St. Louis Looses Shmeers

Shmeers, the only kosher dinner establishment in St. Louis is going treif. According to its owner, the community was not able to support the restaurant . St. Louis is now left with only Kohn's Kosher Meat and Deli, Diamants Kosher Meat Market and Delicatessen and the J Café, all of which only serve lunch.

Kosher in Iowa!

The Des Moines Register reports on the opening of Kosher Express Restaurant and Grocery in Urbandale, Iowa. The new establishment features the typical pizza shop menu coupled with a full grocery. So if you find yourself in Iowa, B'teavon!

New Restaurant in Hawaii

The list of destinations without kosher dining options gets smaller and smaller with the opening of Yudi's Deli in Honolulu. Yudi's features deli sandwiches, steaks, burgers & fries, falafel and salads with glatt kosher meat and poultry also available by the pound. Aloha!

The Results are in for Philly & DC

The results of both the Philadelphia and Washington DC Area Kosher Community Surveys have been released. Read all about it at Kosher Community Surveys.

Major Hotels Making Efforts to Accommodate Kosher Travelers

Kosher Today's Sarah Cohen reports that some major hotels are making significant efforts to accommodate kosher travelers:

In a survey of some of the largest hotels in the country, KosherToday found that virtually all of the hotels had some program in place to supply the glatt kosher meals. Most appeared anxious to court the kosher traveler. The Palmer House Hilton said that with advanced notice, they can prepare a kosher meal from one of the frozen meals they stock. The airline type meals can be heated while sealed and delivered to the room. New York's Waldorf Astoria and Ritz Carlton Central Park order in any food that guests want. If guests specify the restaurant and the food they want, both hotels said that they would gladly make the arrangements. The Four Seasons orders its meals from Levana's
Restaurant on Manhattan's West Side. Boston's Seaport Hotel orders its kosher meals from Catering by Andrew. The Hyatt Harborside at Boston's Logan International Airport orders food from local kosher restaurants. In Los Angeles, the Beverly Hilton gets its meals from Kosher on Wheels from California Kosher Catering. Most of the hotels were anxious to accommodate kosher travelers, but strongly urge that arrangements be made well in advance.

Two New Kosher Surveys Now Open

Kosher Community Surveys has opened two new surveys covering Philadelphia and Washington, DC (click the city name for the survey). Each survey asks consumers their opinion of area restaurants, stores and bakeries. So if you are familier with either of the areas, here is your chance to have your voice heard!

Kosher at Niagara Falls

In past years, visitors to Niagara Falls had to bring their own food or drive to Buffalo for kosher food. With the recent opening of King David Pizza, Bakery & Falafel fresh kosher meals can be had near the Falls. Located on the Canadian side of the falls, King David also offers a selection of grocery and bakery items.

The local Chabad House coordinates a daily minyan and even offers Shabbos meals at a reasonable price.

Baltimore Kosher Survey Report Released

The people have spoken and the results are in. The Baltimore Area Kosher Community Survey Final Report has been released. The survey and report are the work of Kosher Community Surveys who will soon be opening a survey of Philadelphia and a new survey of Washington, DC. Aside from providing motivation for local establishments to improve, the final reports are a great resource for locals and travelers alike.

RFK in DC Joins Growing Kosher at Ballparks List

Beginning July 23rd, Kosher Sports under Star-K supervision will operate a glatt kosher food concession at RFK stadium in Washington, DC, the home of the Washington Nationals. RFK joins the growing list of stadiums with kosher food concessions.

Baltimore Kosher Restaurants etc. - Which are the best?

Share your opinion about local kosher restaurants and grocery stores through the first ever Baltimore Kosher Community Survey! To take the survey, go to: http://baltimore.kosher-community-surveys.com.

A report of the results will be distributed to the community. Please e-mail Neil Rosenbaum at if you have any questions.

Kosher Community Surveys has completed surveys for Washington, DC and Boston which can be viewed by clicking on the city names.

Kosher at Ballpark In Manchester, New Hampshire

The Jewish Press reports:

Rabbi Levi Krinsky of Chabad of New Hampshire has announced that arrangements have been made for a glatt kosher menu to be available at select Fisher Cats home games. The NH Fisher Cats team is an AA affiliate of the Major League Baseball Toronto Blue Jays and is located in Manchester, New Hampshire.

In addition, groups of 50 or more � a camp, synagogue, youth group or just a large group of friends from anywhere in the New York/New England area who wish to take in a game with the kosher concession � can contact Chabad two weeks in advance, and depending on ticket availability, Rabbi Krinsky and his staff will do all they can to accommodate them. Please consult the Fisher Cats website, www.nhfishercats.com, for the home schedule.

Post Katrina New Orleans

While the New Orleans Jewish community continues to rebuild, two of the areas three pre-Katrina kosher establishments have re-opened and are operating normally. Having recently returned from a business trip to the Big Easy, I can provide a first hand report. The Brown family has returned and their kosher oasis Kosher Cajun, which is a full-service delicatessen with a large kosher grocery is fully stocked. Casablanca, an elegant middle eastern restaurant just a few blocks away has also reopened. While there had been a kosher restaurant, Creole Kosher Kitchen, in the French Quarter, the owner, Gideon Daneshrad and his family have relocated to Los Angeles.

Kosher Subway to Open in Cleveland

The Cleveland Jewish News reports that first kosher Subway fast food restaurant in North America will open in early May in the Cleveland JCC. Now Jared Fogel can finally eat a kosher meal!

Houston Gains Fleishig Eatery

The Houston Chronicle reported on the opening of Houston's' first glatt kosher meat restaurant, Suzie's Grill. According to the Chronicle, Suzie's Grill was born of a community dream. It opened in late November on South Braeswood Boulevard because so many families in Houston's Jewish community hungered enough for such a place to invest in. The menu features Persian, Israeli and American food. The Chronicle reports that in addition to Suzie's Grill, Houston Jews who keep strictly kosher may eat at the cafe at the Jewish Community Center; grab a pizza, boureka or falafel at Saba's Kosher Pizza on Fondren or dine at Madras Pavillion on Kirby (nonmeat). The delis at Randalls and Kroger at Meyer Park are kosher, too. All are under the supervision of the Houston Kashruth Association.

New Kosher B&B in Charleston, SC

The Broad Street Guest House, the first kosher bed and breakfast in South Carolina, has opened. According to an article in the Charleston Post & Courier, guests can expect to be "pampered and treated to meals that are anything but ordinary". According to the proprieter, Hadassah Rothenberg, the inn's new kosher kitchen was custom-built to her culinary specifications and under strict kosher rabbinic guide-lines.

Rabbi Ari Sytner certified the inn as Glatt kosher, under the "Palmetto K" symbol, which he created. Rabbi Sytner is the head rabbi of Charleston's Orthodox synagogue, Congregation Brith Sholom Beth Israel (BSBI to the locals), the oldest Orthodox Jewish synagogue in the Southern United States. Rabbi Sytner says he constantly is working with the Charleston community to obtain kosher certification. The Broad Street Guest House has guest suites with sunlit sitting rooms in the main house, each with luxurious, comfortable furnishings. Additionally, The Guest House Suite is located behind the main house and has easy access to the spacious outdoor piazza. All suites have private baths and kosher kitchenettes, and the upper-level suites are accessible by stairs or an elevator. The Broad Street Guest House is within walking distance of two Charleston synagogues, enabling guests to attend religious services, which is attractive for visiting Orthodox Jews who do not drive cars during the Sabbath."

New Restaurant in Phoenix

Kosher Today reports:

New Kosher Restaurant Opens in Phoenix(Phoenix, AZ) Anyone who has ever visited Phoenix certainly knows of Segal�s Kosher with its great food and assortment of kosher food products. Now comes word of a new eatery, Haifa Restaurant (not to be confused with the Haifa restaurant in Las Vegas), located in north central Phoenix. The restaurant, which opened a few months ago, is owned by Rafael Davydov and is one of several owned by immigrants from Uzbekistan. The menu cuts a wide swath through the Middle East, Russia and Central Asia. It includes foods like blini with red caviar, babaghanouj, assorted meats with borscht, and chicken Kiev. Along with lunch and dinner traffic, Haifa also aims to host weddings, bar mitzvahs and parties. The
restaurant is certified by the Vaad Hakashruth of Phoenix, under Rabbi Rebibo.