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.

Kosher in Vancouver

The information in this post is provided courtesy of the Kosher Vancouver Blog - check it out!

Nestled on the shore in British Columbia, Canada�s �Gateway to the Pacific,' the city of Vancouver is blessed with one of the most beautiful backdrops in the world. Surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and snow-capped mountains, Vancouver was recently voted the "Best City in the Americas" at Cond� Nast Traveler Magazine's annual Readers' Choice Awards, beating out Victoria and Quebec City. Vancouver enjoys a temperate climate with mild, wet winters and warm summers ensuring that the city is green throughout the year. Famous for its laid-back attitude, Vancouver also offers a wide range of outdoor activities from sea kayaking, whale watching, in-line skating, and mountain biking to snowboarding, skiing, and winter camping. Thanks to a growing Jewish community, the Kosher traveler shouldn't hesitate to visit this beautiful city. A variety of kosher foods are available including Chinese, pizza, deli and Bistro-style.

The big news in town is Sabra's new Chinese menu, making them the only kosher Chinese meat restaurant in the Pacific Northwest. Having recently hired a Chinese chef, Sabra's now offers such authentic dishes as kung pao chicken, honey beef, and egg rolls. Sabras also features Middle Eastern and Canadian-style cuisine.
3844 Oak Street. Tel: 604.733.4912; hours: Sun-Tue til 7pm, Wed-Thu til 8pm, Fri til 4pm

Omnitsky's is the place for good old-fashioned kosher deli. Featuring a wide range of deli sandwiches, hot dogs, soups and salads. The back section of the store is devoted to kosher groceries and fresh meats. Omnitsky's also carries kosher breads from Garden City Bakery.
5866 Cambie Street. Tel: 604.321.1818; closing is between 6pm and 8pm, Sun-Thu, depending on the season

Pini's Pizza Cafe features delicious cholov Yisroel pizzas and other dairy dishes. They're also a great spot for breakfast with omelettes, bagels and kosher coffees, cappuccinos and latt�s. Their latest addition is cholov Yisroel soft-serve ice cream, a big hit with the community. In the grocery section, Pini's features a wide variety of kosher snacks and candies from all over the world, and his freezer is stocked with Chai kosher meats and poultry, pizzas, vegetarian meals, fish and a wide selection of kosher cheeses.
729 West 16th Avenue. Tel: 604.879.7100; hours: Mon-Thu 8am-9pm, Fri 8am-2pm, Sat 1 hour after Shabbat ends, Sun 11am-9pm

Nava's Creative Cuisine, located inside the Jewish Community Centre, offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Bistro dishes include quesadillas, burritos, pizza, wraps, soups and the best sandwiches in town with ingredients like roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, spinach and goat cheese.
950 West 41st Avenue. 604.263.7507; hours: Mon-Thu 8am to 8pm, Fri 8am til 2 hours before the JCC closes for Shabbat, Sun 9:30am-6pm

Garden City Bakery makes breads (including several types of challah), pastries, cookies, pies, knishes and the best poppy seed ring in Canada. All products are pareve. Take out only.
#360-9100 Blundell Road, Richmond. 604.244.7888

Mt. Royal Bagel Factory arguably makes the best bagels in the region. They're available at the bakery and around town. They also make a fantastic granola cereal. (dairy, non Cholov Yisroel)
701 Queensbury Avenue, North Vancouver. 604.904.1116

Kosher Food Warehouse is worth a stop if you're staying for awhile and need groceries. KFW features a wide selection of grain fed poultry, beef, lamb and veal and an extensive line of cheese, salads and groceries and Israeli products.
612 Kingsway. 604.709.9889.

Dan-D Markets has two locations in Vancouver. Although not Jewish-owned, the stores feature a good range of hechshered products, which are indicated with "kosher" tags below each item. The Oak Street location also carries Omnitsky sausages, hot dogs, and kosher cheddar and Mozzarella cheese.
8307 Oak Street, 604.261.4050. 2696 West Broadway, 604.738.0326

BC Liquor Store's 39th and Cambie location carries a very limited number of kosher wines. If you're near another location, call first.
5555 Cambie Street. 604.660.9463

Kosher Food and Restaurant Mapper

Ari Engel the creator of PilotYid software for PDA's, has created a fantastic new website combining the data from the Shamash Restaurant Database with Google Maps. The Kosher Food and Restaurant Mapper allows you to search for kosher establishments and then plots them onto a Google map. Using Google Map's features you can customize and print maps of displaying all of the kosher establishments at your destination.

Kosher at Ballparks

While it is not surprising that sports venues such as Shea Stadium and Yankee Stadium in New York offer glatt kosher food stands (operated by Strikly Kosher), these concessions are not limited to New York or the major leagues. The minor league New Haven County Cutters in Connecticut have added a kosher food stand with a fairly extensive menu. Of course, New York's, Brooklyn Cyclones and Staten Island Yankees offer glatt kosher food concessions as well. In the big leagues, Cleveland's Jacobs Field, Baltimore's Camden Yards and the Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix all have glatt kosher stands. Football fans will be able to find kosher food at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and M & T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Tennis aficionados will not have to sacrifice as Kosher Sports (operator of some of the above concessions) will once again be offering kosher food at home of the U.S. Open, the National Tennis Center in Queens.

Update:Zaler's Kosher Foods will man a kosher kiosk at Invesco Field, the home of the Denver Broncos. Zaler�s is owned by Arnie Zaler of Denver and the food will be supplied by Auerbach's Kosher Foods, owned by Jeff Auerbach. The kiosk is located opposite the Broncos retail store and will offer kosher hot dogs and kosher Chinese fare. If you have any questions please contact Jeff Auerbach at 303-289-4521. (Kosher Today)

Shabbos in Atlantic City

In addition to the well received Shari's Steakhouse, Atlantic City now has an option for Shabbos meals. The Chabad of Atlantic City now hosts the Atlantic City Shabbos Dining Hall which offers both Friday night and Shabbos day meals in a local Shul, the Chelsea Hebrew Congregation. The Shul is said to be a five minute walk from the hotels. Minyanim precede both meals.

Shabbos in Lancaster, PA

For a number of years, visitors to Pennsylvania Dutch Country have been able to find kosher food at both Hershey Park and Dutch Wonderland. Now the operators of Central PA's Kosher Mart, which has a stand in each park, are offering Shabbos lodging and dining in their home. Three accommodation options are provided with two of the options accommodating up to six people. Located about one-half mile from Congregation Degel Israel, the Shabbos package even includes Sunday breakfast.

New Allentown Kosher Restaurant a No Go

The anticipated new Allentown, PA eatery, Maccabee's will sadly not come to pass. Plans for the restaurant which would have been a welcome addition for both Lehigh Valley locals as well as visitors to nearby Dorney Park have been scrapped due to changes in the Pennsylvania building code.

Eli's Opening Adds Option in DC

A new fleishig restaurant has opened in DC. Eli's is a New York style deli located in the Dupont Circle area. Eli's joins the cafe in the JCC as the only kosher establishments in DC. For a review of Eli's check out the Kosher Critic a blog dedicated to "Professional, unbiased reviews of all kosher restaurants located in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia."

The Berkshires

Michael Rogovin provided the following information on the Berkshires:

The Berkshires offers beautiful country for hiking, walking, biking, fishing, boating, and golf (plus skating and skiing in the winter). It is also one of the most art & culture saturated areas of the country, with numerous theatre, music, dance, opera and museums, along with more ceramic, glass, craft and antique shops in all price categories than one could visit in a lifetime. There are many activities for children, both cultural and recreational. In addition to many specialty shops featuring locally produced items, there are more conventional shopping centers and malls, including several outlet malls with major bargains.

There are many options for the kosher traveler. Accommodations range from motels to resorts, plus many fine inns and B&Bs. However, we chose to stay at the Ponds at Foxhollow. The Ponds offers 1 bedroom condos that sleep up to 4 and 2 bedrooms sleeping up to 8, with deck and fireplace and a full electric kitchen in each unit. It is located right on Route 7 near Lenox. When we arrived, the oven was still warm from the self clean cycle--ready to use as kosher! There is no eruv, but the rooms and clubhouse were spacious and we were able to enjoy a peaceful and active Shabbat. Ponds units rent by the weekend, or week (Fri-Fri) or day during off season.

The nearby Super Stop and Shop on Dan Fox Drive stocks fresh chicken and glatt beef, along with a large selection of cheese, frozen prepared foods and everything you could possibly need to cook or reheat meals--no need to shlep food with you. Price Chopper also has a good selection of foods. The Berkshires do not have an orthodox community, although a Chabad House just opened in Pittsfield.

Kosher at Theme Parks II

Josh Hosseinof reports that Six Flags Great Adventures in Jackson, NJ offers a kosher concession as well. Rueben's Glatt Spot Deli located in the Old Country area of the park provides glatt kosher foods under the supervision of Rabbi Teitz who also supervises their main location in Elizabeth, NJ.

Kosher at Disney World

For years visitors to Walt Disney World have been able to pre-order packaged kosher meals to be served in any Disney restaurant (for information call 1-407-WDW-DINE). Now, Disney offers another option. Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, located in the Magic Kingdom's Tomorrowland, features a choice of three pre-packaged kosher (Star-K) meat meals (hot dog, burger or chicken nuggets all served with potato puffs). You do not need to pre-order these meals. Head toward the soup and salad line and you will find the meals right on the menu. Many packaged foods sold in Disney are also under various hashgachos. Of course, Orlando also has two kosher restaurants for your Disney (or Universal) dining pleasure (see links at left side of page).

New & Updated Links

The links section on the left has been updated with new destinations (Columbus, Cleveland, Florida - Miami & more, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Francisco/San Jose & Toronto). Revisions and corrections have also been made to some of the existing cities. If you have any destination suggestions or links please e-mail them.

Mmm Mmm Good News for the Kosher Traveler

Campbell's has announced that it has recieved OU certification for its Vegetarian Vegetable soup making it the first soup in the Campbell's line to be kosher certified. What this means for the kosher traveler, is that a kosher heat and eat soup will likely be available wherever in North America their travels may take them.

(un)Kosher at Theme Parks

Jonny Gewirtz reports that kosher observant visitors to Sesame Place should pack all the food they need because the park offers practically nothing in the way of pre-packaged kosher food. Another option is to stop off in nearby Philadelphia instead.

Kosher at Theme Parks

There was a time when being able to get a kosher airline meal at DisneyWorld was a treat, now however, kosher food stands are beginning to sprout within theme parks. In Pennsylvania, both Hershey Park and Dutch Wonderland host branches of Central PA's Kosher Mart. The stands feature both meat and parve selections and are a great break from smuggling sandwiches into parks. You may visit either stand without a park admission by requesting a pass from either park's guest services office.

In Canada, Canada's Wonderland near Toronto, has a kosher stand "Mess Haul Kosher Hot Dogs" near the Top Gun ride. If you have any information about any other theme parks with kosher food available please send me an e-mail and I will post it.

Visit Israel!

Although this blog is focused on travel in the US and Canada, it is important to remind everyone that they should strongly consider a vacation this summer in Israel. Begin your planning at the Israel Ministry of Tourism site.

Kosher Meals at US Holocaust Museum in DC? Caveat Emptor!

Traveler's to Washington, DC should be aware that pre-packaged kosher meals under the Capitol-K are available at the cafe in the US Holocaust Museum. The food in the Cafe is not kosher except for three varieties of pre-packaged meals from the DC JCC Cafe and under Capitol-K supervision. They offer tuna or egg salad sandwiches or an oriental noodle salad. IMPORTANT - make sure that you check the meal they give you for the seal from the caterer with the Capitol-K. When I was last there, they first gave us non-kosher meals. The person behind the counter had no idea what I was talking about when I asked where the seal was. Fortunately, the other worker did know where the sealed kosher meals were. Be very careful as they stock non-kosher pre-packaged versions of the same three meals! The Museum is located near the Washington Monument and Smithsonian, and a short walk from the Smithsonian Metro station.

New Option for Shabbos in Boston

Kosher Today is reporting that a new Courtyard by Marriot hotel has opened in Brookline a heavily Jewish suburb of Boston. The new hotel features key locks on some rooms and assistance in procuring kosher food from local establishments. The Courtyard joins the Holiday Inn Brookline as full service hotels with key lock rooms in the area. Both hotels are a short walk from the Young Israel of Brookline and a reasonable walk from the Bostoner Rebbe's Shul.

Borsht Belt Redux?

If you thought the heyday of the kosher Catskill Hotels ended 25 years ago, guess again. Vacationers looking for a little kosher rest and relaxation in the country this summer will have the pick of three resorts. The erstwhile Homowack in Spring Glenn remains open year-round, while the Glatt Boys return to Kutsher's again this summer. They are joined by the Hudson Valley Resort, which will have a kosher program all summer run by Jerry Berkowitz (formerly of the Homowack) as well as the Swan Lake Resort. Time will tell if the saturation point has been reached or the market is larger than many thought.

Where to Stay for Shabbos in LA

Travelers to the Los Angeles area who need hotel accommodations over Shabbos have the Crowne Plaza Beverly Hills. The AAA 3 diamond hotel, located in the heart of the Pico-Robertson neighborhood, has key locks on many rooms and has refrigerators available. The hotel is also located around the corner from the Young Israel of Century City as well as within easy walking distance of many kosher restaurants. In fact the Young Israel was once located in the hotel! Across the street from the Crowne Plaza is a Residence Inn this hotel has electronic locks, so it may not be your best choice for stays over Shabbos.

Convenient Travel Meals

Two products now on the market make travel to out of the way destinations a little easier for the kosher traveler. My Own Meals are prepackaged meals that do not require refrigeration and can even be eaten as. La Briute meals are similar except they come with a self-heating mechanism that produces piping hot meals in minutes. Everything you need comes in the box. The self-heating mechanism is similar to that used by the US troops in Iraq to heat their MRE's.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Kosher Traveler. The purpose of this blog is to provide information for the kosher traveler. The type of information I would like to make available is advice for specific destinations, primarily within the US and Canada. I also intend to provide the most comprehensive collection of links to information for the kosher traveler available anywhere. If you have any comments, suggestions or links, please send me an e-mail. I try to limit content on this blog to things that meet my kashrus standards - they may or may not meet yours - so please consult your Rav if you have any questions about a product or hechsher. Also keep in mind that some sites are updated more often than others, so it pays to call ahead. Thanks for stopping by, I hope you will find this blog a worthwhile place to visit often - please tell a friend about our existence!