GoodBird Organic Chicken takes flight on UWS

GoodBird Organic Chicken is a new kosher fried chicken concept operating as a ghost kitchen out of Polanco Social on the Upper West Side. The menu focuses on organic, antibiotic-free chicken and includes chicken fingers, crispy chicken sandwiches, chicken Caesar wraps, chicken salads and fries.

The concept is designed around a healthier take on fried chicken, with the menu emphasizing gluten-free and avoiding seed oils. GoodBird is available for pickup and delivery from Polanco Social, while on Sundays Polanco Social offers the full GoodBird menu for dine-in from noon to 5 pm, giving the ghost kitchen a limited opportunity for customers to actually sit down and eat the food.

GoodBird operates from Polanco Social at 474 Columbus Ave. and can be reached at 646-389-4148. Pickup and delivery hours vary (with Sunday dine-in is available from noon to 5 pm). There is no separate GoodBird website currently listed publicly. GoodBird operates from the NKS-supervised Polanco Social kitchen.

Malawach Kitchen at Picnic

Malawach has gone from being a menu item to an entire restaurant concept with the opening of the Malawach Kitchen inside the Picnic food hall at 245 West 46th St. in Midtown. The ghost kitchen focuses on the flaky Yemenite Jewish flatbread, using it as the foundation for a variety of creative dishes.

The menu goes well beyond the traditional presentation of malawach with grated tomato, zhug and hard-boiled eggs, offering combinations such as shakshuka and truffle mushrooms. The operation is designed primarily for pickup and delivery rather than traditional dining, although it is part of the larger Picnic food hall.

It does not have a separate publicly listed phone number or website, with ordering handled through the food hall’s delivery platforms. Hours vary according to the kitchen’s schedule. It is under OU supervision and Cholov Yisrael.

Monsey 7-11 new hashgacha

Kosher Heaven, the kosher food operation inside the 7-Eleven at 14 College Road in Monsey, has changed kosher supervision, dropping Cup-K and switching to the National Kosher Supervision (NKS).

The operation offers a broad selection of prepared kosher food from inside the convenience store, making it an unusual kosher option. The 7-11 itself is open 24 hours a day, although the kosher food operation has more limited hours.

Kosher Heaven inside the 7-11 at 14 College Road in Monsey can be reached at 845-352-1563 and is open Sunday through Wednesday from 3 pm to 1 am, Thursday from 3 pm to 2 am and closed Friday and Shabbos. There is no dedicated website. The kosher food is under NKS supervision.

UES Grill Point reopens

Grill Point on the Upper East Side has reopened after a temporary closure by the New York City Department of Health. The restaurant was ordered closed on Aug. 20 after receiving 70 violation points during an inspection. After making the necessary corrections, it passed a follow-up inspection on Sept. 1.

The restaurant, at 1215 Lexington Avenue, is a popular spot for Israeli and Mediterranean fare, including shawarma, grilled meats, laffa and salads. Grill Point is glatt kosher under the OU. It is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 am to 11 pm and Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. The phone number is 646-438-9494 and the website is grillpointnyc.com.

Lutali Carne opens in Bklyn

Lutali has expanded in Brooklyn with Lutali Carne, a new meat restaurant at 1640 Coney Island Ave., at Avenue M, in Midwood. The restaurant is the meat counterpart to the original Lutali dairy restaurant on Avenue K, bringing the brand’s Italian-influenced approach into a fleishig setting.

Lutali Carne’s menu includes a variety of meat-focused dishes, including a mezze platter, Moroccan cigars and pulled beef nachos. The opening adds another meat option to what has become one of Brooklyn’s most competitive kosher restaurant corridors.

Lutali Carne is under Tarnipol Kashrus and can be reached at 929-322-0899. It is open Sunday through Thursday from 4:30 to 10:30 pm and is closed Friday and Shabbos.

Koshu closes in Deal

Koshu, the modern Chinese and sushi restaurant in Deal, has closed. The restaurant was part of the growing group of establishments operated by the same ownership behind the Butcher’s Steakhouse, Abu Laffa, TORO by Smash and Basta. Koshu had been one of the group’s more recent additions to Deal’s rapidly expanding kosher restaurant scene.

The closure comes as the group continues to evolve its lineup of concepts in the area. Koshu offered a combination of Chinese dishes and sushi under JSOR supervision. 

UWS SoBoL ends kosher certification 

Kosher diners on the Upper West Side have lost a convenient option, as SoBoL Açaí at 550 Columbus Ave. is no longer kosher certified.

The location opened earlier this year under the supervision of Rabbi Asher Schechter of Congregation Ohr Moshe Hillcrest. Kosher certification ended effective Sept. 1.

The good news for SoBoL fans is that the chain’s other kosher locations remain open in Forest Hills, Franklin Square/West Hempstead, Fresh Meadows, Hewlett, Long Beach, New Rochelle and Great Neck. SoBoL specializes in açaí and pitaya bowls, smoothies, Belgian waffles and other health-focused fare.

For information on the kosher locations, the chain’s website is mysobol.com.

Bravo opens in Monsey

Bravo Pizza has finally arrived in the Monsey area with a new location in Spring Valley Marketplace. The dairy pizzeria with an extensive menu, opened its new branch last week after months of construction. Near Bingo, it brings Bravo’s familiar pizza menu to one of the country’s largest kosher population centers.

The Spring Valley opening is the latest expansion for the growing chain, which has locations in several communities throughout the area.

The new Bravo Pizza is located at 14 Spring Valley Market Place. Its phone number and regular hours have not been consistently posted as of press time. The chain’s website is bravokosherpizza.com and it is certified kosher under Tarnipol.

Seoul Bite back in Teaneck

After being closed for months following the fire at Poppy’s next door, Seoul Bite has reopened in Teaneck. The Korean restaurant at 206 West Englewood Avenue is once again serving Korean fried chicken, bibimbap, bulgogi, tteokbokki, pajeon and other Korean specialties.

Seoul Bite originally opened in 2025 and has developed a following for bringing Korean cuisine to the kosher market. The restaurant describes itself as a fully kosher Korean restaurant and is a meat establishment under RCBC supervision.

Seoul Bite can be reached at 201-983-4017 or Seoul-Bite.com. It is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 am to 8 pm and closed Friday and Shabbos.

BIS by Patis in Brooklyn

Patis has expanded its Brooklyn presence with the opening of BIS by Patis at 1415 Avenue M in Midwood. The new concept focuses on pastries, breads and café fare, bringing the Patis name to another heavily Jewish section of Brooklyn.

The opening gives Brooklyn another option from the growing Patis brand, which already operates locations in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Teaneck and elsewhere in the region. BIS is being positioned as a somewhat elevated version of the Patis experience, with pastries, artisan sourdoughs and other baked goods featured prominently.

BIS by Patis can be reached at 516-331-1072. It is open Sunday through Thursday from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm and Friday from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm. The restaurant is listed at patis.com and is under Tartikov supervision, with Pas Yisroel, Cholov Yisroel and Yoshon.

Hersh’s Fridge in Skokie

A remarkable new kosher community resource has been dedicated in Skokie, Illinois, in memory of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, the Israeli-American hostage who was murdered by Hamas. Hersh’s Fridge, which organizers describe as the nation’s first completely kosher community fridge, was formally dedicated on September 2. The project was created by Solu, an Orthodox Jewish organization focused on chesed and bringing people together, and Hersh’s parents gave permission for it to bear his name.

Hersh’s Fridge is open 24 hours a day and provides free food anonymously to anyone who needs it, Jewish or non-Jewish. It contains prepared meals, produce, groceries and dry goods, with one refrigerator stocked with certified kosher meals from local restaurants and caterers, another containing packaged food from kosher homes, and a pantry with shelf-stable products.

The project began as a pilot in October 2025 and has now become a permanent resource, with organizers estimating about 50 visits per day and nearly 1,000 volunteers having participated.

The idea is not simply to provide food, but to do so in a way that preserves dignity and creates a resource for people who otherwise might have difficulty finding kosher food assistance. A mural and portrait of Hersh were unveiled at the dedication, and a sign features the familiar Passover words, “All who are hungry, let them come and eat.”

Hersh’s Fridge is located at 8825 East Prairie Road in Skokie, across from Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob Synagogue.

Correction: Bravo Pizza and JJ Deli

Bravo Pizza continues to operate at 17 Trinity Pl, off Broadway, sharing the address (though not the same space) with JJ Deli (which offers a full deli menu)..

Bravo Pizza: Supervised by OK, chalov Yisroel. Open from 8 am — Monday-Thursday till 5:30 pm; Friday till 1:20; Sunday till 2 pm. 212-344-1111, bravokosherdowntown.com

JJ Deli: Supervised by Tarnopol Kashrus. Open Monday-Thursday, 11 am-6:30 pm, and Friday, 11 am-2 pm, 646-808-3354 JJDeli.com.