Koshertopia has learned that the one and only Prime Grill, a leader in quality Kosher dining, is planning another Manhattan eatery on the Upper West Side.
The new location will offer an international bistro style menu – stay tuned for further details.
It seems that expansions come in twos! Koshertopia has learned that My Most Favorite Food, a midtown dairy staple, is opening a new location 72nd Street, between Broadway and West End Ave.
MMFF will be the third Kosher restaurant to try its luck in the very same location with Nargilla Grill and Dougies both having been previous tennants. Management confirmed that construction is well underway and a total overhaul is taking place.
Expected opening is mid November, stay tuned for details.
When I walk into Supersol located at 661 Amsterdam Ave., I walk into my happy place. Yes, the aisles are narrow and the place is usually crowded, but the food is always worth it. I don’t love to cook, so when I prepare a meal, convenience is key. Plus, I don’t like to daven over my menu when I’m food shopping; so, what’s so nice about Supersol, is that my favorite dishes are always in stock and I can get in and get out fairly quickly. But that’s not even the pretzel on the chicken (opposed to the icing on the cake) – the best part about Supersol, is that you can order online and they deliver!
Now to help you with your Shabbat Prep, I’m going to share the menu I always put together when I’m hosting. Over the years, I’ve tried a number of Supersol’s meats, kugel, challahs, desserts – you name it. And I’ve found this list always makes the biggest hit with my guests.
My musts …
Starters:
Vegetables and Hummus – you can’t go wrong. Pick up the baby carrots in a bag, some bell peppers, crackers or chips — Stacy’s Pita chips are the BEST! — and put them out with some hummus and drinks before your guests arrive. If it’s a Friday night, your guests may have skipped lunch and be hungry from a long day and from being in shul. So I think it’s nice to always have a little something out while you wait for all of your guests to arrive. Plus, it’s not fair if you’re waiting for your last guest to come for your prompt guests to have to sit there hungry and thirsty. Even if you just have pretzels and some sodas out, that’s a good start.
Deli Roll – this is HEAVEN on Earth. I’m not kidding. I just had this for the first time recently and I don’t know how I’ve made it this far in life without it. Really, it was one of the best dishes I’ve tried in my LIFE. Don’t walk – run to Supersol to try this now. It’s a bit of a heavier dish, so if you have big eaters, starting with this will help fill them up.
The Meal:
Challah – I go back and forth between Zomick’s and Zadies. But stay tuned for an upcoming post on the best Challahs in NYC! (If you have any suggestions, please let me know!)
Gefilte Fish – you can buy this from the freezer or from the deli. I go with the deli because I know I won’t cook it myself. I love Supersol’s gefilte fish because it’s not fishy and even my friends who hate gefilte fish will eat it from Supersol.
Tuv Taam Horseradish – if you like horseradish, but don’t like the old bitter kind, try this stuff! It’s awesome! It’s sweet and has a kick.
Pretzel Chicken – This is also on my list of Top 10 Favorite Foods of All Time. I have gotten every family member and friend HOOKED on this chicken. Even my non-Jewish friends ask to come over to my place for Shabbat because they’ve become addicted, too.
Meatballs – I love Supersol’s meatballs, but I don’t always get them because they’re expensive. If you’re not worried about your budget, then don’t go home without them!
Homemade Sweet Kugel or Spinach Noodle Souflee – The sweet kugel is always amazing and tastes incredible with the pretzel chicken because you get the whole salt and sweet thing taken care of. The Spinach Noodle is very good too, but I recommend that if you’re serving Supersol’s plain grilled chicken, instead.
Homemade Cran-apple Crunch Kugel – Everyone always loves this kugel because it’s great on its own; but, it’s also so sweet it can be served for dessert. It’s more like a cobbler than it is a kugel. Delish!
Dessert:
Sharon’s Sorbet – These are always a hit because there’s a flavor for everyone.
Chocolate or Cinnamon Babka – I always associate Babka with Shabbat. Yum!
This is my go-list when I know I want to have people over, but don’t have time to cook. I never buy my fruits and vegetables at Supersol because they are SOOOOO overpriced it’s absurd. Some of their prepared dishes, soups, side salads seem a little expensive for my taste, but that’s just the nature of kosher food shopping. I wish Supersol had a club card and that members who spend x amount get a $10 coupon or something like that. You can get a discount if you buy the MJE Express Card (for more info, check out jewishexperience.org). But even so, the place is amazing. It has a loyal following, but it’s not so crazy when you go shopping like it is in Fairway (I fear for my life in that place!). But it would be nice if Supersol did more for the customer. They offer coupons if you order online for the first time, but I really think they should consider doing some sort of rewards program.
So there you have it! Let me know what your musts are when you shop at Supersol and what you think is a bust!
Happy Noshing,
KK
Click here for the Supersol UWS listing
Exterior of Le Marais
Le Marais is the quintessential French bistro in every sense. The restaurant is boisterous and dimly-lit, serving fantastic food and wine with often spotty service. Taking its name and inspiration from the historical Jewish quarter of Paris, Le Marais successfully recreates this atmosphere right here in New York.
Upon entering, you’ll pass through an authentic butcher shop featuring a variety of kosher meats, which I take to mean that the meat served is very fresh and of good quality. The dining room walls are covered in dark wood paneling with Parisian advertisements, maps, and antique lampposts scattered throughout.Butcher Showcase at Le Marais
I decided to start with a light “amuse-gueule,” or appetizer, of pan seared tuna. This tuna loin was crusted with sesame seeds, lightly seared, and served on a bed of sliced cucumbers with a sweet glaze on the side. The tuna was fresh and the sesame crust gave each bite a great texture.
Butcher Showcase at Le Marais
While other menu items like coq au vin, roasted salmon, and merguez with couscous were tempting, I knew having a steak in a steakhouse was a must! There are a dozen different cuts to choose from, and I ordered the steak au poivre et frites. This black pepper-crusted tournedo was very lean, cooked well, and was so flavorful…what I (and many others) consider one of the best kosher filets in Manhattan. Also, like any true French bistro, serving fantastic French fries is a necessity – and Le Marais’s light and crispy frites did not disappoint. A small green salad also accompanied the steak, rounding out an all-together great entrée.
Steak Au Poivre et Frites
Le Marais features an extensive kosher wine list with many wines from France, as well as Israel, California, Australia, and others. Although I didn’t have any room left for dessert, the menu looked delicious. Many true French staples are available like crème caramel, tarte aux pommes, and profiteroles.
In fine dining establishments like Le Marais, I always feel that the service should be on par with the food. My only complaint about my experience here was the service -impersonal and extremely rushed.
And finally, a few additional Miss Menu pointers…
Click herer for the Le Marais Listing
Estihana located at 221 W 79th St., is one of my favorite kosher restaurants; but, before I get to the incredible menu, let me say this: You must have very thick skin to order take out or delivery from this place! Lamah? (Why?) You ask. Because when you call, you must be prepared for the main guy who answers the phone to treat you like you’re a telemarketer. Yes, that’s right. When you call to order food the guy basically acts as though HE just sat down to eat dinner with his family and YOU are ruining it! He seems so agitated when he takes your order that he makes you feel like you phoned someone that is on the “Do Not Call” list. But don’t worry. There are one or two people who work there who are polite when they answer the phone. And if you get the guy I’m talking about, you’ll come to terms with the fact that it’s not you — it’s him — and you’ll be able to refocus on what you want to order within seconds.
What you need to know next is that waiting for your food will be worse than placing the call for it. But trust me, once you get your meal, you’re going to want to savor every bite. You’re going to want to hold onto your fork for dear life –not just because the entrees are so expensive — but because the food is just that good. Let me put it to you this way: Have you ever gone to a restaurant, fallen in love with a dish and then went back to order the same thing — only to feel like it wasn’t as good as the first time? That will never happen to you at Estihana. I always feel like whatever I order is even better than I remembered it.
When it comes to appetizers, the egg rolls are my favorite. They are packed with flavor and cooked to perfection. You can skip the salads with ginger dressing. The dressing is watery and bland. And if you love steamed dumplings, the dumplings at Estihana are just so-so.
If you’re in the mood for a chicken dish for dinner, you must get the Gomatori. Think large chunks of white chicken meat, fried and cooked in the world’s sweetest and most addicting sauce. The pepper steak is so incredible that after you’ve taken your last bite you’ll be craving it for a week. And when it comes to dessert, the chocolate chip cookie explosion cake/ice cream combo will hit the spot.
I’m not going to lie. This place is pricey. But Kosher food in NYC just doesn’t come cheap. With that said, I give Estihana an 8 out of 10.
So, that’s all from me for now. Let me know what you think is a must and what’s a bust when you check out Estihana!
Happy Noshing,
KK
Click Here for the Estihana Listing
