The Mansion is kicking off the 2020 season at Jazz with the biggest star in Israeli jazz: Daniel Zamir and his quartet. Daniel Zamir is the #1 best-selling Israeli jazz artist of all time. His album Amen remains the best-selling Israeli jazz album in history, his other albums debuted at the top of the Israeli jazz charts, he received Israel's Prime Minister Award in 2010, has performed at jazz festivals everywhere, and has opened for stars like Sting. Daniel, dubbed the "father of Jewish jazz" by the Jerusalem Post, will be performing at the Mansion, Wednesday January 22. Premium Open Bar included, as well as an appetizer bar by Brooklyn restaurant Boeuf & Bun. Click here to register and for more information or email them at: info@themansion.nyc. Follow them on Facebook here.

Patis is an artisan bakery and cafe with a flagship location in Lyndhurst New Jersey, specializing in European and American pastry, breads, ice creams, macarons and chocolates. Last year they started selling their goods from the The Art House Hotel on the Upper West Side. And now they are adding another location in Manhattan, a stand alone store, on on Lexington and East 88th on the Upper East Side. No details yet of their expected opening date. Click here to see the discussion on our Facebook group.

 

Back in November 2018, we reported that a new sports bar was coming to Brooklyn. Construction, city red tape, construction, yada, yada, yada, we are here in January 2020 and they are almost done with the construction. They are looking to bolster their staff with a talented chef, so if this is something that interests you and you have experience, message me or email elan@gkrm.net. The restaurant will have at least 8 TVs, 44 seats inside (an additional 25 outside when Spring decides to roll in) and the best way I can describe their menu is elevated bar food with beer on tap and bottles. They will have a full liquor license and will be open from around 3pm till midnight, with later hours on Thursday and Saturday night. Under the OK Supervision. Located at 674 Rogers Avenue (off Clarkson Avenue). Click here to see the whole post.

The Mill Basin Smokehouse and BBQ Restaurant recently opened their fully heated and insulated, outdoor tent in the back of their restaurant. Their main night for the new tent is Thursday nights which features their popular Chulent and Hookah flavors! Get ready for hot food and chill vibes. It's $40 per Hookah (from Hookah Studios) for as many people at your table. There's nothing else like this in the country so grab your friends and start the long weekend early.

For updates, see the FB event page here, but you must make reservations to secure a table. Located at: 6001 Strickland Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11234 (718) 673-8773

Since their soft opening a few weeks ago, the Mexican restaurant is not fully open for lunch and dinner. Click here for a link to the menu and pics of what I had on my last visit there. Click here to see video at Los Tacos. Los Tacos also has a few new items on their menu click here to see them. Under Rabbi Gornish. Located at: 2462 Nostrand Avenue, between J and K.

The warehouse-set restaurant was recently purchased by Shneur Minsky, a Brooklyn businessman who has partnered with chef Lior Hachmon. There will be some changes to the menu but many favorites are expected to stay. The most notable changes will be to the bar which is about to expand big time thanks to Gabrieel Sadeh of the Tel Aviv Whiskey Bar & Museum.The restaurant will remain under the supervision of the OK. Click here to see the whole post.

Café Hadar is a casual cafe with a garden patio providing a broad menu of kosher dairy comfort fare for over a decade. But they are closed right now for personal reasons. Stay tuned for more information. 

Bakar Steakhouse & Butcher Shop has closed temporarily. More information will be forthcoming after Yeshiva Week. They are located on Coney Island Avenue, off Avenue J.

Cakes & Crumbs Bakery in Lawrence is expanding their dining room and adding more items for a fuller menu! We got these photos from Cakes & Crumbs as they have taken their kitchen from the upstairs and moved it downstairs to allow for more seating as they become more of a restaurant and cafe. Think Cheesecake Factory. They expect to re-open in about any day now. We'll post more details as they become available. Click here to see the whole story.

Offering a variety of options beginning at just $6. Tamar offers Falafel, Burgers, Chicken nuggets, and Shawarma. All with sides and a drink, probably one of the best deals in the 5 Towns so don't miss out! Lunch special is from 10:30am - 3pm.

516-730-3355 click here to see the full post. Click here to see my last visit at Tamar. https://tamar-mediterranean-grill.business.site

BH Burgers & Co has opened their doors in Rego Park! Featuring an extensive menu of burgers, salads, and sandwiches, this eatery is getting lots of great buzz on the heels of their grand opening this month. Go check them out and welcome them to Queens.

Located at: 63-24 99th Avenue, Rego Park, NY 11374

Phone number: 347-832-0404

Located at: 1 American Dream way, East Rutherford, NJ, 07073. Click here to see what everyone is taking about.

Recently purchased from former owner Yosef Mutterperl, Chef Yitzy and a group of restaurateurs will now be running South Side in Lakewood. They are open to feedback and looking to keep what you love about the trailblazing smokehouse but build upon the legacy with new favorites. Make sure to stop by and give the new owners a chance! Click here to see the whole post.

One of our members wrote earlier this month "We just ate at Kalamata in Lakewood /Jackson. It’s their soft opening - really nice menu daily/fish/ pasta . The food was good and service was excellent . Nice space too. I highly recommend it !" Click here to read more about them. Kalamata offers a wide pastas, wraps, pizzas, and so much more. They took over the location of 'Rays Real Pizza'. Click here to see the post on our page.

Make some room for another Chinese take out restaurant, this one taking over a non kosher Chinese Place on Queen Anne Road (next door to Sammy's). After a renovation, the restaurant is projected to open in March. Much more details to follow. Click here to see more.

CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE PLACES THAT OPENED IN 2019

OPENINGS, CLOSINGS & NEWS... PT 2

Brooklyn Want to take over a turn-key restaurant in Brooklyn? A well established and successful restaurant in a busy location with low rent is about to go on the market. The current owner has another opportunity in another field. Asking for 85K. Monthly Rent: $2850 (Included tax and water) Lease: 5 year plus 5 year option. If interested, please reply to this email. Click here to see more.

Sad Day For Kosher Asian Cuisine in NYC Phomennoodles of Crown Heights closed their doors for a final time this Sunday, January 26th. The pan-Asian restaurant was known for their authentic takes on Pho (of Vietnam) and Ramen (of Japan). With Boru Boru closing in 2019 this marks an end to Ramen/Pho focused kosher eateries in the NYC area. Click here to see what everyone else is saying. We are sad to see you go.

Tevere 84 Staff to Officially Open in Brooklyn! Some of the staff of Tevere 84, the beloved Italian meat restaurant on the Upper East Side for decades and which closed in April, has taken over the location where Cafe Venezia used to be on Coney Island Avenue and Avenue J in Brooklyn. The 2 story restaurant, which had a fire a couple of years ago, could possibly have a different name than Tevere. Click here to see the post about it in our Facebook group.

Five Towns 5 Towns Restaurant for Sale 1000 square feet with basement. Monthly Rent - $3000 plus tax, Newly renovated. All appliances are new, working condition, Long lease. If interested, please reply to this email. Click here to read more.

Ramapo/ Rockland County Evergreen Kosher Market Replacing Pacesetter Park Shopping Center Coming in 2021 Evergreen Kosher Market will be taking the lease from the Stop & Shop at Pacesetter Park in Ramapo. The existing supermarket's interior and exterior will be redone to accommodate Evergreen's extensive kosher offerings. No timeline has been set for Evergreen's opening. A statement from Stop & Shop said the store was not meeting financial expectations and would close when its lease expires on Aug. 31. Click here to see the full post.

New Jersey American Dream Mall in Full Swing The American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, NJ (right next to MetLife stadium) is in full swing. This is more than just a mall and includes an Amusement Park, indoor Ski Slopes,and an Ice Skating Rink! There is even a water park on the way soon! Best of all they have now moved within the mall to: FOODIE!⁠ ⁠FOODIE is a wall, enclosed store, which will be the home of Chickies at the American Dream for the foreseeable future, especially up to the time they open upstairs at the Kosher Food Court after Pesach. Besides for the Chickies Classics (chicken fingers, poppers, sandwiches, fries), this location will serve a variety of different products including Salads, Wraps, Snacks by World of Goodies, Bakery items and much more. ⁠ They will be open this week from 11-8 and on Sundays and busy Holiday times going forward. To see more info, including videos of the new space click here. ⁠Foodie is located in Court A, one concourse level down from "Big Snow," the mall's all year round ski slope. Located: 1 American Dream Way, East Rutherford, NJ 07073

Rutgers Goes Beyond Kosher Caf (and Meat) The New Jersey university has just opened a Vegetarian-Kosher cafe in the campus Hillel. The cafe is open to the public and is highlighting a kosher vegetarian take on the infamous 'Fat Sandwiches',large subs overstuffed with meat and french fries. The cafe also serves pizza, and a Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup! Click here to see the whole post.

Bon Jovi to open a cafe with kosher options Rutgers University has another kosher option coming its way. This one courtesy of New Jersey and Rock legend Jon Bon Jovi. The Rock N Roll Hall of Famer and his family in conjunction with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has launched the JBJ Soul Kitchen. The focus of JBJ Soul Kitchen is charitable. There are no prices on the menu, instead the restaurant encourages those who can afford to do so to pay $12 or more for a locally sourced meal, to cost of which goes to help others who cannot afford their meals. The basic idea is pay what you can. There will be kosher options available as well for diners. JBJ Soul Kitchen currently has two other locations. Click here to see more.

Mike's Burgers to Open In Palisades Mall Mike from Mike's Burgers just announced that he is opening up at The Palisades mall. More info here on our Facebook group Located at: 1000 Palisades Center Dr, West Nyack, NY 10994 They also announced that they will be returning to Cedarhurst very soon!

Connecticut New Restaurant, Ladle and Loaf opens in New Haven It will be owned by Ephrat and Benny Lieblich, from The Gusto Kitchen Catering Company. Conveniently located between Interstate 95 and Merritt Parkway and a 3 minute drive from the Metro North, the restaurant is hoping to open end of March, bli neder. Cuisine will be Middle Eastern with North African and Indian influences. Click here to read more about it. There will be approximately 20 seats and will be counter service. The ambiance/decor will be farmhouse style. Address: 357 Whalley Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511

Chicago Employees Become Owners at Beloved Chicago BBQ Milt's Barbecue for the Perplexed (aka Milt's), a famed Chicago kosher BBQ establishment has new ownership! Longtime employees Bryan Gryka (Chef and Manager of Milt's) and Ryan Evans (the General Manager) have taken over the restaurant from original owner Jeff Aeder. For the last seven years Milt's has donated the majority of their profits to charity. While the restaurant will still certainly have a charitable focus some of the system will change under the new ownership. Both parties (Aeder and Gryka/Evans) are very excited about the new direction and ownership. Click here to see more.

Los Angeles LA Says Goodbye to Asher Caffe & Lounge The Eastern Los Angeles Cafe has rented their space out to another business and will no longer stay in business. A sad loss for the kosher scene in LA. Asher Caffe and Lounge was a dairy restaurant that served breakfast and lunch. Click here to read the rest of the story.

Beverly Hills Thai Acquires Express 15 Express 15, an kosher Asian fast-food restaurant has been bought by the LA eatery Beverly Hills Thai. The new restaurant will be serving kosher takes on Asian Street Food such as ramen, pho, and other noodle dishes. It is set to open soon. Click here to see the rest of the post. St.Louis Kosher & Non-Kosher Working Together in the Gateway to the West HJ's Cafe, a restaurant located in the Mirowitz Center in Covenant Place has begun to offer kosher food in addition to their non-kosher selection. HJ's has created two kitchens in order to accommodate both offerings. HJ's kosher options are dairy and certified by Vaad Hoeir of St Louis and has full-time kosher supervision. Click here to see more.   SIDE DISHES Hot Topic: Bringing Your Own Wines to Restaurants So a couple of owners have brought this up to me recently and I think it's worth a conversation between owners and customers. There seems to be a disconnect and misconception of the reasons why one should not be bringing their own own wines to restaurants. Granted, some states and restaurants are BYOW, but in Manhattan especially, it has been happening more frequently where customers have been upset or questioning the reason when the restaurant won't allow them to open their own bottle. There are many reasons why, from state laws, to restaurant entitled to charge what they feel is acceptable and the customer deciding if they want it, to being a problem with bringing in non mevushal wines or even mevushal as a slippery slope to allowing any wines. Click here to see the very active conversation on our Facebook group. Lee Fisher Shares his LA picks "As 2020 Yeshiva Week is here, here’s an updated and slightly expanded list of [his] recommendations in LA. These are just [Lee's] humble opinion (and [he] just picked one in each category). [He] also including a mini list for “The Valley” ,on bottom." Click here to see the list. Kosherica Yeshiva Week Review GKRF Facebook Group member Annette Cohen-Dahan was lucky enough to experience a cruise with Kosherica! She had a fantastic time, and was even able to convince her cruise-averse husband (who also had a great time) to go on another one again soon! Sounds like they had an enjoyable time and the food was fantastic Looking forward to hearing about their next trip. In the meantime please see her full review of the experience here   UPCOMING EVENTS Huge Collaboration Happening in Teaneck this Tuesday! East Meets Mid-West and America meets Argentina for one night of Smoke & Fire! All happening as a Pop Up at the new Senders Smoke Joint on January 28th! Featuring: Chef Alexander Remer, Senders Smoke Joint and Chef Uri Elbaum, Evita Steakhouse with Naftali Hanau, Grow & Behold Meats and bourbon poured by Shlomo Blashka and Royal Wine The chefs will be cooking from their regular menu plus a special 1-night only pop-up menu. Event starts at 7pm and will go until close or they sell out, regular service is at 5pm. Senders Smoke Joint is located at 190 West Englewood Avenue, Teaneck, NJ, 07666 (201) 357-2255 - www.sendersusa.com Bordeaux - Steak & Wine House welcomes Chef "Avner" Nerwin Guzman and would like to invite you on Monday, February 3rd to a unique dinner event (only 50 seats will be available for this dinner) This internationally renowned celebrity chef from Paris will tantalize your palate with a finely curated six course dinner. Wine pairings by distinguished sommeliers Featuring Gabriel Geller (Manager of Wine Education for Royal Wine Corp.), Amichai Lourie (Wine Maker at Shiloh Winery), Tal Bendor (From Tulip Winery יקב טוליפ) Reserve now and join them for unparalleled fine kosher dining experience. For more info from our Facebook group, click here. $200 pp + Tax & Tip. For Reservations: 718-942-4040 Located at: 1922 Coney Island Avenue (Off Avenue P), Brooklyn, NY 11230 Come Join a Night of Fun and Creativity with Laffa Bar & Grill and Pencil N’More Art Studio Laffa Bar and grill is hosting a Tu B’shvat sip & paint couples night out. (Singles are welcome to join too). Saturday night, February 8th at 8pm. Enjoy unlimited hot buffet and wine. All supplies are included. $130 per couple. Space is limited click here to RSVP and please pay by Feb 5th. Located: 1326 Peninsula Blvd, Hewlett, NY 11557 Noi Due Carne Wine Tasting this Thursday Night Preview a variety of Carmel Wines at the bar at no cost and then you can order them for a discount with your dinner! Happening this Thursday January 30th from 6pm-10pm. Located at: Located at: 141 W 69th St (off Broadway) New York, NY 10023 (212) 712-2223 www.noiduecafe.com  Make your reservations now! ETC. Steakhouse in Teaneck is Turning 11! In honor of this momentous occasion, the upscale NJ restaurant would like to invite you for a seven course anniversary dinner celebration on Tuesday February 11th. Their menu will feature their most popular and requested dishes, from our culinary trip around the world paired expertly with wine. To make a reservation, please call 201-357-5677 or visit them online at www.etcsteakhouse.com. Price per person is $130 for courses and wine. Tax and Gratuity not included.