RES 2026-95 · Agenda item attachment · Jun 8 2026

RES 2026-95 FIRST IN COUNCIL June 8, 2026 City of Cambridge COUNCILLOR SIMMONS COUNCILLOR FLAHERTY COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN MAYOR SIDDIQUI WHEREAS: The S&S Restaurant and Delicatessen, located in the heart of Inman Square, first opened its doors in 1919, when Rebecca “Ma” Edelstein greeted her neighbors with the warm Yiddish expression “es and es” – “eat and eat” – a phrase that gave the restaurant its name and defined its spirit of nourishment, welcome, and community for more than a century; and WHEREAS: The S&S has remained in continuous family ownership across six generations – from Ma Edelstein through the Wheeler and Mitchell families to present-day co-owners Gary Mitchell and Aimee Baum – each generation tending this institution with devotion, creativity, and enduring pride in the legacy entrusted to them; and WHEREAS: Over 107 years, the S&S has been far more than a restaurant: it has been a gathering place, a neighborhood anchor, and a living archive of Cambridge history, surviving the 1918 flu pandemic, the Great Depression, multiple relocations and renovations, and generations of change, always remaining a hometown favorite where residents could find generous portions, reasonable prices, and a warm welcome; and WHEREAS: The S&S has been celebrated for its classic deli fare – pastrami sandwiches, matzo ball soup, knishes, blintzes, bagels and lox, corned beef, and the legendary chicken wings featured on the Phantom Gourmet – while adapting its menu across decades to reflect the diverse tastes of the Inman Square community; and WHEREAS: The S&S has long been woven into the civic fabric of Cambridge, catering to City Council meetings, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, and countless City functions, and its walls – graced with hand-colored historic photographs, old menus, and decades of press coverage – have served as a neighborhood museum, preserving the story of Inman Square and the immigrant families who built it; and WHEREAS: Gary Mitchell, who began working at the deli counter at age twelve, has been the heart of the S&S for decades, guided by the generations before him and sustained by his sister Aimee Baum and a loyal staff – many of them with the restaurant since the 1970s and 1980s – who together kept the S&S open and serving its neighbors even through the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic; and WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge is deeply grateful to the Edelstein, Wheeler, and Mitchell families for 107 years of generosity, hard work, and genuine love for this city and its people; now therefore be it

RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record extending its deepest thanks and warmest congratulations to Gary Mitchell, Aimee Baum, and the entire Mitchell-Wheeler family on 107 extraordinary years of service to Cambridge and the Inman Square community, and in expressing its profound admiration for their dedication to preserving a beloved neighborhood institution across six generations; and be it further RESOLVED: That the City Council honors the memory of all those who built and sustained the S&S – Ma Edelstein, Lottie and William Wheeler, Robert Mitchell, Doris and Chester Mitchell, and the many loyal staff members who made it a home away from home for generations of Cambridge residents; and be it further RESOLVED: That the City Council wishes Gary Mitchell, Aimee Baum, and their families every happiness and success as they turn toward new pursuits, confident that the legacy they have tended so faithfully has left an indelible mark on Cambridge, and that the warmth of the S&S – its spirit of welcome, generosity, and community – will endure long after its doors have closed; and be it further RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this resolution to Gary Mitchell and Aimee Baum on behalf of the entire City Council. A true copy; ATTEST:- Paula M. Crane, Interim City Clerk

City of Cambridge City Council thanks and warmest congratulations to S&S owners Gary Mitchell, Aimee Baum, and the entire Mitchell-Wheeler family on 107 extraordinary years of service to Cambridge and the Inman Square community, and in expressing its profound admiration for their dedication to preserving a beloved neighborhood institution across six generations.