Barcelona, Spain

Contributed by: Esther Zar | Last Date of Travel: September 2009

Kosher Info: We flew into Barcelona with a list of three potential options for kosher food. Well as we eliminated them (one didn’t answer, and the other seemed questionable in kashrut), we were left with one last option: Isamar Kosher (Address: Carrer de l’Avenir, 29). We didn’t know much about it, except that it’s a kosher supermarket. We decided to use our google maps to walk there and get a taste of Barcelona while we were at it. Great idea! It was easy to get to, a pleasant walk from our hotel in the city center, and ended up being a great experience. When we first walked in, we saw a small gourmet-ish kosher supermarket with particularly good meat and cheeses. We were really craving hot food, so we asked if they have a place to maybe warm up something we buy there. Next thing you know, they open up a door and we see that they have a small restaurant that they have created on the side. They had very fresh and tasty meat options that were ready to go on the grill. We chose the burgers (though the kababs looked very good as well) and the cook prepared our food with real pleasure. The few people who walked in and out were very friendly and welcoming as well. What really stuck out in my mind was that a man walked in with his children at one point and we got to talking with him. He told us that there are only 5-6 families in all of Barcelona that actually keep kosher. Very few people know about this establishment, which is truly a shame. The food is good, and if there are only a few kosher families in Barcelona, the only way for these guys to stay open is with the visits of kosher tourists. Anyway, I highly recommend this place.

Tourist Info: Right after we dropped off our bags at our hotel, we immediately hopped on one of those red tour buses. What a great idea. We literally got to see all the imporant sights in Barcelona, which enabled us to plan what we wanted to really see the next day. Also, the architecture in Barcelona is absolutely breathtaking, so getting to see all the different neighborhoods enables you to really get a taste of the varying types of architecture in Barcelona.

Another fun thing to do is to go through the market in the center of town. It’s extremely lively and you get a good sense for Spain’s people and smells. There’s also a beach, a beautiful stadium, and Gaudi’s park which are all interesting. But really, just wandering around through the center of town, you stumble upon the most amazing original and historic buildings.

Jewish Info: Apparently there are thousands of Jews in Barcelona, however very very few orthodox Jews. We weren’t there over Shabbat and didn’t really meet any other Jews other than that one experience in the supermarket/restaurant.
You can get more info from the Chabad (Jabad) in Barcelona here.

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Tags: barcelona, chabad, jabad, jewish barcelona, jewish spain, Kosher, kosher barcelona, kosher spain, Spain

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

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

Los Angeles, CA >> Focus on Delice Bakery

Dani Klein from http://yeahthatskosher.com checks out kosher restaurants for Jewish Travel TV.

Delice Bakery is a delicious French bakery on Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles, CA. They offer a variety of different breads, fancy cakes, pastries and cookies. My personal favorite are the croissants, either plain or chocolate filled.

Check them out at: http://www.DeliceBakery.com

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Tags: CA, California, delice bakery, french bakery, jewish los angeles, jewish travel, Kosher, kosher los angeles, kosher travel, los angeles

Buenos Aires, Argentina >> Focus on Kosher McDonalds

This is the only Kosher McDonalds in the world outside of Israel. Buenos Aires is known for it’s meat and the McDonald’s does not disappoint. Totally different flavors than what we’re used to in the U.S., but the kosher McDonalds is definitely worth the visit.

What’s crazy about this place is that the Abasto Mall is open super late just for the restaurants. The kosher McDonalds is open until 2am. I love it.

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Los Angeles, CA >> Focus on Kosher Subway

Subway is a deli restaurant chain that is popular for its freshly baked bread and meat subs. We checked out one of the kosher Subways in the U.S., this one on Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles, CA. They offer a variety of different breads, meats, vegetables, and sauces. They’re also open late which makes them quite convenient.

Dani Klein from http://yeahthatskosher.com checks out kosher restaurants for Jewish Travel TV.

Look out for more videos at Jewish Travel TV: http://JewishTravelTV.com

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Packing for the Kosher Traveler

Later tonight I’m heading on a super long trip with my wife to Argentina. While Buenos Aires is known for having tons of food, a stopover in Mexico City and a total travel time of 18 hours makes our trek extremely long and tiring.

To ensure that we will have enough food for our travel day, and for after we land late at night, we set out to find kosher travel products that can pass the “carry-on” test of size and having less than 4oz of liquid.

We found a great array of kosher products to keep us satiated for at least a day, and definitely longer.

JIF Peanut Butter cups (not like Reese’s – actual cups of peanut butter) are portable and the perfect size to shmear on the rolls and baguettes we bought.

Chicken of the Sea Tuna cups can be eaten straight, mixed with a packet of mayo, or thrown onto a sandwich much easier than a regular tuna can, and even those tuna pouches.

Luck Chen Chinese noodle meals are a healthier and a more filling alternative to the Tradition’s noodle soups. I found this product a few weeks ago at KosherFest, and it was good. They only require hot water or water and a microwave. Don’t worry, we won’t be having these meals on our stopover in Mexico. We fear Montezuma’s revenge. We’ll be saving them for our arrival in Buenos Aires.

Granola bars are the perfect snack for the kosher traveler. They are surprisingly satisfying for their size.

What kosher foods do you bring on your travels. Comment below.

~Dani

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Tags: argentina, buenos aires, carry on, chicken of the sea, granola bars, jewish travel, Jif, Kosher, kosher travel, long flights, mexico city, montezumas revenge, peanut butter, tuna

Kosher Travel finds at KosherFest 09

Last week I was fortunate enough to have attended KosherFest 2009. This was my second year in row at the convention, and I learned from my mistakes last year: don’t eat too much or you’ll get majorly nauseous, and only eat meat in the last 3 hours of your day otherwise you’ll miss out on some great dairy food.

While at KosherFest I was discussing the production of our upcoming program: Jewish Travel TV, I was also able to find 3 unique products that are worth mentioning for kosher travelers.

• 1) Luck Chen – a prepackaged bowl of steamed noodles, that just needs water and 2 minutes in the microwave. It requires no refrigeration and comes in 5 flavors: Spicy Kung Pao, Soy Ginger, Sweet & Sour, Sesame Teriyaki, and Spicy Szechwan. What makes this product different from “Tradition’s” noodle soups is that Luck Chen is a noodle meal AND it has Zero MSG, no articial colors or preservatives, and is low in sodium – much healthier than those chemical noodle soups.

  All 5 flavors are Pareve, comes in easy to carry plastic bowls, and are certified by the OU. You can check them out at LuckChen.com.

• 2) La Briute – kosher travel meals that heat themselves. I know this is not a new product. It’s been on the market for a few years, and has endured mixed results, but for the kosher traveler it is worth mentioning.

  I used La Briute meals when traveling to Iceland last year. Iceland has no Jews, thus no kosher food, so these meals came in handy. However, the meals themselves are a mixed bag. One of the meals I had was tasty – not 100% filling, but tasty, the other meal was less so and left me seeking something from a Reykjavik style 7-11.

  The self heating mechanism is definitely unique and comes in handy when you’re without a microwave or hot water, but they do need to improve their flavors. One warning is that when you heat up the meal, smoke does emit from the packaging. Do not be alarmed by this, but use discretion when heating up your La Briute meals, I.e. Not on public transportation.

  People have complained that the meals do not look like the packaging, and for the most part I agree, that it is a bit deceptive.

• 3) HolyCow Kosher – a fun brand that produces a line of kosher beef jerky. The great thing about this product for travelers is that beef jerky doesn’t go bad for a long time. It doesn’t need refrigeration and HolyCow has included a zip lock plastic bag to keep the meat fresh in it’s original packaging.

  The meat is quite good and comes in 4 flavors: Original, Hickory, Sweet & Spicy, and Teriyaki.
  You can read more about HolyCow Kosher and see wheat stores in the USA carry them at: HolyCowKosher.com.

• Both HolyCow Kosher and La Briute products are sold online at Kosher.com. Luck Chen is too new of a product and isn’t sold online yet.

If you have comments to add about Luck Chen, La Briute, or HolyCow Kosher please use the comments sections below. If you know about other “kosher travel” products that you think I should feature here, please comment below so I can look into it.

Take care and happy travels.
~Dani

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Tags: beef jerky, holycow kosher, Jewish, jewish travel, Kosher, kosher meals, kosher noodles, kosher travel meals, kosher.com, kosherfest, la briute, luck chen, self heating, travel