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.

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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.

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Los Angeles, CA

Contributed by: Dani Klein | Last Date of Visit: November 2008

Kosher Info: Los Angeles proper has one main drag of kosher restaurants, eateries, and markets. Basically everything I came across on my visits is on Pico Blvd. near Robertson Blvd. (aptly named the Pico-Robertson area). On Pico you will find Nagila Meating Place (meat) and next door, Nagila Pizza: Simple kosher fast food. Additionally on Pico you will find: Pico Kosher Deli: great deli-style eats, a Glatt Kosher “Subway”, and numerous other cafes, delis, pizza joints, and other establishments that I’m sure I’ll leave out. Also on Pico there is Sinai Kosher Market, Doheny Kosher Meat Market, and other small kosher markets to get whatever you need. Few kosher establishments exist in the LA area outside of the long Pico strip, and if you know of them, please share.

Tourist Info: LA LA land is known for Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and famous pretty people. Beverly Hills is mainly a rich residential neighborhood, not worth spending much time, unless you’re stalking celebs. Now, I must say, I’ve been to LA about 5 times in the past few years, and in all honesty, if I didn’t have to go there for work, I probably wouldn’t. Everything in this city is revolving around celebrities or just how one looks. Granted, the Jewish community is partially removed (note the number of Jews in Hollywood) from the celebrity aspect, but the rest of the town is not. Since the city is so spread out, everyone is reliant on their cars, and traffic is unbearable. Public transportation is awful and mainly used by those who can’t afford their own cars. So, unless you’re obsessed with pop culture, don’t waste your time in LA.

If you are however going to be in LA anyways, here are some places to check out. Grauman’s (Mann’s) Chinese Theatre is a famous landmark on Hollywood Blvd. The 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica; nice outdoor shopping, a couple blocks from the beach. Check out Hollywood and Sunset Blvds, and of course get a shot with the Hollywood sign.

If you are into pop culture, look into taking a tour of the various TV & Movie studios in the vicinity. Also, you may be able to attend a free taping of a TV show. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, The Price is Right, and many many others are filmed almost daily in LA. Be sure to do your research beforehand to make sure you can get tickets while in town.

While I haven’t visited them, the LA area has quite a few number of amusement parks:

• Disneyland – the original magic of Disney
• Disney’s California Adventure – a Hollywood themed park
• Six Flags Magic Mountain – thrill rides and roller coasters
• Pacific Park – on the Santa Monica pier
• Universal Studios Theme Park & CityWalk

Jewish Info: LA is home to both a large Persian Sephardic community, as well as an Ashkenaz one. Both Aish HaTorah and Chabad have massive buildings on Pico Blvd. in the heart of the Jewish area. There are about 15+ Chabads in different neighborhoods throughout the metro LA area. There are quite a few shuls in the Beverly Hills & Pico/Robertson areas. To get a full list of all shuls in the LA area, check out the LA Jewish Journal’s Synagogue Directory (only the shuls marked with an O (Orthodox), MO (Modern Orthodox), or SO (Sephardic Orthodox) are frum). Once you’ve located the shul closest to you, a mikvah shouldn’t be far.

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Tallinn, Estonia

Contributed by: Arielle Klein  |  Last Date of Travel: June 2008

Kosher Info: Of all the places we never thought we’d find a fancy kosher restaurant, Tallinn was one of them. Lo and behold we found Moses a beautiful Israeli owned restaurant located within Tallinn’s beautiful synagogue. Walking in the synagogue took our breaths away more on that later. Moses offers haute cuisine at haute prices. We had a delicious meal that took quite a bite out of the wallet but as it is the only kosher restaurant around we had no choice. Beware they even charge for water. The menu is small but they offer wine and a few chicken dishes some Israeli dishes, fish and beef dishes. It’s definitely an experience worth having. In terms of finding other food there isn’t much so make sure you bring lots of food with if you are having an extended stay because Moses will eat away your wallet otherwise.

Tourist Info: Tallinn is fairytale perfect. The medieval city is full of beautiful cobble stoned streets, castles with turrets, and architecture that takes your breath away. There are antique shops galore and stores full of novelties like Faberge replica eggs and intricately painted babushka dolls. The Eastern European flavor and centuries of history is redolent in the air. If you go at the right time you may even make it for the old town days when everyone is dressed in medieval costumes and merchants sell their wares on the streets.

Estonia has some fabulous tourist attractions. They are also a really great place to indulge in some spa treatments since the prices are ridiculously cheap.

Check out Kiek in de Kok. My husband thought this was the funniest thing ever. It is a medieval fortress that was used to fortify the city and it means in lower German “peek in the kitchen”. It is four or five floors full of interesting artifacts from the fortress and medieval times and a gives a good perspective on Eastern European history and the region.

Fat Margaret is a round dome shaped fortress at the beginning of the old city.

We went to this spa called Nalne Beauty Salon. We both had fabulous massages and I had an amazing facial the whole thing with tips cost about a $170 dollars; in the States it would have been much more.

In terms of accommodations Estonia is dirt cheap. While on the rest of our trip to Europe we stayed in hostels, but in Estonia we were able to stay in actual hotel that was nice and clean with a hot towel bar in the bathroom! (after staying in hostels these things become very exciting)

Because Tallinn is truly medieval you can have a blast just walking around taking in the sights. Check out the fun pink parliament building too.

Tallin is really a fabulous city make sure you get there before the secret gets out.

Jewish Info: As mentioned above Tallinn has a beautiful brand new synagogue that was constructed in 2007. In the 1800’s Tallinn had a thriving Jewish community with a synagogue, butchers , mikvaot, a cultural center and Jewish schools. In WWII the synagogue was destroyed and Estonia was the first country declared by Nazi Germany to be Judeinfrei- free of Jews. In 2007 a synagogue was finally rebuilt providing a place for Tallinn’s Jews to worship. As mentioned there is also an onsite restaurant, a museum, and a mikveh. The shul is also known as Congregation Beit Bella. It is affiliated with Chabad Lubavitch. getting a tour is not so easy. When we were there we wanted to see the magnificent glass structure but were told by the scary security guard in halting English that, it was not allowed. I guess we’ll have to make a trip back. For more info on the shul check out. http://www.chabad.org/centers/default_cdo/aid/118417/jewish/Estonian-Jewish-Center.htm

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Boston, MA

Contributed by: Paul Hurwitz | Last Date of Travel:Currently resides in Boston

Kosher Info: For a city as big as the Boston Metro area, you’d think there would be more kosher restaurants. Unfortunately this is not the case, but there are choices. The Jewish center of Boston is actually the Coolidge Corner area of Brookline. On Harvard St there are kosher restaurants, a grocer/butcher and several other establishments. After each listing I mention the kosher supervision because not each establishment is universally accepted by the local community.

Restaurants/Bakeries:

♦Rubin’s Kosher Restaurant Delicatessen. Rubin’s is a classic deli with what I call good old-fashioned Jew-food. Rubin’s closes at 8PM. Glatt Kosher under the KVH.

♦Cafe Eilat, which is a pizza/dairy restaurant. The pizza is best when you order a whole instead of slices. Kosher under KVH and Rabbi Hamaoui (Sephardic Congregation).

♦Taam China is chinese and is open the latest of all local kosher restaurants. They have a second location, Taam China II in Newton. The Brookline location is small and because of that they try to have fast turnover. The Newton location is much larger and in my opinion has much better food. Glatt Kosher under Rabbi Hamaoui (Sephardic Congregation).

♦Rami’s is an Israeli falafel/shwarma place. The food is excellent, but if you want shwarma show up before 5PM, otherwise they run out. Glatt Kosher under the KVH.

♦Milk Street Cafe is the only restaurant mentioned here that is not in Brookline. It is located in Downtown Boston in the financial district. It is an excellent dairy restaurant that also does a lot of corporate catering (dairy/meat/pareve). It is open Monday-Friday 7AM-3PM. It is perfect if you are in Boston seeing tourist sites. Kosher under Orthodox Rabbincal Council.

♦Ruth’s Kitchen is a storefront for Catering by Edna. They are open Wednesday-Friday for takeout and they have a few tables to sit down. Glatt Kosher under Rabbi Dovid Moskowitz (Cong Chai Adom)

♦Kupel’s Bakery has bagels, challah and baked goods. They have just about any spread/topping you could think of for bagels. Kosher under the KVH.

♦A special mention goes to JP Licks on Harvard St, a local chain of ice cream stores. All but one of their locations are completely kosher under the KVH (Brigham Circle location is not certified). You can have the waffle cones, bagels, everything in the store. JP Licks has a special place in my heart because they always have Lactose free choices of ice cream.

Your options for breakfast are Rubin’s (pareve waffles, pancakes french toast, omelettes etc) and Kupels. Also, on Sunday mornings you can go to the JP Licks mother ship in Jamaica Plain and get fresh made waffles with any topping along with bagels, muffins, scones and coffee). There is no longer a kosher Dunkin Donuts in the Boston area.

Markets:

♦The Butcherie is a full-service butcher/grocer. The store is kosher under Rabbi Mordechai Twersky, but the fresh meat and prepared foods are not Glatt Kosher. There are plenty of packaged meats/chicken, dry goods and dairy products.

♦Trader Joes has a wide selection of kosher products and fresh Empire poultry products.

♦The Stop & Shop on Harvard St has a kosher bakery in the store (under the KVH) and a whole section of just kosher products.

Outside of Brookline there are more kosher establishments in Newton, Sharon and Stougton. They are not in the areas frequented by people visiting Boston, so I am not mentioning them here. Check the Kosher Restaurant Database on Shamash for more information.

Tourist Info: Boston is a great city to visit, whether its for a vacation or for one of the myriad conferences and conventions that take place here. There is a lot more to do in Boston during the summer than there is in winter because of all the outdoor activities here. One of the best ways to get an introduction to Boston (and have great fun while doing so) is to take a Boston Duck Tours tour. The tour takes place on a WWII era amphibious vehicle (a DUKW boat) and includes the DUKW entering the water and giving a view of Boston and Cambridge from the Charles River. Another option would be to take a trolley tour which allows you to get on and off throughout the day to spend more time at sites that interest you.

Of course there is the Freedom Trail, a 2.5 mile red brick trail that leads to more than 15 historic sites around Boston. You can explore on your own or take a guided tour. A lot of stops on the trolley tours and the Freedom Trail overlap, so you probably don’t need to do both. A highlight of the Freedom Trail is the USS Constitution, ‘Old Ironsides’. Old Ironsides is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. You can go on a guided tour and visit the museum. Note that it is a secure Naval facility, you have to go through airport-style security to get in.

Boston has great parks that are lot of fun to explore. Boston Common is in the heart of Downtown and has wide open spaces as well as a playground and the Frog Pond (wading in summer, ice skating in the winter). You can stroll along the Charles River on the multi-use path on both sides of the Charles and see the Hatch Shell (the location of the Pops Goes the Fourth 4th of July fireworks and concert). The crown jewel is one of the US’s newest National Parks, the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. You can take ferries from Long Wharf, near the Aquarium, to Spectacle and Georges islands and from there to some of the smaller islands. If you have one day to explore the islands go to Georges Island. Georges Island features a Civil War era fortress, picnic area and is a great place to explore. You can also take a ferry out to Little Brewster Island to take a tour of Boston Light, the oldest manned lighthouse in the country.

The Prudential Tower in Copley Square has the Skywalk Observatory on the 50th floor that offers a 360 degree of Boston. Near the Prudential Tower is Newbury St which is great for people-watching and shopping. Another great people-watching area is Harvard Square in Cambridge. Sports fans may want to visit Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox, either for a game or for a tour on non-game days. Under the bleachers section of Fenway there is a kosher hotdog vending machine.

Boston and the surrounding areas have some great museums that can add to any trip to Boston. If you have kids (especially under 10 y/o) Boston Children’s Museum is not to be missed. There is a special playspace just for kids under 3 and the 3 story climbing sculpture in the main lobby is great for older kids. Another museum, great for kids and adults, is the Museum of Science which also has a planetarium and a 5 story tall IMAX theater. There are lots of other great museums around Boston. Visit this website for links to all of them.

Jewish Info: There are many places to stay in Boston if you are Orthodox. If you will be staying for a Shabbat, there is a Courtyard By Marriot and a Holiday Inn in Brookline that both have special rooms for ‘Sabbath observers’ that don’t require a electronic card key and are within 10 minutes walking distance from the Young Israel of Brookline. The website of the Young Israel of Brookline is a great resource for finding local minyan times at all the local Orthodox shuls and other Jewish community info. Visit http://www.yibrookline.org. The Daughters of Israel mikvah on Washington St. in Brighton can be reached by calling (617) 782-9433.

There are other Jewish communities in the area: Newton, Brighton, Sharon and Cambridge. With the exclusion of Cambridge, these are areas not usually reached by people visiting Boston on vacation.

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New York (Manhattan), NY

Contributed by: Dani Klein | Last Date Visited: [Author lives in New York]

Kosher Info: Since Orthodox Jews make up such a large percentage of New York’s population, NYC is probably the easiest city in the world outside of Jerusalem to find Kosher food.

Buying Kosher food anywhere in New York is fairly easy. Kosher markets exist on the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Washington Heights, and the Lower East Side. However, almost every supermarket: Key Food, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Gristedes, Fairway, and others carry a wide array of Kosher products frequented by the Jewish NYers.

With so many places to eat in Manhattan, I will focus on a few areas that travelers to New York can visit for a quick bite to eat, or for a fancy sit down experience. (There are so many restaurants and general kosher eateries, there is no doubt many will not be on this list. This is a general list for the traveler to NY)

Midtown:

• Jerusalem 2 Pizza (aka “J2″)- the largest Kosher pizza shop in the world; they carry pizza, pasta, sandwiches, and sushi.
• Mr. Broadway – a large no-frills deli frequented by both businessmen and pedestrians; they carry a full menu of deli, BBQ, Chinese, and sushi. Recommend Sushi and Pastrami Burgers.
• Le Marais – famous steakhouse by Times Square; even better post-Broadway show.
• Mendy’s – the only kosher place inside Grand Central Station
• Other places to grab a quick bite: Circa, Milk & Honey, Kosher Delight, Kosher Deluxe, Vegetable Garden (moved to W38th st between 7th & 8th Ave)…

Upper West Side (UWS)

• Pizza Cave (W. 72nd st.)
• Nargila Grill (W. 72nd st.) – huge portions of great tasting Middle Eastern cuisine
• Talia’s Steakhouse (Amsterdam Ave. & W. 93rd st.) – nice atmosphere, great steak and potatoes
• Deli Kasbah (W. 85th st.) – one of the affordable Fleishig (meat) places in the city
• Estihana (W. 79th st.) – great sushi and other Japanese dishes
• Gan Asia (Amsterdam Ave. & W. 94th st.) – take out Asian
• H&H Bagels (W.80th st.) – 24 hour kosher bagels – yummmm
• Cafe Nana – (W. 115th st. – 2nd floor of the Columbia Univ. Hillel)

Downtown

• Subway (yes, there’s a Kosher one on Water st.)
• Essex on Coney Downtown
• Broadway Kosher Cafe

Tourist Info: Being a NYer myself, I relish living in the greatest city on Earth. There are always new places to explore and people to meet. I will list certain must-sees and must-dos while in the city, some traditional, some personal favorites.

• Empire State Building – observatory tower, landmark
• 5th Ave. – (window) shopping, walk into Trump Tower & FAO Schwartz
• Rockefeller Center – “Top of the Rock”, NBC Studios, ice skating
• Times Square – Broadway Shows, comedy clubs, bright lights – use “TKTS” for cheaper Broadway tickets day of show
• Central Park – walking, sports, picnics, free concerts, relaxing,
• Lower Manhattan – Battery Park, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Wall Street, WTC site / Ground Zero – future home of the Freedom Tower
• Chinatown
• Brooklyn Bridge – walk across on a nice day, great views
• South Street Seaport – boats, shopping, and the occasional show or exhibit
• Greenwich Village – nightlife, shopping, and interesting people
• Upper West & Upper East Sides – gorgeous apartment buildings, crazy rents, wealthy tenants, great neighborhood
• Madison Square Garden – see the Knicks or Rangers play, or one of many other sporting events hosted in the worlds most celebrated arena
• NY Public Library – like no other library
• Grand Central Station – they dont make train stations like this anymore, worth stopping by, avoid rush hour

Technically not in Manhattan (The Bronx):

• Yankee Stadium – catch a home game of the greatest sports team on Earth; sit in the Bleachers – the cheapest and by far the most fun section of the ballpark
• Bronx Zoo – much bigger than the Central Park Zoo

Parks:

• Central Park – without a doubt! Man-made, but oh so awesome!
• Fort Tryon Park – in Washington Heights (take the A train to 191st st.); great views of the Hudson River, George Washington Bridge, and visit the Cloisters
• Bryant Park – surrounded by office buildings and the NYPL, it is home to many professionals eating their lunch seeking refuge from their offices; hosts free ice skating in the winter, “movies in the park” in the summer.
• Union Square – small park; often hosts fresh food markets, performers, and the weekly protests; great shopping all around the area. Check out Max Brenner’s Chocolate Shop (from Israel) on Broadway. The boxed chocolates are all kosher (all have hashgacha from Israel), but the sit-down restaurant is not kosher at all.
• Battery Park – great views of the New York harbor, Statue of Liberty, and the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Verrazano bridges.

Museums & Zoos:

• MoMA
• The Met
• Museum of Natural History
• The Guggenheim
• Central Park Zoo

Affordable Shopping:

• Century 21
• 34th St.
• Canal St.

Jewish Info: Jews can be found in just about every area of this city, they might as well change the name to Jew York. Minyanim are not difficult to find, and there are nice Mikvahs on the Upper West Side, Upper East Side, Washington Heights, and on the Lower East Side.

Orthodox or not, check out the following synagogues:

• The Spanish-Portuguese Synagogue
• The Stanton St. Shul
• Park East Synagogue
• Ohab Zedek (OZ) – Friday night social scene
• Mt. Sinai Jewish Center – Friday night social scene

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Jerusalem, Israel

Contributed by: Dani Klein | Last Date of Visit: June 2006

Kosher Info: As capital of the Jewish state, J-town is filled with kosher eateries in almost every neighborhood.

City Center

The Ben Yehuda area is filled with all kinds of kosher restaurants:

• Burgers Bar – amazing huge burgers and great potato cut fries
• Holy Bagel – one of the places to get a traditional bagel, although not as good as New York bagels.
• Cafe Rimon – has a separated dairy and meat section. Huge selection on both sides, large portions and so yummy.
• Sbarro – the Italian eatery is Kosher in Israel and is awesome.
• Burger King – some question the hashgacha
• Also look down many of the side streets in this area, its filled with many places to grab a bite. (especially Italian)

Old City – Jewish Quarter

“The Rova” has a few places to grab food, nothing fancy. Within a few feet from each other exists 2 pizza stores, a falafel stand, and a couple cafes. By the stairs to the Kotel there’s a Holy Bagel, and a couple shwarma places.

City Entrance

There are a number of eateries both inside and outside of the central bus station and inside the Center1 building. In that area you will find a popular shwarma joint called Massov.

Geula & Me’ah Shearim

• Since this is the most religious area of the city, basically every shop is kosher and fairly cheap.

As an additional resource, you may want to check out Jerusalemite.net’s Kosher Restaurant Guide.

In terms of buying food at markets, all supermarkets carry a nearly all-kosher lineup of products.
On Pesach beware if you are Ashkenaz and do not eat kitniyot. Many products are listed as Kosher for Pesach that contain kitniyot. This applies to all of Israel.

Tourist Info: Such a beautiful city and so much to see and do. The Jewish quarter on the Old City deserves a walking tour and obviously a visit to the Kotel. (Is it blasphemous to call the kotel a tourist site?). The Jewish quarter is filled with all types of historical and religious sites, including numerous excavations. Check out the Kotel tunnel tour which runs deep under the Muslim quarter built above. Clostrophobes may not enjoy this tour.
Behind the old city is Ir David or David’s City, an archeological site allowing you to venture underground.
Directly outside of the old city is Mishkenot She’ananim, a beautiful artists village where you will find the Windmill. On the other side is Gan HaPaamon (bell park).

In the center of town the Ben Yehuda area is bustling day and night with tourits, students, and the local youth. There are all different types of shops, bars and restaurants, and be sure to check out the street vendors in the square behind Ben Yehuda. This is by far the easiest place to exchange your currency to Shekels.

Check out the Israel museum which includes extensive collections of Judaica, ethnography, fine art, artifacts, and rare manuscripts. Also see the Shrine of the Book.

For those who are not Chasidic (ultra-orthodox), walk through Geula and Me’ah Shearim. My only comparison is Boro Park in Brooklyn, but not nearly as nice. You cab find dirt cheap sefarim and other Judaica products. Visitor beware: if you plan to enter this neighborhood improperly dressed, there will be numerous signs advising you otherwise. The residents take that rule fairly seriously.

Jewish Info: Jews are commanded to visit Jerusalem 3x a year… no wonder there isn’t a city in the world with more Jewish history or charachter.

Every neighborhood has shuls and when in doubt, head to the kotel for round the clock minyanim. You can probably catch a late Shacharit while others are saying Mincha.

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Tags: Israel, Jerusalem, Jewish, jewish community, jewish travel, Kosher, kosher travel, Kotel