NYC KosherDopers -- January Dopefest Planning Help, Please.

Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share (MPSIMS)
#1

Some of our New York KosherDopers may have noticed the thread announcing the NYC MegaDopefest this upcoming January 16-19, or the announcements for the three prior January MegaDopefests. In the past, we’ve had the New York Dopefests on the first weekend in January, which required us to have most events on Friday night or Saturday, limiting the ability of Sabbath observing Dopers to attend.

This year, we’ve moved the Dopefest to Martin Luther King Weekend, and expanded it to a Friday night through Monday schedule, which will, I hope, give our New York KosherDopers a chance to meet some of our out-of-towners, and vice versa.

One thing that we’re adding is an Ethnic Food Night on Sunday. The plan is that the group will split up to go to several different restaurants that highlight New York’s culinary diversity. One type of food that we’ve previously had requests for is Kosher deli, and having a group meet at a Kosher meat restaurant would both answer this request and allow the KosherDopers to break bread with neighbors and visitors.

In addition, we’ll be having cultural, educational and/or fun events on Sunday (details to be announced), and my Bagel Brunch on Monday (Kosher bagels and fixins at a non-Kosher house).

In planning this, I’m looking for some advice from our KosherDopers as to whether they think this will work, and how best to work it. I think it’ll be about 12-15 people on Sunday, January 18. We also like to meet to check out the places beforehand, so having a Planning KosherDinner this month or early next might be a fun and useful thing.

I’d love to know what you think.

#2

Thanks so much for thinking of us! I’ve always looked longingly at the MegaDopefests, and of course this is the year I’m going to be away MLK weekend.

Honestly, I don’t like the kosher deli-like places available in Manhattan. I find the restaurants with either a deli or ‘traditional kosher Eastern European food’ motif greasy, with lousy, half-hearted food. (This makes me wonder if everybody finds restaurants that cook their native cuisine lousy, since homemade’s better, but I don’t think that’s it in this case - the food’s really pretty terrible.) The kosher restaurants that cook other cuisines tend to be much better - would you consider going out for kosher Moroccan or Indian food, for example? You would probably have much better luck with delis in Brooklyn, although I don’t know if you want to shlep that far. I’m sure the kosher-observant BrooklynDopers will stop by soon with recommendations, since I tend not to get over there very often.

#3

I know I’d be in favor of trying Brooklyn (in fact, this Dopefest I may be spending more time in Brooklyn than in my home borough!) Although the kosher Indian or Moroccan is also an interesting idea.

#4

I pretty much agree with you about the Kosher deli-like places in Manhattan. My thought was that awful, greasy Eastern European style places were an authentic type of ethnic cooking that Dopefesters would be interested in going to.

If there are better places in Brooklyn (or elsewhere), that would be great. Although many visitors (and even New Yorkers) get a bit nervous about leaving Manhattan, having a portion of the group go to Brooklyn would be fine.

On the other hand, a cool Morroccan Kosher place also probably be neat.

I’d love to hear suggestions.