Does anyone know if you can get Cuban-style pizza in Union City? Cuban-style pizza is popular in miami and was popularized in the beach-side town of Varadero, Cuba. The dough is a little chewier than an American pizza, and the sauce is thicker and more sensuous, with quite a bit of onions and garlic (probably a sofrito base). Also, the very popular Cuban queso, Gouda, is used for the cheese (nowadays, places in Miami such as the famous El Rey or Polo Norte use a combination of gouda and mozzarella) and crumbled chorizo can be used for the topping. I would think that up north, Union City would be the best bet for getting this type of pizza. Also, if anyone knows of some places to eat there that are tasty and cheap at the same time, that would be great. There's this place across from the city hall on Palisade Avenue that has lunch plates for $6.00 and huge batidos for $3.50, but if anyone knows of a comparable deal perhaps wehre the fodd is better seasoned, that would be great. Lastly, if anyone knows where I can get cheap empanadas, tamales, croquetas, papas rellenas, pastelitos de guayaba, fritas, sandwiches, etc., I would be the happiest guy alive. I basically would like recommendations for the best Cuban places in Union City (I live in New York and will tell you that as far as food goes, El Rincon Criollo has the best hot dishes/entrees. BUT I want to get cheap bakery items from Union City, items that Rincon does not have). Thanks.

There is one on 18 Ave and 61 Street, with a listing of kosher items under the supervision of Rabbi Dov Hazdan, Ner Tamid K.

Try Bernsteins, which has reopened after many years, on Avenue U and East 27 Street. They are glatt kosher and under the hashgacha or Rabbi Babad of Tartikov. Also, Gottlieb's and Landau's are in Williamsburg. Deli 52 and Crown Deli are in Boro Park, although I can't attest for their quality.

Can anyone recommend good Cuban restaurants and bakeries in our area? I know of El Rincon Criollo in Queens, which is very good, but what about bakeries? Thank you.

Hi. I am looking to prepare cheese danish for my girlfriend; every recipe I've found seems to call for the danish to be covered by dough, which she doesn't like. She likes danish that are circular with the filling visible on top, surrounded by the pastry, not covered by it. Can anybody suggest a classic cheese danish recipe in which the danishes are circular and the cheese filling peeks out on the top, since it is surrounded by the pastry, not covered by it? Thank you.

Sure it is. They;re listed as being under the supervision of Rabbi Andre Malek
5724 11th avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11219
718.314.5815
(accoridng to the website kosher-ny.com).

Which supermarkets in BP and Flatbush would have the cheapest (frozen) kosher dinners from Mon Cuisine, Mon Dairy, Empire, Meal Mart or La Briute, the cheapest cholov yisroel packaged cheese and yogurts (J&j, Mehadrin, etc.) and oven-ready glatt kosher meats (that can be cooked double-wrapped in a non-kosher oven)? Todah.

What do you mean by downtownish? Most places with a cool vibe aren't under the supervision of large agencies. But how about trying Cafe W in Williamsburg? They are only open until 6, though, but they are online at cafeworder.com. The address is 45 Lee Avenue and are Cholov Yisroel (I don;t know the hashgacha- maybe Hisachdus Ha Rabbonim)

According to the message, they will be opening on July 4th and will be open from 9 AM to 10 PM. Shabbos meals are still being arranged through the Chabad House directly and require phone reservations. The restaurant is also under the hashgacha of R' Zaltzman and the Buffalo Va'ad.

What are the opinions on Kosher deli in NYC? With 2 Avenue Deli, a"h, with unsure reopening status, what are recommendations for top quality kosher deli meats in the NYC area?

Accroding to the OU website, Junior;s cheesecake will no longer bear the OU hekhsher. Does anyone know what hechsher, if any, Junior;s will fall under after this?

I am looking for an actual bakery to buy a strudel from in Borough Park or even Flatbush- I am in Brooklyn and I don't drive, so taking a 2 hour train ride is out of the question.

Can anyone recommend a good place in Borough Park for kosher apple strudel, the authentic Hungarian or Austrian variety? I'll want some after Pesach.

Are they under Kosher supervision like Taam Tov?

I am looking for hand-sliced fish. If that is not possible, are there any places in Brooklyn that still do it? Also, how can one get to Acme via bus or train? I don't drive.

Does anyone know of all-kosher appetizing stores in Manhattan, or can you tell me what Kosher products Zabar's carries? This is just for a lunch pick-up.

Glatt A La Carte is excellent, and I would say that it is perhaps a more convenient type of Jeff Nathan restaurant. They have great appetizers- me and my friend ordered the spare ribs and sweet breads, both of which were well seasoned, and we had steaks, which had prime flavor. The mashed potatoes were also great- they are smart to use Yukon Gold potatoes, which have a natural butter flavor, eliminating the need for artificial butter-flavorings. The desserts were also spot-on.

I would say that Pizza Time is the best Kosher pizza in Brooklyn; their slice resembles a regular old Brooklyn pizza, free of disgusting additions such as ziti- why on earth would anyone want to put macaroni on a slice of pizza?, and nasty fake kosher mozarella- they use REAL mozzarella cheese, which some treife places don't even use? Who ever heard of such a thing? I would say that places like Mendelsohn's are good for blintzes, desserts and knishes, Amnon's is good for a falafel, and Mendel's on 18 Avenue and 50 Street is unique for their pareve shwarma, a nice vegetarian alternative for my friends who are either Nachis or followers of Zalman Schechter Shalomi. The place in Shoprite is also nice for when you get hungry and want a knish, although they can't compare with Yonah Schimmel's. I also think that Shalom Chai Pizza, near Shtieble Row in the Lower East Side is good for unpretentious dairy food, a rare find in Manhattan. They have acceptable blintzes, pareve chulent, and other foods that constitute the only dairy place in the area- how sad is it that there are only 4 or 5 kosher establishments in the LES. Then there is the place across form the hospital on 15 Street- I would say in a place like that, avoid the pizza and get the delicious fresh-baked challah and bagels, hot and made on the premesis, a rare treat, and maybe some good, not great salads and appetizing. Sadly, I would say that pizza Time and Benny's, in addition to an Italian place on Kings Highway and East 9 Street with a chef from Spumoni Gardens that makes a divine Sicilian Spumoni Gardens pizza- the best treife square pizza in New York, with a crisp and rich crust, then fresh mozzarella cheese, corwned with a thick layer of long-simmered sauce with fresh herbs, olive oil and pecorino romano cheese. Other than that, I would suggest that the other places, if they don't want to appreciate and learn the fine art of Italian pizza making, they should stick to what they can and should make good- traditional dairy foods in the tradition of Ratner's, a"h, or now treife B&H on 7th Street, such as latkes that you don't taste again the day after, fresh rich blintzes not skimping on butter that are filled with good cheese and fruit fillings, cheese kreplach with caramelized onions, kasha, and soups such as krupnik, cabbage soup and other traditional vegetable soups from the old country.

Thanks. It seems that I have little options; we have a Chabad House here- maybe I can pay the rebbetzin for a hot meal.

The areas you all referred me to are Borough Park. I was looking for anything in the Bensonhurst area, near the Magen David Yeshiva, in the 70 and 80 streets, or even near Benson or Cropsey Avenues.

Does anyone know of any kosher establishments in Bensonhurst Brooklyn? I know that a small area around Bay Parkway and 21 Avenue between 75 Street and 86 Street has a large Chasidic population, in additiion to several yeshivot, but I have only seen two kosher stores, a butcher and small grocery store, not any restaurants. There used to be the Empress Kosher Deli, the only Jeiwsh deli left in Bensonhurst, but they went downhill and only had Conservative movement hashgacha. It is daunting every day to have to take the train to Borough Park or the bus to Midwood for a meal. I appreciate any advice.

Best Deli- Gottleib's in Williamsburg/ G&M Best Pizzeria- Pizza Time, Shalom Chai Best Israeli- Olympic Pita/ Ali Baba Best Dairy- La Bagel/ Shalom Chai Best American and Haimish Fast Food- Kosher Deluxe Best Chinese- Buddah Bodai

Where on Avenue J are they?

I have found that the delis in Brooklyn are good as well. Crown Deli on 13 Avenue and 49 Street is an old classic, and they have a lot of good deli and sides. Also, I have found that a place called Tov U maitiv on Nostrand Avenue and Avenue M is also good for what would be considered deli sides. I myself miss the Second Avenue Deli, the last of a great era.

Does anyone know of good apetizing and bagel stores in Boro Park that are not so exorbitant- any place where one can buy salads, herrings by the half-pound, bagels, and individual portions? Does such a place similar to Barney Greengrass exist that is Kosher?

I would say Amnon's pizza on 13 avenue has good pizza and knishes; Orchidea has a splendid lunch buffet from Mondays to Thursdays for under $20, and a pizza store on Coney Island Avenue, Pizza World, has a good pizza/Italian dairy buffet on M-TU-WED for $13.00.

Do any Russian Kosher restaurnats exist yet? I would definitely think not, since there is only one shul in Brooklyn with a Russian rabbi, and I think there would definitely be problems with meat and dairy issues, yayin akum, and bishul akum, since the new wave of Russian Jews has no connection to Jewish culture and traditional kosher foods, such as derma, etc.

Hebrew National franks aren't what they used to be. Natahns Kosher are under UMK Supervision; I see them at the Food Emporium on 3Av and 68 Street, but I would think that stores in Manhattan such as the Food Emporium would carry them.

I would recommend Galil in the future, although not for an important anniversary. You can make out at about 25 dollars per person and enjoy the best salads and tajines in Manhattan.

How is this palce called Pizza World on Coney Island Avenue? Comign from a chiloni home, I know good pizza in Brooklyn, but I have yet to find a kosher pizza equally as good as treif pizza. What are your recommendations? This place advertises in the Kosher Yellow Pages, a lunch buffet twice a week for 13 dollars- has anyone tried it? Olympic Pita is a good deal as well; I must make 15 trips to the salad bar for the cole slaw and fried eggplant alone, although their mexican workers are nasty- I even thretaened one with the INS.