Kosher-NY.com
Today, Kosher-NY.com launched with the aim of providing a comprehensive resource for New York kosher dining. It’s an excellent effort, and a gargantuan one — the site has several areas where further development would be desireable.
The site features a large directory — about 160 establishments in all — ranging from dining halls and coffee shops to some of the finest kosher joints in the country. The main list includes neighborhood (midtown, downtown, etc.) and type (milk, meat, and “vegetarian”), and individual listings include further details like address, contact information, kosher supervisor, hours, and a small Google map that shows nearby subway stops. Certain entries have short reviews written by Kosher-NY staff.
On top of that, concise restaurant info and restaurant suggestions based on location can be requested directly from your cell phone, or sent to your phone from the website — a great feature.
Given that the site doesn’t cater to my particular demographic, I asked a local for his impressions on the site. Here are our combined thoughts and suggestions:
- Including subway data is a necessity for Manhattan, but the instructions are a little confusing, both for residents and out-of-towners. Links to driving and subway directions (provided by HopStop) should be included prominently in the listing text, and not relegated to the marker within the map.
- A more data-intensive browsing interface should be developed to include more important fields like cuisine, kosher supervision, and whether a restaurant has been reviewed. Since the site’s policy is to include restaurants with any kind of heksher, most visitors will appreciate the saved click by knowing the level of supervision up front. Make the list sortable by each field.
- Add an advanced search, with which the user can clearly select all of his desired attributes.
- The reviews seem accurate, just add more of them, and enhance reviews with lots of pictures. With so many kosher options available, the human factor is critical in helping people make dining decisions.
- Allow visitor comments and ratings. Keeping reviews and other data fresh is difficult, so learn from Zagat and Shamash — let other people help out.
- Consult a web usability expert to improve the site design and add some professional polish. For example, link underlining is inconsistent, and a black background with grey text can be difficult for some to read.
- Add “e-mail this listing to a friend” functionality.
- Include all the data fields available on other sites, like methods of payment, restaurant features, price range, and menus.
Such a site was long overdue, and if maintained and extended vigorously, Kosher-NY.com will be here to stay. We wish the site’s creators the best of luck.
Oh man, just one more reason to miss New York…
Of course I didn’t start trying to start being kosher (I say start because I’m only at the beginning of this process) until I moved to the area with only 4 kosher restaurants, 2 of which are vegetarian and the other of which is way too far from my home…
What I’d do to be able to eat meat at a restaurant again! Will have to use this resource next time I’m in NY visiting family.
what a great idea-my only suggestion is to change the font color to white or something white. Having to highlight words to read them is annoying
Another half-ass kosher effort. Like so many kosher restaurants that ignore customer service and/or attractiveness, this site is a letdown.
they seem to be very responsive-restaurant names are now in white and more legible
Seems a little out of date also. Some places are closed.
Really? I didn’t think it looked out of date… what places are closed? and there’s a section to tell them it’s out of date…so email them I guess. I’ve been seeing this site all over the press lately - seems great to me! Good job guys!
Well, as sad as it is, Diamond Garden is closed. They are owned by the guys who own Taam Tov, and they moved Taam ZTov into the Diamond Garden spot, and took at out the Garden menue items (had good chinese/japanese). Although Taam Tov is one of my great cheap lunch places, I miss Diamond Garden.
I thought the new Taam Tov still had sushi.
The did when they first opened up in the new spot, but he took out the sushi and the chef, and put in more tables. THAT PLACE IS A CASH COW!!!
I was there then, I guess. I love Taam Tov. Probably my favorite kosher lunch place.
I think Ozu is really the best…
Try Shamash.org, their list seems to be the most up to date.
Shamash is pretty good, but I just checked it out for NYC and they have a handful of places that are closed or no longer under hashgacha, and as far as I can tell doing a quick browse of Kosher-NY it seems they’re more accurate. GMAL, do you live in NYC?
Anyone interested I found this website that has places to eat all over the USA and Canada and I think P.Rico
It’s for people who have GPS devices. I’ve used it and it work great.
Forgot to mention the website
http://www.kosherrestaurantsgps.com
The new Kosher-NY design is up and we are currently expanding. Thank you for all of your help and suggestions. We welcome any further suggestions/critiques, and your continued use of the site.
Thanks!
The Kosher-NY Team.
Just in time for Passover, we’ve added new features to the Kosher-NY site! There’s now an Advanced Search on the left sidebar of every page of the site.
Using the new Advanced Search, users can search for restaurants by name, cuisine, neighborhood, zipcode or review text.
There are also three new features on the Advanced Search page. The first is a search for Restaurants that are Open on Saturday Night. The second is a search for Restaurants that are Open During Passover. And the third, is a Hashgachah Filtering Feature. This allows you, the user, to filter by which Hashgachot you want to search, as well as enable Kosher-NY to remember your preferences for your next visit to the site!
We hope this will make your use of Kosher-NY all the more useful and easy.
I work in an industry where I have to constantly entertain clients. That means shleping these poor souls from all over the world to a kosher restaurant. Over-priced, under/over cooked, uninspired food, with no thought to aesthetics, no scene and the worst service imaginable! But, what can I do, I’m stuck with it…luckily I have a good sense of humor and get them to laugh through the meal. However, it is embarrassing.
Let me describe a night at Talias…My client (a titled Italian) and I arrive. Now, it was brutally cold out, so we didn’t notice the inside temperature, as we were defrosting. No one at the door to show us to our seats and there were few people in the place. I try to get him to keep his back to the TV that is blasting ESPN. (Tacky folks!) After 3-5 minutes of waiting, we grab a table ourselves. I’m wondering why the heat isn’t kicking in, but figured it eventually would. We sit at the table shaking from the cold as a trashy dressed Israeli girl comes over and snaps, “I didn’t sit you here! You can’t sit here!” I smiled and said, “Oh, no one was at the door, so we just sat here…I know you don’t mind.” She huffs and rolls her eyes and throws a couple of filthy menus down on the table, encrusted with food bits. My client opens his and out comes a half eaten roll. He chuckled, I got nervous. Then 2 of the wait staff were confused as to whose section we fell into and they began arguing over it–loudly. Finally an annoyed, unprofessional guy with a shaved head comes over and takes our order, “What can I get you guys?” We order and We are just FReeeeeeeeeZing! The Israeli girl from before struts by and I said, “It is really cold in here, do you mind turning up the…” “The heat is out. Put your coat on or move over there!” I just couldn’t believe it. Now, in a goyishe restaurant the door person would warn you that the heat is down, but drinks are on the house…something like that. NOPE! Not here! Finally, we are too cold and move to the other table, we never warm up and sit through dinner shaking with our heavy coats on. The staff was disinterested and appeared bored and annoyed. The food wass blech… At one point they turned down the TV and put on some decent music, I forget what, but it was the only redeeming thing about the evening.
This isn’t an isolated incident, it is typical of most kosher restaurants…I highlight it because the Italian stills mentions it jokingly in emails and phone calls, “Oh, it was no problem, really. It was great to have a true NY Jew experience!” Grrrrreat… So, it isn’t just about the food and the service, it is also people’s business and it can be a chillul Hashem. Something to think about. These aren’t judgements, just observations…