Kosher BBQ Competition in Memphis
I just received my registration packet for the 19th Annual ASBEE/Kroger Kosher BBQ Contest & Festival in Memphis, Tennessee. If you plan on being in the Memphis area for the weekend of October 21st, 2007, come out and cheer on team Kosherblog! (For now that’s just me and Jabbett, so we’ll need all the support we can get!) Teams can compete for Best Brisket, Best Ribs and Best BBQ Beans.
If you’d like to enter a team of your own, here are the parts of the registration packet:
Do two northerners (I won’t call us Yankees, out of respect for Jabbett’s sports loyalties) stand a chance, cooking BBQ in one of the BBQ capitals of the country? Stay tuned, and find out…
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Smokey Joe’s BBQ, Teaneck, NJ
Kosher Blog aficionado Seth writes in with his review of Teaneck’s latest kosher joint, Smokey Joe’s BBQ (494 Cedar Lane, 201-836-RIBS, RCBC supervision).
When I first discovered that a kosher restaurant with honest-to-goodness barbecue was opening in the area, I was pretty excited. After watching way too many barbecue competitions on the Food Network for my own good — imagining all the while what a real smoked brisket might taste like — I finally had the chance to try some for myself. Let me preface by saying that I have never had “real” barbecue beyond my meager attempts at smoking ribs, brisket and chicken with my backyard grill.
The restaurant used to be a kosher pizza joint and the decor hasn’t really been updated, but the smell when we walked in was amazing. The air was filled with the sweet and smoky scent of hardwood wafting from the open kitchen (a nice touch), where the gleaming stainless steel smoker stood as centerpiece.
We were seated rather quickly for a party of eight on opening night. Instead of the normal chips-and-salsa or slaw-and-pickles you might get at other kosher restaurants, here we were served exceptional cornbread with an amazing and distinctive onion jam.
The kids at the table started with the Aztec Corn Soup — a little spicy for them, but the adults loved it — and then enjoyed foot-long hot dogs and fantastic chicken nuggets.
I ordered the barbecue sampler plate with ribs, brisket, chicken, very good cole slaw, and pesto-rubbed corn-on-the-cob. The ribs were pretty good, the brisket was better, and the chicken was amazing. Probably the best piece of chicken I’ve ever had — in fact, I’m eating the leftovers as I write and even a day later it tastes great. To top it off, at each table, they have a bottle of some of the best barbecue sauce I’ve tasted.
One pleasant surprise was the impressive number of vegetarian options on the menu. We mentioned this to the owner, who told us he used to be a vegetarian so he understands the plight. My wife — a vegetarian — got the barbecue tofu taco salad. Aside from the tofu being cold it was another hit.
The other dishes ordered at the table were the carnitas. They looked like pieces of meat and beans on Ritz Crackers; the presentation left a lot to be desired but they were pretty tasty. Otherwise, the brisket chili was very good and spicy, and their hamburger was descent.
Overall, the food was very good and I will definitely be returning. I enjoy spicy food but some of the dishes created by the Mexican chefs might be a bit too fiery for the unaccustomed palate. The owner noted that they were trying to play around with their spice mixture so they can adjust the heat without “dumbing down” the food.
As was expected on their opening night, the service at Smokey Joe’s wasn’t the greatest. Nevertheless, the owner was very accommodating, giving free guacamole to every table and even offering our neighboring table a free meal because their waiter forgot about them. He also encouraged everyone to give their honest input on the food and the service. If the owner can learn from these opening night hiccups, the restaurant is sure to be a success. I hope so because I’m going to need a constant supply of his smoked chicken.
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Jerusalem Pizza, Southfield, MI
Roving reviewer Ari is back with his take on a suburban Detroit curiosity.
I normally think reviewing pizza places is a waste — but Jerusalem Pizza of Southfield, MI is worth a mention.
After eating at Jerusalem Pizza a number of times, I’ve had the opportunity to try BBQ Chicken Pizza, Falafel Pizza, Mexican Pizza, Alaskan Pizza, Hawaiian Pizza, and a variety of others. If you check out the menu, you’ll notice that there are a number of other strange pizza offerings, including chulent and kishke, both of which I’ve heard are very good. In fact, first hand, I can say that most of the items served at Jerusalem Pizza are very good.
But is it “pizza?”
I’ve had bad pizza (Pizza Cave of Teaneck, NJ), mediocre pizza with good crust (Cafe Eilat of Brookline) and altogether excellent pizza (Jerusalem Pizza of Elizabeth, NJ). I’ve had overpriced pizza (Nut House of Silver Spring) and cheap pizza (Blue Cheese Pizza at Jabbett’s — free!). None of those places served a pizza that even vaguely resembles the item served by Jerusalem Pizza.
Jerusalem Pizza provides only three tables, so you will almost certainly be eating take out. The “pizzas” come in a familiar cardboard box, and look vaguely like traditional pizza. The crust is thick, crunchy, and a bit oily. The plain cheese pizza is mediocre.
But the specialty pizzas make Jerusalem Pizza stand out. In one notable example, BBQ sauce is layered with tofu chicken and cheese, while another layers corn, beans, and nachos. Tehina, falafel and olive oil? These pizzas offer a surprising variety to my jaded eyes. The thick crust is used as a vehicle to heap on toppings (frequently up to a half-inch mound).
The pizzas are too small, the crust is too thick, and everything costs too much. But I keep going back to Jerusalem Pizza because there are plenty of other pizza places if I just want a cheese pizza.
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This Sunday — Kosher Chili Cookoff in St. Louis
Congregation Nusach Hari B’nai Zion of St. Louis will be hosting its second-annual Kosher Chili Cookoff this Sunday, according to this press release. I’ve always wondered how to properly assure kashrut at such a community-wide event — not only do the organizers require that meat be purchased through the shul, and that their rabbi approve all other ingredients brought to the competition, but they even provide all the cookware and utensils.
For attendees, the $5 entrance fee will get you tasting rights until all the chili’s gone.
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Milk and Honey, West Bloomfield, Michigan
Once again, we welcome roving reviewer Ari — now relocated from Boston to the midwest — who offers us a comparative glimpse of kosher dining near his new home.
Milk and Honey, a restaurant located off the main entryway of the JCC of Metro Detroit, is under the supervision of the Vaad Harabonim of Greater Detroit. Equally important, the food was a cut above most other restaurants at which I’ve eaten.
This dairy restaurant provides a relatively narrow assortment of fish, pasta, and vegetarian dishes. The menu (Adobe PDF) is certainly a different approach than Rubin’s twelve-insert menu. The basic, simple treatment of the menu is reflected in the restaurant’s decor as well. Tables are angled so that you face your party, rather than your neighbors. (Emily and I discussed that Ta’am China would have managed to squeeze in about 40% more tables.) The feeling of privacy is compounded by an orzo-shaped bar that divides one side of the restaurant from another. It was nice to have some space, both on the table, and around us. Of course, space is cheaper in the midwest.
We started with Minestrone soup for Emily, and Mushroom Barley for me. Her soup had a deep tomato flavor, while mine was relatively bland. Mine was only mildly better than Tabatchnick’s, though it had a lot more solids. Emily’s would be worth ordering again.
Given that Emily and I try to eat high-fat/high-starch foods, we followed with twice-baked potato skins. These were amazing, with solid amounts of cheddar and sour cream, and fresh chives. (As a note, ketchup is delivered in a bowl, rather than in the bottle!)
It was too early for us to eat the full-size fish or pasta dishes, and they were out of the portabella mushrooms (for the portabella sandwich), so we each had main course salads. Emily’s caesar had real anchovies, fresh croutons, and a generous portion. My Greek had great feta chunks, beets, and a great-tasting mild dressing. I appreciated that neither of the salads were drenched, and both were truly fresh. Given that we visited on a Sunday, I sometimes get nervous ordering vegetables at restaurants…
Dessert was Tiramisu and Apple Pie! The pie slice was bigger than my face with caramel sauce and ice cream. Tiramisu is a dessert that I love, but is so hard to find. Milk and Honey’s version was in a martini glass, and was a cut above.
In summary, lunch was great. I didn’t like that they included the tip on the bill, but the service was polite, the food was excellent (other than my soup), and I got out for a four-course meal for $45 when all was said and done.
That said: Jabbett and I have debated why no restaurant has tried to capitalize on the foot traffic of the Newton JCC. It seems like a great captive business and family audience, in a decent Jewish neighborhood.
(Jabbett’s note: To suggest that the Newton JCC is in a “neighborhood” is overly generous, perched up on that hill in what could be Newton’s only “middle of nowhere.” I’d have no problem driving to the suburbs for a good kosher meal, but there are far livelier spots — with far greater concentrations of kosher Jews — to choose from.)
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Village Crown Closes
Steven I. Weiss reports the closing of the Village Crown, which he describes as the “best kosher restaurant, dollar-for-dollar, in New York City.” The Village Crown Group will continue to offer catering and takeout from its midtown location.
The press release is here.
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Bostonians in Philly
Ari and Emily sent in the following report about their trip to Philadelphia. Enjoy!
We hit three restaurants - Chinese Vegetarian Kosher Restaraunt, Maccabeam, and Maxim (which I don’t believe has any relation to the magazine, as I didn’t see Tara Reid anywhere.).
Maccabeam, an Israeli-style grill which is about 8 blocks from the center of the historic downtown, came highly recommended. After locating the restaurant and entering somewhat dingy confines, we were pleasantly surprised by prompt table service. The metal tableware and ample seating stood in stark contrast to a meal at Rami’s. Despite being denied a few menu items because of the impending Fourth of July (”No Lafas or Lamb — our meat order didn’t come in”), E and I were quite happy with the food. We shared a steak and onions pita, and a shwarma pita. We were pleased that the salad in the pocket was fresh and tangy, with a notable amount of parsley and lemon juice that we both enjoyed. The meat in each of our pitas tasted pretty similar, although the schwarma dripped clear oil and the steak a tasty yellow substance. The french fries were really lousy. Don’t get those.
Chinese Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant, in Chinatown, gets respect for having a terrible name. Unfortunately, Cherry Street possesses a strong and unpleasant odor. Once inside, I was falsely seduced by the variety of wheat gluten dishes which included “pork” and a variety of “chicken” and “beef” efforts. I made the mistake of ordering the sweet and sour pork. It was well presented but disappointing, with balls of fried glutein smothered in a bottled sweet and sour sauce. E’s Tai Chin Chicken was awesome. It came with some weird jelly that we poked, and some crazy glutin blobs, but the sauce was tastier than anything “Uncle Ta’am” puts out. The soups were also interesting, with an unusually thick hot and sour broth. I enjoyed the vegetable (as opposed to meat) wontons in my soup, though they fell apart when touched. I would say that the restaurant merits a return visit, but I wish I had known to get one of the better dishes. Of course, for a total lunch cost of $13 for two people, including tip, whatever.
Maxim, a LARGE Israeli style restaurant next to our hotel, was a bit overwhelmed by our party of about 30 people. Since we all ordered at the same time, I don’t feel right really reviewing the quality of the food. The shwarma and beef kabob platters that we shared were solid, unspectacular examples of the genre, though we did find some undercooked chicken. The five people around me thought that the side of cilantro-flavored rice was spectacular. I thought the portions were small for the $14-18 price range.
The real highlight of Philly was the Kosher Experience in the ShopRite neighboring Maxim. This subsection of the store was as large as the Butcherie, and laid out in a less-threatening manner — the Butcherie should learn that high shelves intimidate shoppers, but I digress. We bought 79-cent bags of Bloomy’s candy, were shocked at $1.99 for Rubashkin Turkey Deli Slices, and drooled at the huge cheese selection. The wife and I planned to split a $7.99 rotisserie chicken for breakfast, but ultimately decided against it. Are the high real estate prices the reason that this can’t be replicated in Boston’s supermarkets?
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Kosher Cooking Classes @ DeGustibus
DeGustibus Cooking School at Macy’s in NYC is having a series of 3 kosher cooking classses, starting next week.
Clearly Kosher
Series of 3 $240 or $85 per class if available
All food will be strictly Kosher
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2006 1:00 to 3:30PM
BILL SPITZ, the new executive chef of Levana demonstrates an early spring menu that emphasizes contemporary American dishes with some global influences.
TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2006 1:00 to 3:30PM
ALEXANDRE PETARD, the executive chef of the recently opened La Carne Grill, formerly of the Box Tree, prepares some of his irresistible delicacies.
TUESDAY, APRIL 4, 2006 1:00 to 3:30PM
JOSÉ MIREILLES, owner, executive chef of the venerable Kosher bistro, Le Marais, demonstrates his spin on comfort food featuring appetizers, main courses, and knock out sides.
Contact DeGustibus for more info & registration.
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Kosher cooking class @ Williams-Sonoma in NYC
Levana Kirschenbaum, author of Levana’s Table, will be giving a cooking class at Williams-Sonoma in The Shops at Columbus Circle on Thursday, March 17th. The Pesach seder oriented menu will include:
- Tilapia-stuffed Seabass with Watercress Horseradish Sauce
- Roasted Garlic and Artichoke Soup
- Lamb Shanks and Dried Fruit stew
- Roasted Asparagus
- Endive and Apple Salad with Walnut Dressing
- Almond Wine Cake with Strawberry Sauce
All ingredients and utensils will be strictly kosher. There will also be a cookbook signing. Class is from 6 to 8 pm. Fee is $60.00. You must register in advance: 212-823-9750 or contact Marlene at wscolumbuscircle@yahoo.com.
Also, check out http://www.levanacooks.com/ for more of Levana’s delectable cooking classes. The March 14th class will feature Israeli Street Food:
- Fish Chraimi
- Marinated Eggplant slices
- Falafel Balls with Hummus Tehina and Israeli Salad
- Za’atar-rubbed Mulaouach with Schug
- Spinach Borekas
- Rugelach
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Eating Kosher in and around Miami - Part I
I had the great pleasure of spending a week in South Florida at the beginning of this month. My a cappella group, the University of Pennsylvania Shabbatones, toured area synagogues and schools (and took in some beach time). During this trip, I had the opportunity to try a number of different kosher restaurants, of which South Florida has quite a few. I thought it would be useful, given the weather up north, to provide some restaurant recommendations for those escaping to warmer climates.
Our first day involved lack of sleep and a great performance at a Hebrew school in South Miami. Before hitting South Beach, we had a great, filling dinner at Thai Treat (there are, I believe, two in the Miami area, so my review deals only with the one at 2176 NE 123rd St, North Miami). As a general comment, everyone really enjoyed their dinners, even those who weren’t so interested in having Thai food. Additionally, the staff was great, holding the restaurant open late for us while remaining very friendly.
I love Thai food, so the opportunity to have fleishig Thai, rather than merely vegetarian, was thrilling. I began with Thai Beef Salad (grilled beef, cucumber ,tomato, onion, scallion, lime juice and chili paste), which was much bigger than I had anticipated, and probably could be a full dinner entree for most people. The beef was thinly sliced and well seasoned, its taste mingling very nicely with the rest of the salad, which had traditional Thai flavor. As an entree, I ordered the duck special of the day, Volcano Duck. I love duck and don’t get to have it nearly enough. My only complaint with this dish was that the individual pieces of duck, fried to be nicely crispy, could have been a bit thicker to match some chewiness with the crispy outside. While I don’t remember the full list of ingredients for this dish, the duck was served in a nice, slightly spicy, curry sauce that was wonderfully paired with the duck and vegetables so as to be tasty and complementary, without overpowering duck.
I was able to try bits from other people’s dinners and am happy to recommend the chicken pad thai and chicken in ginger sauce. And I am confident that any of the other dishes will be great. I was also impressed with the pareve Thai iced tea (a beverage usually including some sort of cream), which was very refreshing. Part II will be posted soon.
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