GABILA’S KNISHES, Williamsburg

by Kevin Walsh

In late 2004 or early 2005 I was on South 8th Street because I had been tipped off about something interesting, which I’ll get to shortly. While there, I saw a few painted ads for Gabila’s Knishes, which were still produced in Williamsburg in that era. Gabila’s had originated in 1921 when Elia and Bella Gabay created “Brooklyn’s Original Coney Island Square Knish” in their kitchen in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The knish, for those unaware, are mashed potatoes wrapped in dough which is then baked or fired. It has been a NYC-associated snack for many years, and recently appeared in the tile of “If These Knishes Could Talk,” a documentary examining the singular NYC accent, produced by my friend Heather Quinlan. 

 

In 1928, to meet increasing demand,  the Gabays moved into a larger processing facility with offices on South 8th Street in Williamsburg between Bedford Avenue and Berry Street. The firm remained in Williamsburg for many years until moving to Long Island in 2008. It was their extant offices and painted ads that I found on this foray.

Some of the Gabila offices were located in this extremely old building, probably from the 1860s, at 120 South 8th Street. However, a closer look over the door reveled something interesting.

 

I had been tipped about the “over the door Lincoln” on the block. Honestly Lincoln here looked imprisoned, a la Han Solo by Jabba the Hut in Star Wars. Soon enough after my visit, by 2008, Lincoln, the Gabilas, the knishes and the old dormered building were gone, replaced by a high rise apartment building and some Fedders Specials on the south side of the block.

 

What you need isn’t necessarily what you get.

Check out the ForgottenBook, take a look at the gift shop, and as always, “comment…as you see fit.”

5/17/18

 

6 comments

Andy May 22, 2018 - 8:15 am

Knish is pronounced “Ka-NISH,” even though every other KN combination has a silent K. Besides Gabila’s square potato knish, there are many other variations, both square and round, with potato and other fillings, such as spinach, broccoli, and kasha, which are coarse buckwheat groats.

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Brian R June 13, 2018 - 2:27 pm

With the coin over the right eye of Lincoln, I wonder if it is a reproduction of a death mask. And I how the whole piece made it into the possession of an archetural salvage company.

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Lucille likecap May 4, 2019 - 11:26 pm

I remember the gsbilas finishes at south 8 th street . I lived on south 8 street I was a little girl 8 years old

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Ellen November 18, 2020 - 10:29 am

I remember the first time I stumbled upon this spot. I never made the Honest Abe connection though. I figured it was a portrait of Gabila.
I have lived on the southside for over 30 years. Still here

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D. Gardner December 30, 2020 - 4:55 pm

I delivered gasoline for their trucks to Gabila on south 8th street back in the 70s. Lilly, who I thought was one of the owners always came to the upstairs window to say hello (I thought she lived up there)! I always left there with a box of knishes, the people in my office knew I had a delivery there, and made it clear that I better not come back empty handed!!

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Anonymous March 1, 2021 - 10:25 pm

As a young girl growing up on 4th street and Avenue D, I used to buy Gabilas Kinishes from a little old man with a iron colored pushcart. They were always hot, and the crispy outer coating was so good..They were only 15 cent. The elderly man with his hands shaking, would open the draw of the carts where all those delicious knishes were and always allowed us to pick the one I wanted.. He would put it in the little brown bag, and shake a little salt over it from that huge grey salt shaker attached to a little chain… That was over 50 years ago.. what fond memories of the lower east side.

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