Kosher Critic: My nine days menu

Rare is the week where I don’t get a call or email from a reader asking me, “What is the best kosher restaurant in New York?” or “Where should I go if I want a good ...insert food item here.” My service was needed last week by an old friend and I immediately began going through restaurants in my head. “Zee, I need a good place to take a date that has a decent nine days menu.” I thought about it for a minute and realized that though I had seen a number of kosher eateries promoting their nine days menus, most of those restaurants were simply showcasing food that they already had on their menus, often overshadowed by their year-round fleishig counterparts. I gave my friend some recommendations based on the best experiences that I have had with non-meat cuisine. So here are my suggestions for where to go out to eat in Manhattan over the nine days and what to order.

Colbeh Manhattan 32 West 39th Street: I have always really loved Colbeh because of its unique cuisine and congenial staff. Usually when I go there I get one of their various meat kabobs and that is a routine I had stuck to for years. Then while I was there with my wife, she ordered the Chilean Sea Bass Kebab which is served in a light lemon and saffron vinaigrette. Simply put, this is probably the best fish preparation I have ever had. The Sea Bass is light and flaky while still being juicy and just mildly toothsome. It has a wonderfully clean flavor that is enhanced by the smokiness of the grill mixed with the earthy notes in the saffron and the sour tartness of the lemon. Even when it is not the nine days I recommend trying this wonderful entree. Adding to its fish menu, Colbeh is also serving various Salmon and Tilapia options, which given Colbeh’s ability to expertly cook a fish like Sea Bass, leaves me confident that they will do an equally superb job with its other offerings.