Word reached us today via email that Norman’s is no longer in business. They closed on Feb. 28, 2008. Simple emails were sent to supporters announcing that the restaurant was closing. No information was given.

Had we but known when we were there in Feb that it would be the last time we would be there, we would have gone back even more times!

Yikes. The end of an era.

We are sad.

When supermarkets have price wars, consumers win big time. In Israel, for many weeks now, there has been a price war going on with Rami Levi and other supermarkets. This article comes from Kosher Today:

Price Wars at Supermarket Chains
Tel Aviv… by Idele Ross, KosherToday Israeli Bureau Chief… Food shopping again got more expensive. The monthly index of food prices jumped over one percent because of the severe damage sustained by locally produced fruits and vegetables during the recent cold wave.

The price hikes gave way to an unprecedented price war in Israel. Last week it was a poultry battle as Rami Levi, one of the largest supermarket chains in Israel dropped the price of fresh chicken from around 12 shekels ($3.50) a kilo to under one shekel for shoppers spending more than 150 shekels in groceries. The strategy was copied by the Supersol chain. Both chains reported long lines and waits of at least a half an hour. This week the Rami Levy chain is offering milk for less than the cost of water. A liter sack of milk is now 49 agarot instead of 4.70. Loaves of standard bread are this week selling for only 39 agarot. Supersol is offering similar deals to its customers. A liter of milk there is selling for 29 agarot. Ronit Kan, who supervises business cartels at the Trade Ministry, told Yediot Achronot newspaper that at this time the competition between the two major chains is a healthy one and the government has no intention of interfering.

Here is some really great news as reported in this week’s (Feb 25) Kosher Today:

Exclusive: Kedem Foods Adds Pillsbury to its Roster of Imported Brands
Bayonne, NJ… Pillsbury Foods signed an agreement with Kedem Food Products to produce kosher frozen products for the U.S. market, making it the latest major brand in the portfolio of Kedem Foods. Kedem already imports Knorr’s and Lipton’s (Kosher Recipe Soup Secrets) for the kosher market in the U.S. David Herzog, CEO of Kedem Food Products International said, ‘the addition of the Pillsbury brand on kosher shelves will change the face of the kosher set.’ Harold Weiss, Vice President of Kedem Foods, added, ‘kosher consumers will enjoy a variety of Pillsbury Kosher bakery products this fall when the products reach retail shelves. We expect tremendous response from all segments of the trade since they know the reputation of the brand and the quality of their products.’

Sources told KosherToday that Kedem began negotiating with Pillsbury International more than a half year ago to produce products at the Pillsbury plant in Israel for the U.S. kosher market. The products to be launched will be frozen foods with a Mediterranean flair. Through a joint venture with General Mills Israel, the Pillsbury brand was introduced to Israel consumers in 1996. Since then, Pillsbury has become one of the leading suppliers of frozen bakery products in Israel. The move by Kedem is the company’s latest move to increase its food portfolio, particularly in frozen.

We came across an amazing web site. It is the web site for Old Style Cakes. This bakery gives you the opportunity to put caterer style cakes on your shabbat/yom tov/company table. All of the cakes are either OU or OK.

Go to the web site: www.1800pareve.com and see what they have to offer. MMMMMMMM. You will plotz when you see the wide range of their offerings.

We are going to try the sugar free,low carb cheese cake. Sounds like a winner to us. The flourless chocolate cakes should be listed as a danger to diets everywhere!

If you are reading this, but do not have an internet connection (just kidding) you can also reach them via telephone: 1 866 606 1122

In the current issue of Kashrus Magazine (Issue 138), in an article written by Rabbi Wikler (editor in chief) about the late Rav Shmuel Berenbaum, the following paragraph appears:

“A similar thing occured less than two years ago. Shortly after the kashrus tragedy in Monsey, Rav Shmuel spoke about kashrus in a drasha that he gave Motzei Shabbos Shuva. It was a powerful presentation, pointing to the source of this travesty as being in our own lack of total commitment to kashrus. Had we taken kashrus matters more seriously, said Rav Shmuel, we would have been worthy to have been saved from eating non kosher meat.”

So, if we read this correctly, it is our own fault that a merchant in Monsey apparently decided to sell trefe as kosher? It is OUR fault??? We are to blame??

FEH!