I’m helping to plan a class reunion in Philadelphia. One of the group keeps kosher, so he’d prefer a kosher restaurant. Alternatively, vegan is acceptable.
Anyone got any recommendations?
A lot of people seem to like Dmitri’s, and we’ve successfully fed a visiting professor who kept kosher there.
I thought it was all right.
/edit: It was the go-to suggestion among the professors who knew anything about keeping kosher. I can probably ask around for others, though.
Google found three different locations. Where was it? Thanks for the recommendation.
I just looked at the menu, and it’s got shellfish. Unfortunately, this isn’t going to work. Thanks, though.
It’s possible that the guy we were feeding isn’t as strict and just wanted good options rather than an entirely kosher menu.
If you’re talking pretty hardcore kosher (which it sounds like you are), vegan might be your best bet. If our resident kosher expert is in today, I’ll ask her.
I always like to use the Shamash Kosher Database when I’m looking for Kosher food out of town. You can select by Metropolitan area, Philadelphia is one of the available selections.
If you like Chinese, Kingdom of Vegetarians (on 11th St) and Singapore Kosher Vegetarian Restaurant (on Race St.) are both Kosher and good.
Here’s another online guide that may be helpful: VegPhilly
Hamifgash at 8th & Sansom is very strictly kosher, and pretty good food too. It’s not a really large place, so the size of your group could be an issue. There’s also Mama’s at 20th & Market which is kosher and vegetarian. I’ve never been so I can’t comment on their dining room, but the food’s OK. Both of those places are acceptable to my friends who won’t even eat at a normal vegan restaurant.
If you want to do vegan, check out Mi Lah at 16th & Walnut (I think). They don’t advertise as vegan, but their menus all include a notice that all items are vegan, so I don’t know what’s up.
I haven’t eaten out in Philadelphia in many years, but the absolute consensus of the folks on the Kosher board of Chowhound is that Max & David’s is the best kosher restaurant in the Philly area. It’s a little out of the way, in Elkins Park. It’s a meat restaurant, so if you also have vegetarians in your group, it’s probably not ideal. Beyond that, it depends on the standards of the classmate; there are several kosher-certifying agencies in Philadelphia, all of which have different standards and many of which are not accepted by all kosher-keepers. My guess is that if the classmate is willing to eat in a non-certified vegan restaurant, he/she is probably fine with any kosher certification, but you should ask him/her.
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society.