What an experience! The Kosher Restaurant and Wine Experience

Living in NY and running Gourmet Kosher Cooking (with my Bff Emuna) has many perks besides thinking about food and being in touch with all our terrific readers. Last Monday night at Chelsea Pier was a big one.

As readers of GKC know, the “Kosher Restaurant and Wine Experience” produced by GKC’s friends at Royal Wines, arrived in NY and by Tuesday Gotham needed to go on a diet! Seriously. Tevere’s baby artichokes greeted you at the door and by the time we made it to our first glass of wine, yours truly had eaten foods from three different continents and that was at just the first table. A very special thank you to Gary Landsman, our wine contributor at Royal Wines for inviting GKC to what was by all accounts a wonderful night for those of us who love delicious food and great wine.

Royal wines showcased all of the wines that they produce (what don’t they produce??) plus other labels that they distribute. It was amazing. We tasted wines from around the world, and with loving advice from GKC’s best friend at the Wine Spectator, Miriam Laufer, we were directed to the newest and best wines to try. From Spain we fell in love with the Capcanes Peraj Ha’abib, (I know, try and say that ten times fast) and from Napa the Covenant label has emerged with three new wines. Our favorites were the Chardonnay and the Red C Cabernet (this is what kosher wine is meant to be). Other wine favorites to keep in mind were the new Reserve from Alexander, the Herzog Clone #6 Edition and the Carmel Mediterranean, savory, rich and not too overwhelming. Most of these wines were bottled in limited quantities so they may be hard to find over time. GKC was also happy to see their friends from Flegman’s wines carrying on the tradition of their father who started making wines a century ago in Hungary. (You can buy any of these wines at a discount here, through www.onlinekosherwine.com (use coupon code DFXJQW).

In addition, to fantastic wine there were a few restaurants that stole the show. I am so excited to introduce Chef Moses Wendel who is opening a new restaurant in Crown Heights in three weeks called Basil. His food was beautiful to look at and tasted divine. He served a Tuna Tartare with Saffron, Smoked Paprika, and Green Olive Puree and Chocolate Truffles with Cocoa Nib and Rum, Skewered with Coconut Anglaise Pipette. Fumio, a restaurant in Livingston, NJ served some delicious short ribs. The meat just fell off the bone and was layered in subtle flavors of tomato, garlic and soy. People waited on lines for the warm Pastrami by Pomegranate Market. Their homemade hummus is worth traveling to Brooklyn for. A special treat turned out to be a new surprise called My Brother Bobby’s Salsa from the Hudson Valley. If you want it fresher than Bobby’s you’re going to have to pick the ingredients yourself. The cantaloupe salsa was delish! It was great to see one of the legends of the kosher dining world Chef Jeff Nathan, serving some of my favorites from Abigael’s. And finishing the gastronomic extravaganza with a flavored coffee and light biscotti by NoiDue made for a perfect evening. Don’t miss the event next year. GKC will be sure to give you plenty of warning… You’re going to want to be there!!