Kosher Meals Available in 10 NYC Area 7-Elevens
(YeahThatsKosher) Fresh, kosher Grab ’N Go items, made by The Pom People, Inc., are now available in the following 7-Eleven locations, including the original set of stores in Long Island, reported a few months ago: three in Long Island: Hewlett, Oceanside, West Hempstead; six in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan.
All freshly prepared Grab ’N Go items by The Pom People are certified under the Orthodox Union (OU). Here is a sample list of items being carried in various locations: Grilled Salmon Caesar Salad, Greek Kalamata Salad, Nicoise Salad, Harvest Corn Salad, Taboule Salad, Fresh Fruit Cup, Egg Salad Sandwich, Tuna Fish Sandwich, Corned Beef Sandwich, Pastrami Sandwich, Turkey Breast Sandwich, Brie, Apple & Onion Sandwich, Fresh Mozzarella Sandwich, Garden Tuna Fish Sandwich, Grilled Garden Vegetable Goat Cheese Sandwich, Albacore Tuna Fish Wrap, Egg and Feta Cheese Wrap, Avocado Wrap, Breakfast Spinach, Egg White and Feta Cheese Wrap.
Mocha Burger Set to Open in Manhattan
(YeahThatsKosher and combined sources) Mocha Burger, the brainchild of Mocha Bleu’s Naftali Abenaim of Teaneck, is a modern kosher burger restaurant adjacent to NYU. The restaurant’s vibe is similar to that of newly established burger restaurant Boeuf & Bun (Crown Heights) or the now-closed Clubhouse Cafe. The restaurant will seat up to 75 diners, as well as additional patrons on the sidewalk outside. Mocha Burger’s burger options include: Classic, Smokey, Stacked (two burgers), Funghi (w/mushrooms & fried onions), BLT (fried egg, smoked lamb bacon, and papitas), Stuffed (pastrami stuffed jumbo burger), Fish (beer battered tilapia burger) and Veggie. Additionally, they will offer sliders with your choice of meats: beef, lamb or veal.
MB’s menu is not limited to burgers and will include buffalo wings, short ribs, and steak; meatball entrees made from beef, lamb or turkey plus chicken; grilled chicken; grilled salmon; satay skewers; salads; multiple fries options and a limited sushi menu. Additionally, the restaurant will have a bar, serving cocktails, wine and beer.
Due to its proximity to NYU, the restaurant will work to create lunch and student specials to support the local population. Mocha Burger’s kosher certification is being provided by the OU, and the restaurant will be sourcing Chassidishe meat for its dishes. No reservations required (or are accepted).
CRC Revises Its Iceberg Lettuce Policy, Effective June 2015
(CRC Alerts) The general cRc (Chicago Rabbinical Council) position is that pre-washed (bagged) iceberg lettuce is acceptable from any source, even if it is not certified as kosher. This is because the method of commercially cleaning leafy lettuces is sufficient to remove the insects typically found in iceberg lettuce. However, in recent weeks, lettuce coming from specific regions in California has been more heavily infested than usual, and it was brought to the cRc’s attention that the cleaning methods in use have not always been successful in removing all insects from the lettuce. Accordingly, some hechsherim have temporarily removed certification from a number of brands of iceberg lettuce, of which the Fresh Express brand is the most prominent. The cRc has not been able to independently confirm these results on a national scale, but accepts the findings of these hechsherim based on the research of experienced Mashgichim in multiple cities. Accordingly, the cRc recommends that for the remainder of June 2015, consumers nationally should either (a) purchase iceberg lettuce that bears reliable kosher certification, or (b) wash and inspect iceberg lettuce (fresh or bagged) as per the directions found at http://kshr.us/IcebergLettuce. While it is always preferred to purchase lettuce and similar items with hashgachah, we consider it acceptable for people to continue purchasing pre-washed iceberg lettuce even if it is not certified. As an extra measure of caution, we recommend that those who purchase the non-certified lettuce should visually inspect a few small handfuls of lettuce from each bag before eating the rest of the contents of the bag.
Kahlua Liquor Producers File Suit Against Copycat Kosher Kahfua
(NY Post and combined sources) The label says it’s kosher—but not to one of the world’s biggest liquor producers. The Absolut Co. is suing a Brooklyn Orthodox Jewish liquor distributor for selling a rabbi-approved knockoff of their famed non-kosher Kahlua coffee liqueur they say tries too hard to confuse consumers. Lawyers for the Swedish vodka company claim that Happy Hearts Wine has been peddling the knockoff—named Kahfua—at Orthodox Jewish liquor stores, according to the Brooklyn federal lawsuit.
Except for the swapped “f” for the “l” in Kahlua, the labeling on the dueling liqueurs is nearly identical, and Absolut is demanding that the copycat products be pulled from shelves immediately. “Defendant’s counterfeit Kahfua product is virtually identical to and substantially indistinguishable from the genuine Kahlua coffee liqueur product,” the suit states.
A man who answered the phone at Happy Wines confirmed that the Kahfua brand is in demand by pious Jews because Kahlua does not conform to their dietary restrictions. He would not comment on the lawsuit.
A Post reporter purchased a bottle of Kahfua at Liquors Galore in Midwood for $19.99 Tuesday and was lectured by a pair of Orthodox Jewish staffers after he asked if they also stocked Kahlua.
“Kahfua is much better,” one of them said. “The taste cannot compare.”
“Kahlua is a coffee liqueur,” his partner chimed in. “Kahfua is espresso. They’re totally different.” The defensive duo explained that traditional Kahlua was not kosher and that Jewish consumers needed a religiously acceptable alternative. The Liquors Galore employees even denied the clear similarities in labeling and logo designs, arguing that the fonts were totally different. “You’re clearly not looking at it,” one of them insisted. A lawyer for Absolut declined comment.
