Jack's Wife Freda's 5 Best Dishes Video

It's no secret that food can tell a story. But at a place like the iconic Manhattan brunch destination Jack's Wife Freda, that story can all too easily fall to the wayside when every diner is so focused on capturing the perfect Instagram of their oozing egg yolks or plate of fluffy orange blossom pancakes.

So that's why we spent a balmy morning in Downtown Manhattan asking Maya and Dean Jankelowitz, the owners of Jack's Wife Freda, to tell us the story of their lives and their restaurant. Here's a taste: Maya grew up in Israel, and Dean grew up in South Africa, but they met, fell in love and opened their restaurant in New York City. They named it Jack's Wife Freda after Dean's grandparents and filled the menu with the food of their pasts.

And now, with the release of their Jack's Wife Freda cookbook, they're finally sharing their storied family recipes with the world. From Freda's famous matzo ball soup to the special croque madame they ate on their honeymoon (see the recipe), each page reveals how everything at Jack's Wife Freda is truly made with love.

Be sure to grab the cookbook, but first watch the video to get a firsthand glimpse of how it all happened.