The Essen Room, Pikesville’s long-running Jewish-style deli on Hooks Lane, has quietly changed hands. Brothers Harley and Aaron Magden, the founders of Window Nation and the team behind Mikey & Mel’s, took over the space a few weeks ago and say they will keep the menu largely intact while slowly turning it into a third Mikey & Mel’s location.
New Owners, Same Sandwiches
As reported by the Baltimore Jewish Times, the Essen Room’s owners were ready to retire, and the Magdens closed the deal shortly before that story ran. Aaron Magden told the paper, “Running a deli, specifically, is just a tough, tough business,” and the brothers said they plan to “freshen up” the interior, refurbish the bathrooms, expand hours to serve earlier breakfasts, and take over the small storefront next door to create more dining space.
Deli Roots And Business Background
Harley and Aaron first built their fortune in home improvement. They founded Window Nation in 2006 and grew it into a regional player before a recapitalization and eventual exit, according to Cortec Group. From there, they turned a shared love of old-school delis into Mikey & Mel’s, which opened in Fulton and later added a downtown Washington outpost in early 2025, bringing house-cured meats and homemade bagels to the capital, per Axios.
What Will Change, And What Won’t
The Essen Room’s lineup of Eastern European Jewish classics, including corned beef on rye, matzah ball soup, bagels with lox, brisket-loaded fries, and babka French toast, still appears on the restaurant’s website. The Essen Room lists its staples and hours, and Magden told the Baltimore Jewish Times that regulars kept showing up after the handover. The brothers say they intend to preserve the core offerings even as they add more seats and adjust the schedule.
Neighborhood Ties And The Future
The Magdens say their broader goal is to honor family deli traditions while introducing the food to younger diners, a mission laid out on the Mikey & Mel’s Mikey & Mel’s page. The business is framed as a tribute to their father and grandfather, and the Pikesville move looks like an extension of that project, with a gradual, locally focused transition intended to keep a community staple alive rather than replace it outright.
