ON THE TOWN

WHO Eric Stein, artistic director, Ashkenaz Festival, and David Buchbinder, the Ashkenaz Festival's founder.

WHERE Caplansky's Delicatessen, 356 College St., at Brunswick Avenue.

WHEN Thursday, Aug. 19, 8 p.m.

ON THE MENU BBQ Braised Beef Brisket ($14); Smoked Meat Sandwich ($8); chopped liver ($6); pickle plate ($4).

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"Let me say hi to this guy," begins David Buchbinder before his menu even arrives at Caplansky's, a delicatessen that opened last year on College Street after hiding for months above Clinton Street's Monarch Tavern. Buchbinder, a local klezmer musician who started the popular Ashkenaz Festival in 1995, is a familiar figure around Toronto's Jewish nosh spots. As a festival veteran, he's well-acquainted with the fundraising game.

"I met that guy and his wife through Idea City and Moses Znaimer," says the 50-year-old as he gathers himself back at his table and scrutinizes Caplansky's chopped liver. "It's definitely a demanding job; it helps to have lots of friends."

Joining Buchbinder this evening is Eric Stein, the festival's current artistic director, who arrives at the restaurant flushed. "We've got a baby on the way, but in producing the festival I feel like I'm the one giving birth," moans Stein, 37, as he swabs a piece of rye bread with the Buchbinderapproved chopped liver, perhaps as a tonic to alleviate the pain.

The men don't socialize often and Buchbinder's thrilled to discover his friend's family is about to expand. " Mazel tov!" he exclaims, raising his glass of water. "Dude, that's so great!"

The Ashkenaz Festival celebrates its 15th anniversary this year with an eclectic lineup that includes Buchbinder's project Odessa/Havana, a Cubano-Klezmer rock band, lots of alternative theatre and Yiddish dance class. "In some ways, it's like an acid trip, you come in, have your consciousness changed, and then you go out," Buchbinder says.

"That's interesting," Stein responds. "I've always thought of it like a mushroom trip."

Both men were patrons of Caplansky's at its old stomping ground, and over a smoked meat sandwich (Stein) and beef brisket plate (Buchbinder), conversation turns to Leonard Cohen, Michael Chabon and Harvey Pekar; in other words, desired festival artists that got away.

"I thought once we were going to get Eugene Levy, but it never came through," says Stein, who lives up at Oakwood and St. Clair and, noticing copies of David Sax's book Save the Deli on the restaurant's shelf, laments that Sax never appeared at the festival, though the two men attended the same summer camp. "My brother and I ran the camp newspaper," says Stein, punctuating his reminiscences with a giant smoked meat sandwich bite. "We gave him his start!"

Still, for all the celebrities that Stein and Buchbinder have yet to convince to come join their festival, they take considerable delight in how the series has grown. What began as a tenuous relationship with the Harbourfront Centre has blossomed into a biennial event, boasting more than 200 artists from dozens of countries.

"The work you've done is so good, man," Buchbinder tells Stein after the plates have been cleared and there's nary a pickle wedge left to eat. "It makes me proud Ashkenaz is in good hands."

"Thanks," Stein replies, taking in the patrons of Caplansky's. "Sometimes it feels like there's a Jewish revival happening downtown."

-The Ashkenaz Festival runs Aug. 31 to Sept. 6 at the Harbourfront Centre. ashkenazfestival. com

bkaplan@nationalpost.com