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Business & Tech

Kosher Eats

Kosher Cafes, Restaurants and Delis in Northwestern Bed-Stuy

With Chanukah coming to an end on December 9th, I decided to celebrate by heading over to Myrtle and Park Avenues – a predominantly Hasidic section of Bed-Stuy– and visiting a few kosher cafes and restaurants in the area.

During the 8 days of Chanukah, jelly donuts and latkas are the most popular menu items, and one cafe worker explained that there is an emphasis on oil in all the holiday foods (It was olive oil, after all, that kept the miraculous flame burning for 8 days and 8 nights, starting the Chanukah tradition). In addition to these treats, I found a variety of blintzes, kugel, gafilta fish, pickles, and more to supplement my kosher meals.

I spoke with several of the locals who recommended foods to eat and places to visit. As per their recommendations and my own wanderings through northwestern Bed-Stuy, I discovered a few great kosher places that were both inexpensive and delicious. 

Coffee Circle, located at 777 Kent Avenue, between Park and Flushing Avenues, sells coffee, three different kinds of blintzes, a variety of fish, salads (including a pasta and pickle salad), pizza, and, surprisingly enough, sushi. On the wall is a poster of a menorah made out of sushi rolls. My favorite dish here is called 'kishke.' It is a dark orange, doughy pastry that doesn't look like much. But served hot, it is absolutely delicious. It tastes like pumpkin and nutmeg, but maybe that's just the holiday season getting to me. 

Coffee Break Pizzeria Bakery, located at 683 Myrtle Avenue, between Bedford Avenue and Spencer Street, a kosher pizza and pastry place fully stocked with garlic knots, pizza, Paninis, strombolis, latkas, kugel, donuts, bread, and more. There are potato latkas, squash latkas, cheese latkas, spinach latkas, and vegetable latkas. I love the potato latkas, which are thick with a crispy, oily outer edge, and have a rich, almost spicy flavor. The cheese latkas, in contrast, are smooth, light, creamy and sweet-- a great combination. The cheese and cinnamon kugel, a pasta dish with a hard, baked outside and creamy inside, has a mellow, slightly sweet taste, good for cold nights.

Glatt Kosher Meat and Poultry, located across the street from Coffee Break Pizzeria Bakery (the bakery sells dairy products rather than meat products) at 684 Myrtle Avenue. This is my all-time favorite kosher spot. They have a huge selection of pre-made dishes to choose from, including stuffed cabbage, breaded cauliflower, roasted potatoes and chicken. Glatt Kosher changes its menu weekly, so you can always be sure to find something new. I enjoyed the soft eggplant cake that comes smothered in sweet marinara sauce; It's like a tastier, healthier, vegan eggplant parmesan. The pastrami roll-up is a sesame pastry filled with beef that makes for a salty, crispy, delectable (and cheap!) snack. But the best part is the vegetable blintz with mushroom gravy. It is filled with cabbage, carrots, and potatoes, and the gravy is almost jelly-like in texture. You can opt out of the gravy. But I recommend you try it, because it goes so well with the blintz, and combined, tastes like a wonderful stew. Can I add that all three items together cost under $6?

I also want to mention a kosher restaurant opening sometime this month on 868 Bedford Avenue that was highly recommended by locals but currently is under construction. It's called Weiss' Bistro and Grill. It is a little more upscale and sells kosher Chinese, middle-eastern and Hungarian food, and again, sushi (the owner said it was very popular in the neighborhood). They will also serve Shabbat meals on Friday and Saturday evenings.

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