For Jewish and non-Jewish customers alike, the Lincoln Del was a Minneapolis version of Cheers--at the Del everybody knew your name. Folks hardly minded waiting in line for the fresh caraway rye, the cabbage borscht, the corned beef sandwiches, or the towering strawberry shortcake because every visit was like a family reunion, complete with warm embraces, recounted stories, boisterous jokes, and--of course--plenty of amazing food.

From modest beginnings as a bakery in 1930s north Minneapolis to a local chain of three bustling restaurants in St. Louis Park and Bloomington,...