Pomegranate (with pics) and Last-minute Wine Recs
Certainly I should have posted this before today, but here’s a little something to take you in Pesach. Also, it appears that both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal chose to skip their annual pre-Pesach Kosher wine columns this year (However, WSJ had a piece on Kosher riesling in late March).
I attended a couple of pre-Pesach wine “expos” (they’re too big to be tastings, really) and make the following recommendations, focusing on wines I haven’t seen or tried before to give you something new to try:
- Binyamina Special Reserve Cabernet 2005 (Israel, Galilee) A big, bold cabernet that, as a fan of Israeli cabernet, I really enjoyed. It has great fruit and finish.
- Segal’s Dishon Cabernet 2005 (Israel, Galilee) A complex and interesting wine that is sure to delight cabernet fans who have been getting a bit bored by their big cabs lately.
- Galil Mountain Viognier 2007 (Israel, Galilee) I love Galil Mountain’s wines (their Yiron blend is a true favorite) and this white is a nice addition to their catalog. You can also check out Dalton’s vigonier. Both are vividly flavorful.
- Tabor Galil Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (Israel, Galilee) A flavorful, pleasing sauvignon blanc that will be a hit with white wine fans and those of us prefer reds, but look for something to go a bit better with chicken, fish, etc.
- Chateau Le Clare 2005 (France, Bordeaux/Medoc) I’ve never been a huge fan of Bordeaux, but have made a point of trying more of them and learning more. This is a bright, flavorful wine that leaves out much of the earthy (barn-like) scent of Bordeaux, while preserving a “green” taste to the wine.
- Chateau Rollan de By 2003 (France, Bordeaux/Medoc) Similar to the Ch. Le Clare, this Bordeaux is not very earthy, but is also a bit tight for my taste. I expect that some time/aerating would coax it open and make it into a very enjoyable wine.
- Vina Encina 2004 (Spain, Ribera del Jucar) This blend of 35% Tempranillo, 35% Bobal, and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon is a nice addition to a growing group of interesting and often excellent Kosher wines from Spain.
- Carmel Vintage (Port-style) (Israel) As a fan of port, I found this offering by Carmel to be a bit long on sweetness and short on the alcohol bite that I like in my port, but it is a nice addition to the small world of Kosher port-style dessert wines. That said, I think Carmel needs to find a way to bring the price down.
I also had the opportunity to check out Pomegranate recently. Steven posted on the store when it opened. You can see various peoples’ thoughts from the comments to that posting. I did not do a thorough price comparison with other stores, but what I saw was commensurate with other Kosher product pricing. What impressed me were the size, cleanliness, organization and selection. Having grown up in the suburbs, I am used to large supermarkets with wide aisles, but that is one of many tradeoffs we make living in New York City. As you can see from the pictures, Pomegranate’s aisles are wide and the store is very clean and bright. The meat counter and packaged meat section are, frankly, beautiful, and the prepared foods looks great. Living on the Upper West Side, I have a access to a few Kosher supermarkets and ample Kosher food at other stores, but there is something very nice about a full-service/full-selection supermarket where everything is Kosher. I won’t be going out of my way to get there often, but it was worth the time to check it out.
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Milk Street Cafe kosher again
The Kosher Blog has received word that Milk Street Cafe is once again under reliable kosher supervision. We will post further details as we receive them.
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Milk Street Cafe loses kosher certification
In a startling development this morning, the Kosher Blog has been informed that the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of Greater Boston has pulled its kashrus certification of Milk Street Cafe, “effective immediately, and until further notice,” according to notices published on several area listservers.
I know I’ve been a bit critical in the past about a couple of their dishes, but that was only because of the high standards to which I’ve always held MSC. It not only plays a critical role feeding the observant men and women who work downtown, but its catering, delivered far and wide to offices throughout Boston, is frequently the only exposure some non-Jewish or non-observant people have to kosher food.
Here’s hoping that whatever kashrus issues caused this turn of events can be quickly turned around, and a dean of Boston kosher restaurants can be restored to its proper place!
UPDATE: Word from Milk Street Cafe is that they are changing certifying agents and said they will remain kosher under new supervision. (Thanks to Deb for the e-mail!)
UPDATE: Area Orthodox rabbis are working urgently with Milk Street Cafe to see that it ultimately remains under kosher supervision.
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Jerusalem Pita opens Tuesday
Jerusalem Pita, Coolidge Corner’s long-awaited Mediterranean grill, will open tomorrow, December 23, at 12pm for lunch and dinner. Owner Rada Roda will be offering up turkey and chicken shawarma, grilled rib steaks, and lamb chops, as well as appetizers and an Israeli salad bar — plus beer and wine.
Regular hours are as follows:
Sun – Thu: 10am – 10pm
Fri: 10am until 2 hours before Shabbat
Sat: Open 1.5 hours after Shabbat (during the winter)
From the looks of it, my expectation that it would be another Rami’s clone was unwarranted — the wider menu and better hours are very exciting. The Kosher Blog wishes them the best of luck (and we’ll report back once we’ve sampled the fare.)
Jerusalem Pita
Under the supervision of Rabbi Aaron Hamaoui
10 Pleasant Street, Brookline, MA 02446 (map)
617-739-2400
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Kosher Wagyu Beef
Oh my! The NYT article says it all – Wagyu, the American version of Kobe beef, is now available with a Hechsher from Le Marais. I’m drooling. At $29 to $85 a pound, I’m gonna have to sell a kidney…
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Newton butcher launches new wine site
Gordon & Alperin of Newton — the Boston area’s only full-service glatt kosher butcher shop — has just launched BostonKosherWine.com, a new website to showcase its growing selection of kosher wines. Some quick back-of-the-envelope calculations show that several wines listed are competitive with KosherWine.com’s case prices with shipping factored in. Online ordering is not available — call or visit to purchase your wine.
543-545 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton, MA 02459
617-332-4170
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Ristorante Maestro
The dining room at Ristorante Maestro is a welcome departure from the humdrum Montreal neighborhood in which it resides. After passing an audaciously illuminated TCBY to enter, Maestro’s dramatic light fixtures, warm wood details, and shimmering fabrics whisked us into a lively assemblage of family events, intimate dinners, and casual nights out. We were spotted and seated quickly, and our waiter greeted us with warm bread and olive oil for dipping. It took him a while to return, as he was stretched a bit thin by the packed house, no doubt enjoying Maestro for its dairy menu during the Nine Days. The delay gave us a chance to consider the bread more circumspectly, and we decided the dough could benefit from a careful sprinkling of kosher or sea salt.
The impact of Montreal’s francophone community was apparent in Maestro’s menu, manifest in the two popular antipasti we tried. Their Zuppa Di Cipolla, onion soup, was served in the traditional French style, gratinéed with croutons and melted cheese. The Brie Spostato featured warm brie wrapped in crispy phyllo and drizzled with strawberry, papaya, and balsamic sauces. (I’m a sucker for warm brie, so when told that my first choice, the Arancini di Riso, was unavailable, I rebelled with this very tasty French “misfit.”)
We continued with the Tuscano pizza and the Tagliatelle Primavera. Both were acceptable, but not exceptional. I prefer more character in my pizza crust — Maestro’s was thin and crisp, but the cornicione was flat and lifeless, a clear suggestion of rolling-pin rather than hand-tossed preparation. Our tagliatelle was enjoyable, served hot and al dente, but in the middle of the summer, I’d appreciate seeing some more recognizable examples of the lovely farm-fresh vegetables we passed on our drive through rural Quebec. Instead, our pasta had properly cooked but unassuming cubes of eggplant and carrot. The spicy oil we were offered to drizzle on the pizza was a welcome touch.
(In Maestro’s defense, the flavors and preparations may have lacked daring as a result of the local clientele. We overheard one diner ask for his tuna steak to be cooked through, and another ask for a primavera sauce served atop a pesto dish.)
Dessert was a fine capstone on the meal — their “chocolate bomb” showcased delicious dark chocolate in a decadent, but balanced petite cake, and the tiramisu was a perfect portion of coffee-soaked lady fingers enrobed in custard.
While Maestro has its foibles, it is a restaurant to which we would be happy returning on a regular basis for the chic decor, enthusiastic (if over-stretched) waitstaff, lively atmosphere, and satisfying food.
Ristorante Maestro
6136 Cote St. Luc Road · Montreal, QC
(514) 488-6226
Montreal Kosher supervision
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Sunday: Ruth’s Kitchen “Renovation Celebration”
Edna Bension has spent the last three months renovating Ruth’s Kitchen — 401 Harvard Street, Brookline — and its menu, which now includes her mouth-watering Persian specialties and a healthy dose of additional Middle Eastern and Sephardic offerings. She will be open for a Renovation Celebration this Sunday, January 27, from 10 AM to 7 PM, with free samples between noon and 3. It’s a chance to think about what you might like for the following Shabbat, or even the Super Bowl. See you there!
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2nd Avenue Deli Set to Reopen
Gothamist and Kosher-NY are both reporting that the Second Avenue Deli, which closed at its long-standing location last year due to rent issues, is set to reopen on Monday, December 17. The pictures that Gothamist has look great. And, in exciting news for carnivorous insomniacs and those of us who work odd hours on occasion, “The new location, on 33rd Street near 3rd Avenue, will be open 24-hours a day starting Monday with a ceremonial salami cutting of ‘nickel shtikel’ links at 11 a.m.”
To avoid the apparently inevitable “my hashgacha can beat up your hashgacha” conversation, I remind you that Kosher Blog recommends that you check with your local rabbi regarding any questions about appropriate kashrut. This, in my opinion, is not the appropriate forum for that discussion, since such decisions are not universally applicable and we prefer to avoid the lashon harah that often accompany these arguments.
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