Koshertopia has confirmed that Gourmet by Forte, located at 1529 York Avenue (between 80th and 81st) is now open. Primarily a take-out deli, Gourmet by Forte chefs prepare dishes daily that are reminiscent of Mom’s home cooking. There is also seating available for dine in service. Gourmet by Forte is under the supervision of the Kof-K.
This is the week that 2nd Ave Deli opens their second store. Koshertopia has confirmed that 2nd Ave Deli located, not on 2nd Avenue but at 1442 First Avenue (corner of 75th Street) opens today. The pastrami, matzo ball and rugelach recipes stay the same – just the location is new.
Koshertopia has confirmed that Mendy’s, the largest independently owned kosher restaurant chain in the US has its own kiosk open for select trade shows (10:00am – 3:00pm) downstairs across from the food courts. The kiosk will offer sandwiches, soups, salads & more.
Koshertopia has confirmed that 2nd Avenue Deli’s Upper East Side location (75th Street and 1st Avenue) is almost ready. They are currently finishing their party space and expect to open the new location after Passover.
Koshertopia has confirmed that Kolette’s Kitchen will be opening at 672 Lexington Avenue (between 55th and 56th Street). The new restaurant which will be Glatt Kosher under the supervision of the OK will offer a range of lunch options. With a menu ranging from Middle Eastern Mezze, Deli Sandwiches & Vietnamese Sandwiches Kolette’s Kitchen will be a nice lunch alternative to many kosher consumers who work and live in Midtown Manhattan.
Stay tuned for Opening Day & Specials
Koshertopia has confirmed that a new Glatt Kosher deli, grill & sushi restaurant is said to be opening today at the old location of Turquoise on the Upper East Side. The new restaurant, at 240 East 81st Street, is under the Supervision of the OK.
Stay tuned for opening specials, menu and more information.
Second Avenue Deli
The Authentic Second Avenue Deli now sits at 162 32nd Street, closer to 3rd Avenue, and received a design overhaul when it moved into its new space. The restaurant retained the ‘deli’ feel, but also added warm and modern decor to its old world charm. The logo is the first visual you notice when walking in and I love that the English letters mimic Hebrew letters. There is also a clock hanging outside with Hebrew letters instead of numbers. Kosher salamis hanging from the deli counter greet you at the entrance to the venue, which boasts meats and salads. The restaurant even sells t-shirts, hats and pre-packaged 2nd Ave Deli foods. Counter service is available for about four people (I noted how many stools were available). I notice that the restaurant is broken down into sections. The logo is repeated on a high glass partition, so the space is actually cozier and more intimate than your usual open space. You can seat large and small parties and are not sitting on top of one other. The aisle down the middle (between partitions) makes it easy access for the wait staff to move through the seated areas, without disturbing the patrons. There are also a few small charming booths to dine in.
Second Avenue Deli
The heritage and history of this restaurant can still be seen in the Yiddish photographs and newspaper headlines that frame the walls. Custom lamps are affixed to the wall, which I was pretty impressed with. Brown, blue, and white tiles form a pattern on the floor, which then extends to the walls and is also mirrored in the menu design. Paper placemats, which have a painting of the older Second Ave Deli location, lay on each tiled table, which I think is a nice added touch against the new modern style. This is a very popular spot and is usually crowded. I felt they wanted to turn over the tables quickly, so be prepared to order extra refills or dessert!
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
Remember all those great lunches you had in the CitiGroup building atrium at Eli’s Deli? Well you will have to. We have confirmed that Eli’s Deli will be serving their last sandwiches this week and will not reopen.
It seems that the economic climate has come to affect them as well. It will be a loss to the Deli community.
One door closes and another opens. In a previous QuickBite we reported that Mendy’s will be opening a new location at Rockefeller Center. The new location opened for business yesterday.
You should get over there quick as they are having some grand opening specials, but we don’t know how long that will last..
They are located at 37 West 48th Street, Between 5th and 6th Avenue and are under the kosher supervision of the OU.
