last word
RESTAURANT OWNER
Sheryl Borish
RUNS THE MARATHON (GRILL)
Keri White
Photos courtesy of Debbie Borish
I f it’s 7:30 a.m., Sheryl Borish can be found
in the kitchen of Marathon Grill at 19th and
Spruce streets prepping ingredients and
overseeing the commissary in advance of
the day.

“We launched Marathon in 1984. It’s been
such a big part of my life,” she said with a
smile. “When I think of my priorities, it’s my
family — kids, grandkids — and Marathon. My
staff are like family; they are my best friends,
and some of them have been with me for
nearly 30 years. That is really rare in the
restaurant business.”
The history of Marathon is a classic
Philadelphia story. The Borish family owned a
Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream shop in Roosevelt
Mall in Northeast Philadelphia. They always
wanted to open a restaurant, so when the
adjacent space opened, they grabbed it.

“The first shop was like 400 square feet,
maybe 10 tables. We had a very small menu:
filet mignon, grilled chicken, a few salads,
a hamburger,” Borish recalled. “We were
next to Wanamakers’, and the girls working
the cosmetic counters used to come in and
request more salads, tweaks on dishes,
different items. We would try to meet their
requests, and we expanded the menu
accordingly. Then one day a car pulled up,
and Ronny Rubin [who is credited with driving
Center City’s revival] walked in.

“Ronny had heard about our place and
invited us to open in Suburban Square. We
did, and we’ve been in Center City ever
since.” But it all comes down to family, and Borish waxes
poetic when she talks about hers.

“My sons Jon and Cary are in the business, but
they also have their own ventures. Cary has a restau-
rant, Sally’s, which is named for my mother — her
recipes are still used in our menus. The family is
really bonded around food. I love to cook and feed
people and watch them eat my food, so we have a
family dinner at my house every Thursday. The kids
and the grandkids all come and bring friends. It’s a
wonderful way to keep us connected. I guess it’s my
way of giving. Food is my love language!”
Borish kvells when speaking about her
grandchildren. “We’ve loved celebrating their bar and bat mitzvahs,
and we have another one coming up this December.

Judaism is an important part of our lives and our
traditions; we’re Jews! We talk about it all the time,”
she said. “It’s part of our identity — we support Israel
and give to Jewish charities as much as we can.

“And the holidays are really special and joyful.

… We serve traditional foods at Marathon
during the holidays and beyond — chopped
liver, matzah ball soup, and we offer these
items as takeout so people who don’t have
time to cook can still observe the traditions.”
When asked what keeps her heading into
the kitchen daily at 7:30 a.m. at an age when
many of her contemporaries have hung up
their spatulas, Borish is clear.

“I’m old. I’m not going to tell you how old,
but I’m old. I love my customers, especially
the multi-generational families that have
been coming in for years as young adults,
then married couples, with their children, and
now with their grandchildren. We’ve been
around long enough to see families grow and
change, and it’s beautiful. I love creating new
dishes, and I love watching people eat our
food. I love watching the business thrive and
grow. It’s a tough business, no doubt about it,
and it can be stressful, but it’s in my blood.”
The secret of her success is simple.

“Quality and consistency. We are not
gourmet, but our food is always good — there
is an expectation that you have to meet. I
always say, ‘A restaurant is only as good as
your last meal.’ We have relationships with
local suppliers that go back decades … My
chef, James Alford, has been with Marathon
for like 30 years. I just trained a 25-year
veteran on how to make matzah balls — until
recently, I was making them myself every day
using the recipe and technique my mother
taught me. The continuity is unique and has
been a key factor in how we have stayed true
over the long haul.”
When she’s not at the helm of Marathon’s
kitchen, Borish, a former runner, takes long
walks. She also enjoys spending time at the beach
and dining out with her husband.

As she looks forward to her 40th anniversary in the
business, Borish feels gratitude.

“I thank God for my health, that I can still do this
job that I find so gratifying and I’m enjoying every
day,” she said. ■
Keri White is a Philadelphia-based freelance food
writer. JEWISHEXPONENT.COM
33