The Occupy Wall Street (#OWS) movement is now running on its 7th week of mass protests in lower Manhattan. While the crowds are fighting for better wages, jobs, and other economic issues, one of their unintended casualties has been a local Kosher restaurant: Milk Street Cafe, located on Wall Street, and just opened this summer (see my video of the restaurant by clicking here).

Due to the protests, the thriving restaurant is no longer thriving, and just laid off 21 employees from the large restaurant (nearly a quarter of his staff) — which by the way – has THREE separate kosher kitchens, dairy, meat, and pareve (certified by the OU).

The protests + police barricades make it extremely difficult – but not impossible – to reach for pedestrians. Remember, Wall St. is a pedestrian mall, and currently, it is carved up and blocked by many barricades.

Regardless of who is to blame for the restaurant’s layoffs and current financial troubles, we can do something about it – we can eat there.

We can make it our business to go out of our way around the barricades and crowds and eat there. I’m not necessarily endorsing this restaurant over others in the area … or in general. Obviously many Kosher restaurants go out of business … but typically for lack of demand, or because simply, the food / service was bad. This restaurant was in high demand. However, due to unforeseen circumstances they are losing money and may have to close prematurely because of these protests and the NYPD’s response.

Whether you work downtown, or are a #OWS protesters and keep kosher … be sure to stop by Milk Street Cafe on 50 Wall Street. It’s a huge place with lots of options.

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This video is from 3.5 months ago, and the place is thriving! Now, it may go out of business!

Click here for: Restaurant Info

Sushein is a brand new Kosher sushi restaurant officially opening today in downtown Manhattan (NYC) near City Hall. What makes Sushein unique is that they are the 1st kosher sushi restaurant in the U.S. to have a conveyor belt in the restaurant deliver sushi to its patrons. I have seen these conveyor belt sushi places before, but never kosher. I was lucky enough to be invited to a special “invite-only” premiere this Sunday, and I left full, satisfied, and overall had a great culinary experience. (Scroll down to the bottom for more pictures from Sushein)

The way a conveyor belt sushi restaurant works is the conveyor belt loops between the kitchen or sushi chefs making the sushi/sashimi/hand rolls/seaweed salads/etc. and the patrons. Each plate of sushi is color coated, which delineates the cost of that plate. You can grab whatever you want off of the conveyor belt and just eat. No ordering required. You can, however, order something from the menu a la carte from one of the waiters.

>> Watch the video to see the conveyor belt in action

Since the plates are small, the portions are really appetizer or “tapas” sized, and thus priced accordingly, with plates ranging from $2.50 – $7+ each. It is not uncommon to eat multiple plates off of the conveyor belt. At the end of your meal, your plates are tallied up to figure out your cost of meal. (In Sushein, because it is a meat restaurant, they also serve beef or chicken sushi, which is quite innovative and tasty, and those plates have a red sticker on them letting you know they are “fleishigs”.)

Some of the sushi rolls I tried were interesting and innovative, including a roll with Salmon, Mango, and Pesto sauce; a “dessert” roll with strawberries, mango, pineapple, and a creamy chocolate center; as well as various rolls incorporating asparagus, chicken breast, beef slices, etc. Every one I tried was beautifully presented and delicious.

I would describe Sushein’s cuisine as Asian Fusion. While many may just go to sample the sushi from the conveyor belt, which is a fun experience, their menu incorporates Asian flavors from across the region.

We tried a handful of appetizers, soups, and main dishes.

My favorites were the Sweet Potato Coconut Curry soup, Lamb Lollies, Short Ribs, and Chilean Sea Bass.

Arielle and I both agreed that the portions were perfectly sized, not too big or small.

The design of silver with pink accents gave it a fun and modern environment, with flat screen TVs, a sushi bar and booths along the conveyor belt, and a back room (not near the conveyor belt) for larger groups or private parties of up to around 20 people. The design was done by Niki Broyn of Brooklyn.

Forgot to mention… Sushein has a selection of Kosher Wines to help you enjoy your meal.

More pics from Sushein:

It’s a great date place, or even a place to take a co-worker. Hope you enjoy it.

~Dani

Sushein
325 Broadway
New York, NY
(212) 962-2500

Under the Supervision of the Orthodox Union (OU)

Thank you to Claire Horwich (@PrinceHorwich) for this review while she was in Israel recently.

Cafe Tapuz – Nehalim Street, Bazra Moshav, Israel
Phone: 09-746-9322

Café Tapuz is located in an orange grove in Moshav Bazra (Batzra/Batsra/Basra – or however it is spelled in English) in the Sharon region of Israel (directly north of Ra’anana) [and in case you didn't know, "Tapuz" means Orange in Hebrew]. It’s a really stunning setting where you can sit inside or out, but mostly outside on the deck, where little tables are placed in-between the trees … with the smell of oranges everywhere! Tea lights were strategically placed on the wooden, rustic tables.

The menu was simple. It contained pastas, fish, and a “health” option. They also are capable of preparing a diabetic special desert. I enjoyed the sweet potato ravioli with cream, mushroom and white wine sauce, with strawberry cheesecake for dessert. Both were delicious. My husband had their specialty – a “jacket potato” that comes in s skillet covered in mushroom cream sauce and smoked salmon, with chocolate fondant for dessert. He said the main was great but his dessert was just OK (although he still finished it completely!). My father in law had the tofu stir fry, and mother in law had sesame crusted salmon on potato dauphinoise. Both very good.

Service was a little slow (which we hear is typical here), but still very nice and polite. Worth noting that it was very busy. We hear that their breakfasts and brunches are fantastic. Expect to pay approximately 60 shekels per person.

This post is sponsored by:

Eldan Car Rental The Best Way To See Israel
and
TravelCell International Cell Phone Rentals

The Chicken.Org restaurant opened in Philadelphia on Tuesday at 534 South 4th Street (SW corner of 4th & South Sts). Israeli owners Eyal Aranya and Yoni Nadav also own Philly burger joint Burgers.org (which is NOT kosher, but may be coverted to a Glatt Kosher restaurant soon). They decided to launch Chicken.org as a Glatt Kosher, and organic, restaurant.

The Kosher certification is by the Community Kashrus of Greater Philadelphia, with supervision by Rabbi Dov A. Brisman of Elkins Park, PA.

The menu includes:

• Sandwiches (on french baguette or pita bread): schnitzel, chicken meatball, grilled chicken and roast turkey.
• Chicken wings: fried, grilled, buffalo, and honey & sesame.
• Hot side dishes: mashed potatoes, fresh steamed vegetables, rice, sweet corn, roasted sweet potato, spaghetti with red sauce, green beans, baked potato and gravy.
• Cold side dishes: hummus, babaganoush, eggplant salad, red cabbage salad, Israeli salad, coleslaw and egg salad.

534 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA
Phone: 267-687-7074
Order: www.diningin.com

This news broke originally by the Philadelphia Examiner.

Tu B’Av (ט”ו באב), known locally in Israel as the holiday of love (חג האהבה), or the “Jewish Valentine’s Day”. For more info on the background of this minor Jewish holiday, click here.

The Inbal Jerusalem Hotel is offering diners an unique experience at their Sofia restaurant with a special Tu B’Av menu and dessert. (Click on the Menu Image to enlarge it)

The cost of the meal is 300₪ for a meal for two, plus a glass of wine each.

Kosher Supervision of Sofia is Rabbanut Yerushalayim.

Their world renowned chef, Moti Buchbut, is a true genius when it comes to presentation and construction of dishes. Whether you’re married or dating, this may lead to a truly romantic evening.

• Reservations are required. Click here to make a Reservation.
• The Inbal also has special discounted rooms for Tu B’Av night – but you must request it in advance. These rates are not published.

This post is sponsored by:

Eldan Car Rental The Best Way To See Israel
and
TravelCell International Cell Phone Rentals

Roladin is a delicious bakery/ restaurant/ cafe I had the opportunity of trying on a recent stay in Jerusalem. The restaurant is located at the Mamilla mall, near the Jaffa Gate of the Old City. The place is somewhat pricey for dairy, but well worth it.

The restaurant offers a well lit indoor seating area, and a more scenic outdoor area complete with views of the Old City walls and Yemin Moshe. The outdoor area also has special outdoor heaters to insulate you from Jerusalem’s windy nights and cold winters.

The fresh bread delivered to the table was amazing, and the coffee we took to go was equally excellent.

We tried to mix it up by ordering something different. I tried the quesadilla salad, which was a delicious fresh salad surrounded by 8 slices of quesadilla with cheese, pesto, and sweet potato inside. The dish was extremely tasty and I’d easily order it again.

My wife ordered the ravioli filled with cheese and sweet potato in a pesto cream sauce. Also, delicious. (We can’t get enough of pesto!)

I was initially concerned by the mix of sweet potato and cheese, but it turned out to be delicious and just the right texture in both dishes.

We took our coffee and dessert to go, and was still impressed with their presentation of their doggy box. The coffee and cheese cake were both excellent. I highly recommend trying out Roladin.

This post is sponsored by:

Eldan Car Rental The Best Way To See Israel
and
TravelCell International Cell Phone Rentals

St. Louis will have a new kosher restaurant option as of this Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011.

The Vaad Hoeir of St. Louis has announced that Gokul Indian Restaurant, located at 6101 Delmar Boulevard, will be certified as Kosher-Dairy.

Gokul’s Overland location, at 10633 Page Avenue, will not be certified kosher.

Gokul Indian Restaurant’s hours will be 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

For more information, please contact the Vaad office or Gokul Indian Restaurant directly at 314-721-1888.

Article from: www.stljewishlight.com

Being called for Jury Duty is not fun at all, and to make matters worse you’re there all day. The courthouse is located on 360 Adams Street in downtown Brooklyn and if you search ‘Kosher’ into Google Maps, the only result you will get within a 20 minute walking radius is a closed Pizza shop.
They gave us a 1 hour lunch break and I was starving, so I did what any Jew would do in this situation, find another Jew! I asked the first orthodox looking man, and turns out he frequents the area alot. He directed me to a kosher shack in the lobby of a building across the street.

• Kosher Court
  16 Court Street (In the Lobby)
  Brooklyn, NY

He has coffee, pareve Chulent, and fresh soups which are the only hot items he sells. He also has a variety of cold platters and sandwiches. Including tuna, cheese, turkey, pastrami, bread and others.
The hashgacha checked out, although I forget specifically which one it was. The food was actually pretty good.
The owner gave me his cell phone and said if anyone has any hashgacha questions to give him a call. Baruch Yuda Gancz: 646-267-0577

Considering there are 30-40 Jews who serve on Jury Duty every day, and at least another few hundred working in the area I’m surprised this is all I was able to find nearby.