words, “real bagels—not just big doughy things,” she said.

Wolfe also acknowledged folks in the suburbs who might not be able to easily access the downtown deli.

“We’re just going to make this our flagship location,” she said, specifically mentioning goals of one day expanded to Folsom, Carmichael and even the Tahoe area.

Makeover: After a brief period of construction, Grange Restaurant (916 J Street) debuted a new look last week designed by Whitney Johnson, who also worked on aesthetically-pleasing spots like Kru, Bottle & Barlow and Shady Lady Saloon.

The changes aren’t so dramatic that the restaurant no longer looks like Grange. Rather, it’s a brighter, more contemporary and less stuffy version of itself. The dark wood has been swapped out for maple, with a long, wraparound bar looking out onto the streets. New burnt orange booths add comfort and style, along with new lighting, artwork, flooring and a second level of dining.

Crawfish mecca: The Boiling Crab opened its downtown location at the old Assembly Music Hall (1000 K Street) earlier this week. The small, Asian-Cajun chain is well-known for crawfish, crab and other shellfish boiled with zesty seasoning, but this location will also offer newer items such as catfish and gumbo—plus micheladas and margaritas for pregaming events at the arena.