✈ Brussels, Belgium

Contributed by: Michelle Szpilzinger | Last Visited: January 2009

Kosher Info: This site has a good list of the kosher resources in Brussels. There is not much to find in the old historic center, but there are currently two kosher restaurants in the EU area, which is not a major tourist destination but is fairly simple to get to by metro. I would check to see if they are open on evenings and weekends as I know for a fact that the EU area is deserted at night. I can not vouch for them as I did not eat at either one. Unfortunately, it seems that the one kosher place in Brussels I actually visited (Pilpel) is now closed, which is a shame as it was a nice little restaurant with an adjacent kosher shop that was open in the evenings. We bought our food for Shabbos there.

For Shabbat Hospitality, contact Chabad. They offered to host us for meals and accommodation, but we opted instead to stay in the city center. They were really nice and I had good communication with them by e-mail.

If you’re staying in the city center, the kosher shops are not terribly convenient by public transportation. We opted to stay in an apartment-hotel with a kitchen rather than a regular hotel and brought a small pot and pan and some food from home so we could save money and time by making our own food. We also figured it would mean avoiding the annoying key-card issue, and we almost did — the only problem was that our flat was above a shop and when the shop was closed you had to use the key from the outside or a button on the inside to open the electric door shutter. This meant we were stuck inside Friday night (though we didn’t mind, as it was cold) and on Shabbos day had to make sure the shop was open. It was annoying but I’d still highly recommend the company, Apartments Apart, as the flat was really comfortable and nice, cheaper than most hotels, and even provided free wifi. You also get to feel more like a local for your stay.

Another option is to head over to Antwerp where kosher food abounds. It’s only 45 minutes or so from Brussels by train, and many kosher shops and restaurants are right near the Antwerp train station.  If you’re staying in Brussels for more than a day or two, Antwerp is a must-visit whether you need the food or not.

Chocolate is, of course, a Belgian specialty; but the only brand we were told is definitely kosher is Guylian, which you can also buy internationally. We did manage to find some obscure kosher chocolate in a tiny store in Bruges that happened to have an Israeli hechsher on it, but we never saw it in Brussels.

Another Belgian specialty is beer, including many types of flavored beers. We were never given a definitive answer on the kashruth of these beers, so we stuck to regular, plain beer.

As for the ubiquitous Belgian waffles (sold in stands on nearly every street)…good luck finding kosher ones. Let me know if you do. They smelled incredible — it was torture.

Tourist Info: Once a major medieval city, now the de facto capital of Europe, Brussels has a great mix of old and new with some amazing Art Nouveau thrown into the mix. A first stop for any visitor would be the Grand Place, a stunning square surrounded by the city hall and the glittering former guild houses of medieval merchants, where you can also find the tourist office. Every other summer the square is filled with a giant Carpet of Flowers. If I ever go to Brussels again, it’ll be a summer when I can see it. Nearby is the famous “Mannekin Pis,” a hilarious symbol of Brussels as it’s a fountain with a center sculpture of a tiny boy putting out a fire by rather unusual methods. (The title is a hint.)

Up a hill is Place Royal, home of the King’s Palace (open only in summer) and the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, which houses both the Museum of Ancient Art and a Modern Art museum.

For Elegant Shopping you can visit the Sablon Squares and Avenue Louise. If you have children with you, you might want to visit Mini-Europe.

One unique museum is the Center for Comic-Strip Art. Belgium is the home of the famous Tintin, and it’s a fun museum housed in a gorgeous Art Nouveau building. Art Nouveau lovers will also love the Museum of Musical Instruments and the Musee Horta.

Jewish Info: The Jewish community of Brussels is much smaller than the one in nearby Antwerp, much of it outside the historic center. We did not encounter a lot of it, but there are a few sites in the city center. The Great Synagogue is a lovely Neo-Romanesque structure on Rue de la Regence between the Palais de Justice and the Place Royal. There are also a couple of memorials to the Holocaust and Jewish martyrs. For more information on Jewish life in Brussels, check out the Jewish Virtual History Tour.

Tags: antwerp, antwerpen, Belgium, brussels, chabad, Europe, Jewish, jewish belgium, jewish community, jewish history, jewish travel, jews, Kosher, kosher belgium, kosher travel, shabbat

✈ Adirondacks Mountains, NY, Burlington & Stowe, VT

Contributed by: Aaron Steinberg | Last Date of Travel: August 2008

Kosher Info:

There was not a lot of Kosher food to be found in either of these destinations. Our plan was to camp out for two nights in the Adirondacks (upstate NY), then drive to Vermont and spend two nights in a resort hotel.

We packed most of our food with us from New York. We brought your normal camping food (burgers, bread, peanut butter, veggies, condiments, eggs, snacks, trail mix, and more) with us in a cooler and grocery bags. Kosher camping is so simple and fun, and I truly recommend it for anyone who is considering.

We lived pretty simply for those days, and our only treat was when we went to Lake Placid, NY (site of both the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics). This quiet town has a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream shop, and a Starbucks.

After two days of eating like this, we needed some sort of break. Driving into Vermont, we went to the one Kosher establishment we could find (aside from home hospitality in Chabad): Shaws Supermarket (570 Shelburne Rd. Burlington, VT 05401). What we found there was frozen delicacies like pizza and knishes. With our trusty sandwich maker, we were prepared to turn our 4-star hotel room into a gourmet kitchen.

The final Kosher treat of our trip was the Ben and Jerry’s Factory Tour. While the tour is more than it’s hyped up to be, there’s nothing like driving 8 hours to wait in a longer than usual line to buy some Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream.

This trip reminded us that sometimes Kosher traveling isn’t about planning a trip around OU establishments, and is rather a challenge to go anywhere and make it work your own way.

Tourist Info:

We left New York, and drove about 8 hours north into the Adirondack Mountains. We headed straight to the campsite we had reserved, and rushed to setup our tent before night fell.

We spent the next day really enjoying Lake Placid which is really an amazing little town. It has the feel of a hippie college town with just a bit too much tourist influence. There is beautiful nature everywhere, with great lakes and places to bike/hike around. It also has some amazing Olympics-related experiences including a dry-run of an Olympic Bobsled track (a bit pricey), rifle shooting on the actual Bi-athlon range (totally worth the $10-$15), and bunch of other Olympic venues such as Ice Rinks, the Ski Jump and much more. We were actually able to check out a womens “Pro” hockey game for $6 while we were there.

After sleeping another night at the camp site, we drove a few miles north and caught a ferry across Lake Champlain over to Burlington, VT. The ferry ride was a fun 45 minutes or so, but it was a bit too cold to sit outside and really enjoy the ride. After arriving in Vermont, we headed over to the Kosher aisle of the Shaws.

For the final leg of our trip we drove to Stowe, VT (Ski country during the winter) and stayed at Stoweflake, which is an amazing resort spa. We just chilled out and enjoyed the beautiful room, wonderful grounds, and nice spa treatments.

We checked out some of the local sights which included some small unique stores in Stowe itself, and of course the Ben & Jerry’s Factory tour. Warning: If your goal in traveling to the Adirondacks/Vermont is to avoid Jews (as ours was) this will ruin everything – the place is packed with frum Jews of all flavors. It was still worth visiting, although the tour is pretty meager.

The drive back from Vermont through Massachussets to New York is beautiful, and the most amazing landscape I have ever driven through can be found in southern Vermont. This is definitely a great destination for people who can appreciate nature.

Tags: adirondacks, burlington, jewish travel, kosher travel, stowe, upstate NY, Vermont, vt

✈ Atlanta, GA

Contributed by: Daniel Wenger | Last Date of Travel: [Author lives in Atlanta]
Original article was posted in May 2008 and has been updated for 2010

Kosher Info: Atlanta has the largest amount of Jewish/Kosher resources south of Maryland and north of the southern Florida hotspots. The Toco Hills community is the focal point of this activity, with fully-stocked Kosher sections in the local Kroger and Publix supermarkets, as well as several Kosher restaurants – even a self-standing bakery and Kosher mini-mart!

Toco Hills

Broadway Café, located on Briarcliff Road by LaVista Road, is the Milchig (dairy) sit-down restaurant, and really the only place to go for its level of service (not upscale fancy, but certainly business-appropriate). Broadway bills itself as vegetarian (with plenty of fake-meat and also vegan options) and draws in even non-Jewish diners during the local business lunch hour. The current location is where Pizza Palace (now closed) used to be; Broadway has since added Satrday night hours and pizza-by-the-slice specials. See their menu and even place your order online.
Pita Palace is around the corner on LaVista Road, and also draws an international crowd that favors falafel and shawarma. There’s not much seating room, but could still be business-appropriate if you’re specifically looking for an international ambiance.
Following LaVista down to North Druid Hills and the Toco Hills Shopping Center leads you to the aforementioned Kroger and Publix supermarkets. Kroger has a Chinese takeout station Chai Peking inside (order on your way in, shop for your weekly groceries, and pick up on your way out), and also has a Fleishig (meat), well, American, I guess, take-out counter (sandwiches, fried chicken, hot dogs, etc.). Publix’s deli counter has a sub station (I recommend picking up some subs to take with you to Turner Field downtown should you have tickets to a Mets Braves game). Both have full-service meat, fish, and deli counters and Kosher bakery sections.
There is also a separate Pareve bakery, Simone’s, that is near Kroger. Simone’s in-house baked products are all Pareve, though they have many pre-packaged specialty items including cheeses, nuts, and candy.
Several hotels and other conference centers are in touch with Kosher caterers, so you should feel comfortable asking for Kosher food if you have business in the area. Kosher Gourmet, the latest name of the store locals still know as “Steve’s”, is one such caterer who also has a storefront next to Broadway Café. They have a small selection of Kosher-brand pre-packaged products, a large selection of brands and styles of wine, plus cheese, fresh meat/poultry, and gourmet in-house prepared dishes available for take-out, delivery, and catering.

Dunwoody

Local Dunwoody supermarkets have Kosher sections, catering to the communities who live there and pass through on their way to the JCC. There is a café – Goodfriend’s Grill (which has, in addition to a grill, a dairy side as well) – in the JCC itself.

Sandy Springs

Local Sandy Springs supermarkets have Kosher sections, catering to the communities who live there and pass through on business. Near the heart of the business district (Hammond Drive) is OU for You, which is essentially a Milchig Pita Palace, serving Falafel and other middle-eastern fare to the local Israel business market. Bonus: during Channukah they have authentic Israeli Sufganiyot.

Alpharetta

Alpharetta still relies on the metro Atlanta eateries to satisfy its Kosher needs, but local area supermarkets do have minor Kosher sections.

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See the Atlanta Kashruth Commission’s listing of locally supervised establishments (which include some locations of Bruster’s Ice Cream and Krispy Kreme Donuts) for the latest on locations and contact information for all the previous sites mentioned.

Tourist Info: The Toco Hills community is north of downtown Atlanta, but its easy access to I-85 and the MARTA public transit system keep it within a 10-30 minute range of all the local attractions. The Dunwoody community is north of metro Atlanta, directly outside the I-285 loop defining the “perimeter” of Atlanta. Public transportation is a little weak, but with a car, you’re within a 20-30 minute range of all the local attractions. The Sandy Springs community is north of metro Atlanta on the edge of the perimeter, and abuts GA-400, which runs from downtown directly north (while the interstates run NW and NE).
Downtown destinations include the newly revamped World of Coca-Cola (yes, they still have the international tasting room), CNN Center, the Georgia Aquarium, Zoo Atlanta, Cyclorama, and several other historical sites. Underground Atlanta can provide some shopping (plenty of other malls in the suburbs as well), and Turner Field, Philips Arena, the Georgia Dome, and the Fabulous Fox Theatre all add entertainment value.

Driving half an hour or more in any direction starts to take you away from the major city centers and into a more natural Georgia. Stone Mountain and Kennesaw Mountain offer hiking and historical sites, and the famous Stone Mountain laser show every May-August evening is a must. The farther away from Atlanta you get, the more mountainous the terrain and the more you’ll see of nature trails and state parks.
North of the city you will find the North Georgia outlet malls, as well as the Discover Mills shopping complex. Gwinnett Arena may have events of interest, too.

Jewish Info: The Jewish community as a whole extends all throughout the Atlanta metropolitan area and even throughout the rest of Georgia, but Toco Hills is the Orthodox headquarters. LaVista Road itself is home to 5 Shuls, a Kollel, a Mikvah, the Atlanta Kashruth Commission, and Torah Day School. Between the Shuls, schools, and food (and, of course, an Eruv), Toco Hills (and Atlanta in general) is clearly a self-standing Jewish community.

It should be noted that Toco Hills is also near Emory University, as well as a home for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thus there are many Jewish grad/doctoral students living in the apartment complexes along LaVista Road, and several Emory professors (including a few Rabbi-Doctors) and CDC doctors are members of the local Shuls.

Congregation Ariel is the Orthodox Shul of Dunwoody, around which the community lives (though it is convenient that it is only a block away from the JCC). Ariel hosts a Kollel, but local kids generally carpool to the established schools, which are in other towns. There is an Eruv here as well.

Sandy Springs hosts Beth Tefillah, the full-service Shul which also serves as the flagship for the Chabad of Georgia. The Shul, with a Mikvah, and local community are encircled by an Eruv. Several Jewish schools are nearby, in addition to Chabad’s educational services.

The Chabad of Alpharetta is your source for Orthodox Jewish life in that area, and now includes an Eruv and a Mikvah. The community has seen a recent growth due both to the increased business industry in the area, as well as its residential situation. With the Atlanta-based communities becoming more expensive and young-couple housing becoming scarce, Alpharetta has been able to offer newer houses at $100K less than Atlanta, attracting several younger families to consider Alpharetta as a place to settle.

Alpharetta is also home to the Atlanta Men’s Synagogue Softball League. While the Orthodox communities are generally farther away, there are many non-Orthodox communities in northern Georgia, making Alpharetta somewhat central to all.
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You are welcome to contact the author should you or someone you know be passing through and wish to visit the community for Shabbat or even during the week. Contact Daniel Wenger.

Toco Hills synagogues Beth Jacob and the Young Israel are also valuable resources.

Tags: atlanta, Georgia, Jewish, jewish atlanta, jewish community, jewish georgia, jewish travel, kollel, Kosher, kosher atlanta, kosher georgia, kosher restaurant, kosher travel

✈ Outer Banks, NC

Contributed by: Dahlia Adler Fisch | Last Visited: August 2009

Kosher Info: There are no kosher restaurants in the Outer Banks area. However, if you’re making the drive from up north, you can easily stop off at Little Israel in Virginia Beach–it’s only a 5-10 minute detour off the highway and they’ve got some helpful groceries and great falafel and schwarma.

Tourist Info: The minute you arrive in the Outer Banks, it will become patently obvious from the preponderance of OBX stickers on every car in the area that this is a popular repeat destination for east coast tourists. With its beautiful beaches, serene atmosphere, and the number and range of activities available, it’s equally obvious exactly how it got that way.

Outer Banks is actually a fairly large area — a couple of hours drive from tip to tip–but if you have any interest in American history, aviation, or a combination of the two, the northern tip is the perfect destination. It’s home to Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills, the sites of the Wright Brothers’ aviation experiments and first flights, and Roanoke Island, once home to “the lost colony.” Tickets for the Wright Brothers’ Memorial are cheap and last all week, and gain you entrance to the monument commemorating the first flight as well as two small but informative museums. Kitty Hawk and Kill Devil Hills are also home to an outlet mall, a movie theater, and endless activities such as kayaking, biplane rides, and hang gliding.

About 20-30 minutes south by car is Roanoke Island, home to Elizabethan Gardens, an aquarium, and a 2-hour show called “The Lost Colony” that is not to be missed for summer visitors. (If you have flexible travel dates, try attending a show on August 18th; it’s the birth date of Virginia Dare, the first child born to colonists on American soil, and the locals celebrate by using real local babies in the show. Admission to the gardens is also free on that date.)

Lighthouse visits are another popular Outer Banks activity, the most famous being Cape Hatteras on Hatteras Island. Hatteras, like several of the other islands, is accessible by ferry.

Jewish Info:
It seems that the only Jewish institution in the area is the The Jewish Community of the Outer Banks (JCOB) which is unaffiliated religiously. Their once-monthly Friday night services are reform, and the community center is located in Kitty Hawk, NC. They can be contacted here: jcob@embarqmail.com

Tags: jcob, jewish travel, kitty hawk, kosher travel, NC, North Carolina, outer banks, roanoke island, wright brothers

✈ New York, NY

Contributed by Rachael Abrams | Last Date of Travel: January 2010

As a native-Texan I’m used to average Kosher restaurants, a small close-knit Jewish community and the passion to travel outside of Dallas to see other cities. New York is probably my favorite city to visit, not just for it’s liveliness nor it’s real winter weather—because of the incredibly diverse array of Kosher food.

I just returned from a very quick visit. Three nights in the Big Apple felt like a week simply because of all the food I ate. I feel like the city consumed me… literally.

My tasty travels began with delicious Chinese food, something my native Dallas lacks. EstiHana is an Asian restaurant situated in a lovely area close to the renown Natural History Museum on the Upper West Side. The atmosphere was very nice with couples on (what looked like) first dates—I was glad I dressed up that evening. I ordered a steamed chicken dish and shared a bowl of udon noodle soup (with beef). There’s sushi on the menu and other delectable entrees to satisfy ones Asian food craving. Although I walked out with a dent in my pocket, the food was well worth the damage. I was able to take a subway close to where the restaurant was located, which is an easy and inexpensive option for travelers.

The next day, after a lot of walking allover the Upper East Side, I landed in Times Square where tourists and gigantic advertisements can be found. Right off of Broadway, I dined at Schnitzel Express for lunch, where I ate a delicious Oriental Schnitzel sandwich. It was so good that right before I left for Dallas, I grabbed one to-go for the plane ride. For fast-food atmosphere, the food is perfect for a quick lunch.

New York impresses me with each visit for it’s incredible kosher food everywhere. If you are Jewish, New York is the place to be. It’s even written on the buildings with names like “Schwartz” and “Greenberg” stamped on the outside of both small and large businesses. After Shabbat, I dined with some friends at Clubhouse Cafe (right off of Times Square), which is a trendy American restaurant where you’ll find soft lighting, sliders, wings and delicious hamburgers. This is the perfect New York restaurant if you are willing to spend a few bucks.

My experience in New York was quite flavorful with incredible restaurants for my picky palette. Just in case you visit in the winter—bring walking shoes, gloves, and a hat. If you forget, you can purchase some warm weather gear at a stand…just about anywhere.

You can read about my posts on YeahThatsKosher here: http://yeahthatskosher.com/author/Rabrams

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Editor’s Note (from Dani Klein): for more info on New York, check out our post on NYC by clicking here.

Recommendation: for New Yorkers and tourists visiting NYC, we highly recommend using the Not For Tourists guidebooks and web resources: www.notfortourists.com/NewYork.aspx

Tags: estihana, jewish travel, kosher new york, kosher travel, Manhattan, natural history museum, New York, NFT, not for tourists, ny, nyc, schnitzel express, times square, tourist, upper east side

✈ Austin, TX

Contributed by Rebecca Weiser | Last Date of Travel: December 2009

Capital of the only state which was once its own country, Austin’s unique culture has a lot of uniquely Jewish and uniquely Texan attractions.

Kosher Info:
Kosher HEB (7025 Village Center Drive): Nestled in the heart of the Jewish Community in beautiful Far West Hills, the Texas-famous HEB brand has a Glatt Kosher Deli and food section, which is Fleisch and Chabad of Austin Supervised. I recommend coming on a Thursday and getting their daily special of Fajitas. Or, if you can’t come then, get the California burger.

Madras Indian Pavilion (9025 Research Blvd # 100): Milk/Vegetarian, and under the Va’ad HaKashrus of Dallas, Madras is unique because it is the only place in Austin where you can enjoy a meal surrounded by two extremes: Orthodox Jews and Religious Hindu Indians. Come for the lunch buffet and try the Sag Paneer (spinach and cottage cheese). As an added bonus, the best part of coming to Madras is seeing the eclectic mix of religious Jews and religious Indians dine together!

Randal’s Kosher Bakery (5311 Balcones): This Randal’s has a Kosher Bakery, where you can get cakes, cookies and fresh Challah. No sit down option, but I recommend trying out their pastries.

Austinuts (2900 W. Anderson Lane): Austinuts is a staple to the locals. Owned by Israelis, it carries Kosher nuts, chocolates, candies, and specialty baskets. Pick up some chocolate covered cherries either as a treat or as souvenirs.

Tourist Info:

Austin City Limits: Austin is known as the Live Music Capital of the World, and with good reason. Every Fall, Austin holds one of the largest 3-day music festivals, attracting hundreds of bands and thousands of people. Past acts include Dave Matthews Band, Bob Dylan, Matisyahu, and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

SXSW: The week long festival celebrating Music, Film and Interactive takes place during Spring Break every year. What makes “South By” (as it’s referred to by those in the know) so unique is that as opposed to being localized to one central location, this festival literally takes over the entire city. Different venues all over town host public and private events, featuring media icons such as Perez Hilton, Kanye West, and the folks from CollegeHumor.

Bats Under Congress Bridge: During the summer time, around nightfall, 1.5 million bats making their migration trip can be seen underneath the Congress Bridge. This is a major Austin activity is a must-see, and is completely safe.

Longhorn Football Game: If you are ever in Austin over the weekend, I highly recommend going to a UT Longhorn game. Although they are usually on Shabbos morning, they occasionally have football games starting Saturday night. Also, the famous Texas vs. A&M game is always held on Thanksgiving day. Nothing like 80,000 manic fans in burnt orange screaming “TEXAS FIGHT!”

The University of Texas at Austin Campus: Everything truly is bigger in Texas, as proven by its state University. Spanning 350 acres in the heart of downtown Austin, it is home to 49,000 students. Some notable sites include Jester, the world’s largest dormitory, which holds about 4,00 students, The Harry Ransom Center, which houses an authentic Gutenberg Bible, McCombs School of Business, The Student Union, The Blanton (art museum), and the Turtle Pond.

Texas State History Museum (1800 Congrees Ave): The Texas State History Museum and IMAX Theatre are right across from UT Campus. Enjoy the 3-story tour of Texas’s history, and understand where the “Lone Star” and “Six Flags” come from.

Texas State Capital (112 East 11th St) : Known as a “little blue dot in a sea of red,” Austin is also the home of the Capital building and the most liberal politics in Texas. Take a tour of the beautiful congressional building, and you may see students and lobbyists on your way.

Zilker Park and Barton Springs (2201 Barton Springs Road): This beautiful 351 acre park is perfect for a day out with the family, and hosts the iconic Austin Trail of Lights, ACL, and the Zilker Kite Festival. Right next to Zilker is Barton Springs, which is a beautiful all-natural spring (and Mikvah).

Mt. Bonnel (3800 Mt. Bonnell Dr): The highest point in Austin, at 775 feet, provides an easy hike for nature lovers. Atop, there is a view of downtown and Lake Austin.

6th Street / Downtown: The hub of Austin’s wild nightlife, 6th street is notorious for its clubs, bars and restaurants. A good evening would consist of a comedy show of topical humor Esther’s Folleys (beware of Kol Isha, though), followed by gallivanting around Dizzy Rooster (the hot spot for Real World: Austin-ers), Thirsty Nickel, and Stubbs (where Matisyahu got his start!).

Jewish Info:

Dell Jewish Community Center (7300 Hart Lane): This campus is home to many of the Jewish communities in Austin. It houses Tiferet (Orthodox), Agudas (Conservative), and Beth Shalom (Reform). It also hosts the Austin Jewish Academy, a gym, Sunday School, and a gift shop.

Chabad of Austin: Chabad has two locations in order to best serve Austin’s two budding communities. In Far West Hills (7010 Village Center Dr), right next to the Dell Jewish Community Center and across from the Kosher HEB, Chabad has a community center and Beis Menachem Hebrew Academy. Chabad on campus (2101 Nueces Street) has Shabbos dinners, weekly Jewish programming, and just remolded their beautiful student center.

Texas Hillel (2105 San Antonio): Texas Hillel‘s recently remodeled facilities allow students the comfort and atmosphere to hang out, do homework, or conduct meetings. Their Kosher kitchens (one meat one milk) are used for special events, including Friday night meals. Also, the libraries and student resource room allow for both quiet and lively atmospheres suitable for studying as well as socializing.

Hope you enjoy your trip to Austin! For more information, visit Austin360, and don’t hesitate to ask me any questions at @RebeccaWeiser.

Tags: Austin, austin chabad, Austin City Limits, austinuts, capital, jewish travel, kosher austin, kosher HEB, kosher texas, kosher travel, madras indian pavilion, randal's kosher bakery, SXSW, Texas, texas hillel, TX, university of texas austin

✈ Rome, Italy

Contributed by Elina Rokhkind | Last Date of Travel: October 2009

Kosher Info:

Thankfully, Rome offers a decent choice of options for the kosher traveler. In addition to the centrally located former ghetto neighborhood with about a dozen eateries ranging from the quick bites to fancy restaurants, there are a few other residential neighborhoods with the Jewish infrastructure.

In the Ghetto all restaurants are located in the close proximity to the Great Synagogue and to each other. There are four pricier sit-down restaurants: two dairy (Nonna Betta and Yotvata) and two meat (La Taverna del Ghetto and Ba’Ghetto), which are frequented by locals and tourists alike. It seems that visiting the Ghetto neighborhood and tasting the authentic Jewish Roman cuisine is considered an interesting and worthwhile experience even for a non-Jewish sightseer. We ate at Nonna Betta and Ba’Ghetto – both were really nice and offered a wide menu of Roman specialties. Ba’Ghetto seemed to be most popular.  Make sure to sample the local signature dish – artichokes alla Judaea. Almost all restaurants in the area have outside sitting, and in the cold weather fancier restaurants place large gas heaters near the tables, which makes for a very cozy and romantic dining.

The area also have 2 bakeries and a meat store (didn’t check them out), a dairy fast-food Beteavon (fresh panini and sandwiches with a heimishe feel), Fast Kosher (McDonalds-type fast-food, didn’t try it), Chagat (another meat fast-food, but more Israeli-type with choices like falafel), and Kosher Bistrot (fleishig café with a bit more sophisticated selection which also serves hot beverages and alcohol, and sells a number of imported and Italian packaged groceries; beware – prices are higher when you sit outside than at the bar inside). Pretty much every establishment including hole-in-the-wall joints served wine – and a good one! – so enjoy this inseparable part of an Italy vacation. Try ordering house wines (vino de casa) with your restaurant meal and you won’t regret it! Also, some really yummy kosher deli options exist in Italy, which we haven’t tried before – make sure to taste their carne seca.

Piazza Bologna, Marconi and Monteverde are other neighborhoods where Jews reside, with Piazza Bologna being the most populated. It boasts a few kosher hotels and B&Bs, 3 synagogues and several kosher stores and eateries. We only ate at the pizza/bakery place Pane al Pane (pretty good), which sells pizza by weight, and the variety of toppings makes you wish to try them all. 

From the restaurants located elsewhere we also tried C’e Pasta e Pasta (not far from Trastevere train station) – a takeout-type place with a few seats, selling delicious pasta products and appetizers (the cheese-filled crepes we ate there were simply divine). And I can’t recommend enough another dairy café and bakery called Dolce Kosher. (We happened to live nearby during our stay in Rome, otherwise it’s a shlep from the center.) Everything we tried there was absolutely amazing, and they have a mouthwatering selection of deserts! I couldn’t believe the parve pastries were actually parve. The place was abounding with the knowing locals, although we were there at 11 am on a weekday…

All Roman kosher establishments are under Beth Din of Rome, meat by default is not glatt (however, several restaurants offer glatt selections), some of the dairy places are Chalav Yisrael. For more detail on kosher options and Jewish life the Jewishitaly.org proved to be very instrumental. Also, Shamash.org kosher database provides details and reviews on the restaurants. 

Tourist Info:

Rome is filled with places to visit and things to do, so I can comment only on whatever we ended up doing during our 3.5 day visit. We explored the Ghetto neighborhood and visited the Main Synagogue and the Jewish Museum located in the same building (more info in the next section). We walked a lot in the historic center visiting most of the tourist landmarks: lively Campo dei Fiori with farmers market in the morning and live music in the evening, Pantheon, Piazza Navona with its impressive Bernini fountains, Piazza Colonna with a huge column, the legendary Trevi Fountain, and the ever-crowded Piazza di Spagna. We also had a walk through a vibrant Trastevere neighborhood, visited magnificent Piazza del Popollo, and promenaded along Via del Corso. Walking miles and miles in Rome you realize that the city itself is the biggest museum under the open sky with its abundance of architectural marvels, beautiful statues and plentiful fountains. Ancient ruins that pop up at you from everywhere is the most amazing thing. In the midst of the modern city you suddenly stumble upon some interesting excavations, or an enormous Egyptian obelisk, or the remains of an ancient wall. Structures are built upon the older foundations making the city a multi-layer history showcase. We were looking for the Pompey theater ruins marked on the map, but seen nowhere, until we found out that the remaining wall of the theater is the actual back wall of the present-day buildings on that street – bars, restaurants, hotels.

We also visited the Michelangelo-designed Capitoline Square and were astounded to see the poster of Gilad Shalit on the City Hall. The enormous Victor Emmanuel monument complex nearby the Capitoline Hill offers great panoramic views of Rome. 

 We explored Ancient Rome monuments with a private guide from the Jewish tour company. There are 2 companies – Rome for Jews and  Jewish Roma that offer several tours of Rome with the Jewish twist. We went with the 1^st company, and were quite satisfied, but their guides are Americans; Jewish Roma, I believe, has Italian guides. Our 3-hour tour included some introduction to the Ghetto and its history (on the way to the ancient sites), overview of the Forum and the story of the Jewish history in the Ancient Rome, a close-up of the Arch of Titus, tours of the Palatine Hill and the Colosseum. Since private guides are not inexpensive, it makes more sense to hire them if you are traveling with a small group. 

We visited Vatican with the tour by the Vatican Museums – it lasted 2 hours and covered the highlights. The Museums are enormous – plan ahead if you want to see something specific. Also, it is going to be less crowed if you visit it in the afternoon. Some people, who did not want to enter the Sistine Chapel, complained that they could not bypass it once they got close, since it’s a one-way path. In fact, there is a door on the top of the stairs which leads back through the main corridor – it may be marked as no entry, but there is a way out – try talking to the security guards if you are stuck, some of them are helpful. It’s about a 15-minute walk back through the museum and another 10 to the St. Peter’s Square to take a look at the famous semicircle of massive columns and the gigantic Basilica. 

We also wanted to see Galleria Borghese – an interesting collection of art and sculpture housed in a 17^th-century cardinal villa. The museum requires advance reservation, as they only allow a certain amount of visitors every 2 hours. So if you are late – that’s what happened to us – you forfeit your visit since there are usually no extra tickets. Our only consolation was that the villa is located in the large and beautiful park – Borghese Gardens, which is a pleasure to walk or bike through (bike rentals available). 

It is vital to have a good map in Rome, since even with the map we kept getting lost. The locals are extremely friendly and go out of their way to help even when they don’t speak a word in English. A good bus route map is also helpful since metro coverage is limited. Romans get around mostly by motorini (mopeds) – the swarms of them are an inextricable part of the local character. 

Jewish Info:

 Rome’s Jewish community numbers about 15 000, it has 14 synagogues (all of them Orthodox), and an established Jewish infrastructure with schools, mikvahs, periodicals and communal organizations. An outsider, judging by the cover, would not be able to tell who is Jewish – not many kipahs and distinguishably Jewish dress is seen even in the Jewish places.

 Rome is home to one of the most ancient Jewish communities in Diaspora – first Jews settled here during the 2^nd century BCE. Neither Ashkenazi nor Sephardi, they are called Bnei Roma (or Italiki Jews), and they have their own nusach and minhagim. Obviously, a lot of other Jews (mostly Sephardim) joined the Roman community throughout the centuries. During the Ghetto times Jews were allowed to have only one synagogue, so they housed several minyanim in one building. 

The Ghetto existed from 16^th to the late 19^th century, and it enclosed several blocks near the Tiber River. The frequently flooded area, where thousands of Jews crammed was in such a miserable condition by the time of the unification of Italy, that it was completely demolished and rebuild. In place of the old synagogue the Roman Jewish community built a magnificent new structure clearly recognizable on the Roman skyline by its rectangular dome. All artifacts from the old shuls were preserved and are now either in use in the synagogues throughout Rome or on the display in the Jewish Museum of Rome. The Jewish Museum also houses a large collection of Torah covers which Jewish housewives crafted from the second-hand clothing they husbands peddled. The Museum ticket includes a half-hour tour of the Synagogue with the overview of the history of Roman Jewry. There are daily services in the Great Synagogue.

 Also of Jewish interest is Ostia Antica – a large archeological site containing excavations of an ancient synagogue. It is outside of Rome, and accessible by public transportation. (We haven’t visited it, however).

Tags: Italy, jewish italy, jewish travel, kosher italy, kosher roman, kosher rome, kosher travel, michaelangelo, rome, the ghetto