Manhattan, NY – The plans for Jezebel look like many other SoHo restaurants aiming to draw a hip, downtown crowd.
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The difference is in the details: A gold-plated shofar will serve as the door handle. Art work will include familiar pieces but with different faces (Woody Allen in a commissioned re-creation of “The Last Supper”). And an Orthodox Jewish overseer will keep a close eye on the kitchen at all times to make sure all’s kosher. Literally.
“We’re looking to change the norm of where the bar for kosher is,” said Menachem Senderowicz, 34 years old, one of Jezebel’s two owners. “We think we can take it up more than two notches and bring it to a whole new level.”
“We want to become the kings of kosher,” interjected co-owner Henry Stimler, 32.
Messrs. Stimler and Senderowicz plan to open Jezebel in June. It is the first restaurant for their group B&Y Hospitality (British and Yiddish, since Mr. Stimler is British and they both speak Yiddish), and they’ve hired James Beard Award-winning chef Bradford Thompson in the kitchen and Nick Mautone, formerly of Gramercy Tavern, to design the drink program.
The duo, who grew up Orthodox but now classify themselves as “modern Jews,” say the kosher aspect of the restaurant is almost an afterthought, albeit a carefully planned one that will include prepaid Shabbat dinners and unpasteurized kosher wine, which can only be handled by observant Jews.
The owners say there is an unmet need for a cutting-edge restaurant for the Jewish demographic that is populating the likes of the nearby SoHo synagogue, but they insist they are not aiming for a predominately kosher or even Jewish clientele.
Jezebel plans to remain open on Friday night and has bought two special CVap ovens that are moisture-controlled and designed to hold products for a long period, Mr. Thompson said.
“We want it to be fresh, like you actually choose what you like that night,” he said. “We’re pushing it as far as we can and still staying within the guidelines.”
Also It is among the first kosher restaurant in the city—and possibly the U.S.—to serve unpasteurized, or nonmevushal wine, which must be handled at all times by a an observant Jew.
Most kosher certification agencies won’t permit this. But Rabbi Aaron Mehlman of the National Kosher Supervision agency on the Upper West Side is willing to give it a try.
“It’s an extra level of attention, and it’s very time consuming,” he said. “You have to have one or two people keeping track of these bottles. It’s also a pilot project. If it doesn’t work, I’m going to cancel it. We’re going to be very strict about it.”
It’s difficult but not impossible. I was mashgiach at a major affair and the State store – the only source of wine in the state – delivered non-mevushal wine. It was a Sunday and impossible to get new wine. We sent a mashgiach to stand and the bar and pour the wine (into new clean glasses only) and sent him around the tables to pour the wine. At the wedding, someone asked to see me. It was a local conservative rabbi and he was smiling. He said, “I’ve been a Rabbi for 30 years in this community and gone to many kosher affairs. When I saw an orthodox young man pouring the wine for everyone, I knew this was really kosher.” Then he gave me a hug. It can be done but who’s going to pour it on Shabbos or will they only sell it by the bottle?
It’s a rather strange name for a kosher restaurant (or even for a hipster restaurant that happens to be kosher).
Doesn’t it take away from the ambiance of a fancy restaurant to serve wine in disposable cups? Or will they kasher the glasses after non-frum use? Or just have two sets of glasses, kosher and traif?
interesting to name it Jezebel.
She was a very wicked woman,and there is debate if she was even Jewish.
And what if other guests come in friday night? they wont be served?
Er – I don’t think I’ll be there. Good luck, gentlemen. I think you’ll need it.
A little risqué but there obviously is a market for it
Why ? Why do we need all these places? Do we always have to push the limit in every possible circumstance ?
I think that rabbi mehlman should write a piece on why he is willing to always take on the risky side of Kashrus. Let’s face it most people won’t even inquire about anything one they hear it’s kosher they eat it there regardless of who certifies
Is it so important for the rabbi to certify such an establishment ?
Is there not a little achrius
From the way it is described, including the name, it sounds too much like “naval birshus HaTorah”, it is a shame someone is willing to give a hashgacha
There are a few concenrs with serving non-mevushal wines 1) there can be no refills since if you refill it into a cup that has leftover stam yayin or if the goy is holding the cup while the mashgiach is refilling it – the remaining wine in the bottle become treif (nitzuk hachibutr)
2) all wine glasses will have to be washed seperately (in cold water) since you don’t want to put any amount of treif wine (that is left in the glasses) in the dishwasher that will now be washed hot with all the other dishes of the day.
I hope Rabbi Melhman will at least hire an extra mashgiach to stand by the dishwasher so that no dirty glasses make it in.
3) When having a meal with either non-Jewish family members or business people it is inevitable for guests to move each others wine glasses or even take a sip and one is causing a yid to drink non-kosher wine.
If I were Rabbi Melhman I wouldn’t be able to sleep well worrying about this.
Jezebel I think is seen as a hero in the feminist community (see: Liberal). There is a feminist magazine called Jezebel.
Rabbi Mehlman is a trustworthy individual. If there are issues here, he WILL drop the hashgocha.
Trust me–with a name like Jezebel we will not partake in such a place–what’s going to open across the street–Lot’s Place? It might be technically kosher, but it certainly not within the spirit of the law. Remind me to check out Rabbi Mehlman’s credential’s and which other restaurants he gives a hashgacha on. Mir darfen tanzten nuch de goyim mit alless?
This is clearly not for everyone, but if they can be matsliach without compromising hallacha kol hakavod. To anyone who would not eat there – please understand that this is an orthodox hashgacha and it is a personal decision as to whether or not to eat any individual hashgacha. This is between an individual and hashem (and hopefully his rav to discuss) but not something for the hamon am to comment on.
To #12 No disrespect intended at all, but I never heard of Rabbi Mehlman. As I like to go out for dinner with family & friends, I’m always looking for new places to try. What can you tell me about him & his hashgacha?
This kind of restaurant would do much better in Lakewood than in Soho. In Lakewood they are bored with the same old kosher pizza, burger and schwarma joints so a new cutting edge restaurant with innovative cuisine and top of the line chassideshe hasghacha would go over much better.
This restaurant is obviously not targeted towards the ultra orthodox community, its trying to entice an oilum that run away from Kosher because its incomparable to high end places in the city. Just from the name, program, hechser and probably decor it simple to deduce that its clientele will mainly be Manhattan, read the article they want to attract that audience. I wouldn’t worry about Lots place, I would worry why a mother is online at 2.30 AM, but I don’t pass judgment so maybe you shouldn’t to.
I was going to comment on the rather inappropriate name, but, I see there are already many before me. Maybe it isn’t so inappropriate after all – I don’t think it is in the spirit of Shabbos to eat in a restaurant, maybe it’s not wicked like Jezebel, but, it’s not quite right. It most certainly would NOT belong in Lakewood as #16 said. There are already far too many restaurants there already and they don’t need one that is open on Shabbos. (Yeah, maybe in Manhattan where all the modern singles are is the place to be)
They are going for a Jewish crowd who dont really care about Kashrus too much, but will stop just short of eating ‘proper’ treif i.e. non-kosher meat and chicken. As long as it stays within the parameters of halacha its a good thing, although I certainly dont think anyone who is makpid on a decent level of kashrus should go anywhere near it. Anyway, good luck Ushi!
What’s in a name?
If this Jezebel restaurant is a success, then maybe I shall open an establishment called “The Seething Kid.”
They should be matzliach. I give them credit for trying to open a kosher restaurant. Everyone is free to make their own choice about whether the kashrut meets their own standard.
Rabbi Mehlman is the Hechsher on Dunkin Donuts, when Dale and Thomas Popcorn had a store in Times Square they were certified by his Hashgacha, that Icecream store on Avenue J was his hechser until he pulled it… Anyone know any oher?
Sounds chazir treif to me.
Jezebel? Really??
R. Mehlman is well respected. All the major shuls in Manhattan have his restaurants on their “approved” list.
I’m sure he knows shulchan oruch at least as well as the commenters here. I would imagine he would not allow refills from a common bottle (not a problem if you buy the whole bottle–maybe they won’t even sell by the glass). If a party has nochrim then that’s an awkward situation to explain on the part of the Jewish members of the party, but isn’t really the restaurant’s obligation. And I assume that they’ll rinse out the glasses before putting them in the dishwasher.
Bidieved nitzuk chibur doesn’t apply to stam yeinom because it’s really only a din by things that are issurei hano’oh. And the dishwasher problem is also not bidieved because the detergent is davar hapogem.
Here is a pair of entreprenuers who want to make some honest money pleasing as many people as they can and everyone has to chime in with etzas and comments? When are you all opening up a kosher resturant? I’ll be never. Yet you have no problem giving your highfelutin opinon on everything under the sun!
And if you don’t know what highfelutin means then look it up in the dictionary!
Where is SoHo? What are the nearest crossroads?
There is nothing like this in either Monsey or Lakewood so they are likely to get a lot of business from visitors to New York from out of town. Its only a short trip to SoHo from either willy or BP.
I know the owners – both very fine individuals from good homes. Just trying to make a dent in the kosher market. Not looking for those who criticize & judge to be their clientele. I know Rabbi Mehlman – an ehrlich & heimish Rabbi who doesn’t give Hashgacha where this is Safek.
Bottom line – you don’t want to eat there, don’t. But, don’t condemn.
No one is forcing anyone to go there. Ask your rov if you’re not sure.
The restaurant does not have to be glatt or hold by every chumra going to get a hechsher. Better that some Jews at least eat kosher, even at a more basic level, than feel the need to eat treif and pay for it on Shabbos. Strange though it may seem to most of the readers here, there are lots of Yidden about who do not look for glatt standards, who are not members of the “Chumra a day Club” and really don’t have any idea what chassidishe shechita is or what makes a chassidishe mashgiach “more likely to be ehrlich”.
I wish them success with their new venture. It is always difficult to start a new business. It is refreshing and good that one can eat outside one’s usual setting a delicious and kosher meal. I