NOW I’VE SEEN EVERYTHING

April 26, 2004 at 11:37:11a.m.

So there I am, strolling around Manhattan, always looking for a good inexpensive eatery, when I spy a nice-but-unpretentious place called “Bagel Mavens,” with a prominent mezuzah on the doorpost. Looks promising, so I crossed the street to check it out.

First, of course, I looked for a certificate of supervision – nothing to be found. Then I checked out the menu posted on the window. Diner-style food. Their French toast, they boasted, was only made with challah. You can get it plain, or with your choice of – bacon, ham, or sausage!

I’m still trying to figure out why a totally trefe restaurant has a mezuzah on its door – do they think they’ll trap some unsuspecting diners?

This is even worse than the shwarma place I saw not long ago in Greenwich Village – not only did it claim to be glatt kosher, but it even had a “bet-samech-daled” in big bold letters on its awning. But kashrut supervision? Nah. And it’s open 7 days a week, too.

Caveat emptor!

(DW)