Looking for spring? Keep your eyes open for the return of melt-in-your-mouth pastrami to Nicollet Mall, courtesy of the Brothers Deli.

By April, sooner if weather permits, the Brothers Deli cart will return to Nicollet Mall outside Macy's, said Jeff Burstein, owner of the skyway deli at 50 South Sixth St.

While the cart returns for its second year — reaching tourists and those who flee the skyways come spring — the deli's roots go back to Mike's Cafe, started in 1935 by Burstein's grandparents, Mike and Dora Burstein.

Burstein's father and uncle, Leonard and Sam Burstein, respectively, took over in 1959, renaming it Brothers Deli.

Rocking through the '60s and '70s, Brothers drew long lines for its corned beef, turkey, authentic New York pastrami and bakery favorites like chocolate whipped cream cake.

Brothers expanded to 16 restaurants, including Southdale, Rosedale, Brookdale, 50th and France and Highland Park.

Costly growth, a deep recession and the brothers' ailing health forced them to sell in 1983. By 1987, the restaurants had closed.

He realized his dream of reopening in 1993, helped by backers who remembered the old Brothers. Today's menu has 52 sandwiches, six soups and a dozen salads and a daily special.

Burstein's father visited daily until he died in 2003. "He'd say, 'Let me taste the soup, let me taste the corned beef,'" his son said. "He was lucky enough to see us reopen."

I liked it and felt like this has been our family thing and we got gypped. My dad had a great thing going. If we had kept it at eight or 10 stores, kept the bakery and not let in outsiders, we'd have still had a thriving business.

Business slows down in the summer. Instead of fighting the weather we put the cart out there from April or whenever it gets nice through September.

Our sweet and spicy bulgogi. It's a Korean sandwich that we top with peppers, onions and cheese. It's grilled steak, thinly sliced, marinated in teriyaki sauce we make here. People have told me it's the best sandwich they've had in their life.

Walter Matthau. They came in several times when they were filming that movie, "Grumpy Old Men." Doc Severinson was here. We cater the Timberwolves. We bring them lunch and breakfast whenever they're in town.