Back in 2010 we were first to share the news that Manhattan’s famous 2nd Ave Deli was opening its second location on the Upper East Side. Koshertopia has confirmed that the Deli is close to opening at 1442 First Avenue (at 75th St.). Kosher Dining options in the Upper East Side are once again expanding. Like the 33rd Street location, the new Deli will be under the Supervision of the Cup K (Rabbi Israel Mayer Steinberg).
It seems that the revolving door of restaurants continues to turn. What was previously Kolette’s Kitchen on Lexington and 56th Street will soon be a second location for the popular falafel place Soom Soom whose first home is located on the Upper West Side.
The new location is set to open in 2 months. Stay tuned for more details.
The popular vegetarian chain, Maoz is opening a new location on Central Park. The new location willl be at 106th and 5th Ave, open Monday to Sunday. Maoz is famous for their freshly baked pita pockets filled with steaming hot falafel balls, eggplant, hummus, and signature salads.
The Upper East Side welcomes another Israeli style restaurant. Koshertopia has confirmed that Pita off the Corner II has opened at 1764 1st Ave (between 91st & 92nd St.) under the supervision of the CMD (Rabbi David Navaro). Offering all that you would expect from a middle eastern style restaurant including tasty shwarma, fresh grilled chicken breast and of course falafel.
Pita off the Corner II
1764 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10128
(212) 410-7482
Having just opened last August, Koshertopia has confirmed that Kolette’s Kitchen located at 672 Lexington Avenue (between 55th and 56th Street) has permanently closed. In a week in which NYC lost one of its most beloved long time restaurants, let’s hope this is the last one.
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.
Rectangles on the Upper East Side is now is now under the Supervision of the Rabbi Israel Mayer Steinberg (Cup K).
Koshertopia has confirmed that the midtown dairy restaurant, Gusto Va Mare located at 237 East 53rd Street (between 2nd Avenue & 3rd Avenue) has closed its doors. The restaurant, closed for over 3 weeks has not shared publicly whether the closure is permanent or temporary (the interior remains untouched).
Stay tuned for more details.
Vegan: A strict vegetarian; someone who eats no animal or dairy products at all.
It used to seem to me that putting the word vegan before restaurant was a way to justify second rate food at top tier prices, but in the past few weeks my opinion has changed. My realization began with Blossom, a delightful restaurant on 82nd and Columbus and it continues with V-Note (not surprisingly both of these restaurants are owned by the same person). Vegan has become a mark of quality.
The restaurant hits a high note (be thankful I made it this far before making that joke) with its laidback wine bar atmosphere and stylish decor. The front entrance is separated from the seating area by a few half walls some lounge couches to have a glass of wine while you wait for a table or the rest of your party.
My evening began with a glass of Cabernet that was delightful and the perfect way to warm up from the rainy chill outside. The meal started with a wilted spinach salad and a house made ravioli. The salad, with shitake mushrooms, roasted corn, and cashews was lightly dressed with a warm balsamic vinaigrette and garnished with a (fake) bacon crumble. The ravioli, stuffed with smoked tempeh, spinach, and pine nuts was served in a deliciously rich cashew cream sauce, which I ate with a spoon when the ravioli was finished.
For our main courses we got the feiloadinha stew and seitan scaloppini and a side of French fries. The stew, an almost chili like mixture of smoked tempeh and beans garnished with sweet potato chips, was not my favorite dish of the night. That’s not to say it wasn’t tasty, it certainly was, but it didn’t have the wow factor that many of the other dishes brought to the table. The seitan scaloppini, fried gluten cutlets served in a white wine sauce atop mashed potatoes and spinach was the highlight of the night for me. Its wonderfully simple yet elegant combination of flavors, layered over the unique texture of seitan made for an outstanding dish (check out the picture!). The french fries, crispy with a hint of basil, were a perfect compliment to this delectable meal.
The appetizers and main courses, while not the biggest portions I have ever seen were certainly enough to send me away a happy camper, but a quick peek at the dessert menu, made it clear I couldn’t leave without sampling them. We got a rich Chocolate Gnash cake, with Vanilla ice cream, and a touch of raspberry and mint gele on the side. The cake was Donald Trump-esque rich and more than a bit ostentatious, which I love, but don’t say you weren’t warned. We also got a Peach tart on a freshly made pie crust, with Vanilla ice cream, and a thin crunchy pastry cookie on top. The cookie was the highlight of the dessert and combined with the sweet peaches provided the perfect cap to a tremendous meal.
Whether for a first date, romantic night out, or just a night on the town with some friends, V-note (and Blossom) are redefining what it means to be vegan.
V-Note
1522 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10021
(212) 249-5009
Click here for the V-Note listing
Koshertopia has confirmed that Burger Zone has opened at at 1830 2nd Ave. (between 94th & 95th St.) under the supervision of Rabbi Harry Lax (Agudas Hamashgichim). Burger Zone offers a wide range of beef, chicken and vegetarian burgers as well as fresh salad options. Burger Zone is another kosher option to open on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
