Food has always been serious business for the Jewish community, and never more so that in the famed kosher delis of New York City, where a broiges has developed over a sandwich.

Manhattan's 2nd Avenue Deli has long offered customers an "Instant Heart Attack Sandwich", a concoction made up of potato latkes, salami and mustard. The menu recommends that the dish is eaten with a side order of matzah ball soup.

But an Arizona-based hamburger restaurant also sells a dish under that name, although its version includes bacon and cheese.

In March the kosher-style deli's owners received a letter from the Heart Attack Grill threatening legal action for an infringement of copyright.

In response, they said this week that it had filed a lawsuit with the Manhattan federal court asking for a judge to state that there had been no infringement.

In the court papers, the Arizona version was described as "more precisely a cheeseburger, and as such…decidedly not kosher and unsuitable for the Second Avenue Deli's customer base.

"Anyone looking for a milkshake, cheeseburger or french fries cooked in lard will not find them at the Second Avenue Deli."

The deli is currently planning to introduce a "Triple Bypass Sandwich" to its menu.