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Should Restaurants that are open on Shabbos or that have no supervision but claim to be kosher be included in The Authoritative Kosher Dining Guides?

Some people have voiced their displeasure about the fact that The Authoritative Kosher Dining Guides include restaurants that are open on Shabbos or that don’t have Orthodox hashgachas. They argue that some readers would assume that merely the inclusion of such restaurants gives the impression of our validation of them and can therefore be misleading to our readers.

These people, however, fail to realize that they, themselves, had no problem determining which restaurants would not be suitable for their own needs. This either means that they feel that they are more astute than other readers might be or that they have simply missed the point.

The goal of The Authoritative New York City Kosher Dining Guide is to provide the kosher eating public with the most comprehensive, relevant, and current source of kosher restaurant information possible. The particular needs of each segment of the kosher eating community are met by not only listing the restaurants; but by identifying the authority certifying each restaurant, noting claimed certification details, and providing contact information for the kashrus supervisors so any further information can easily be gotten. The Guide contains the most current and relevant information in the most easily and accurately referenced format geared for convenience of use. It aspires to be useful, honest, truthful, unbiased, and unencumbered, to enable a prospective diner to intelligently discern those restaurants that will best suit his or her needs. The Guide recognizes the wide range of needs it must satisfy dealing with a non-homogenous community and including local diners, as well as, travelers from around the world.

To eliminate any confusion behind a restaurant’s claim of kashrus, we include all restaurants that are labeled or present themselves as kosher. We do not discriminate against Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox standards or those claiming kashrus via New York State certification. While recognizing that the degree of strictness varies by hashgacha, we do not attempt to judge or suggest that one group’s parameters are necessarily superior to those of another. Defining what is or is not kosher, and what is an acceptable level of strictness in kashrus observance, should be done by the individual with the help of his or her Rabbi. For the Orthodox, we elaborate on stringent and lenient aspects of the kosher certification as represented by the both the restaurant and the certifier.

We recognize that a restaurant not being closed during the Sabbath may be enough for some to distrust its kashrus. Without assessing the merit of such a position, but out of respect to those who do live by it, we clearly identify those restaurants whose hours of business include the Sabbath as, “RESTAURANT IS OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK.” This is done in two areas on the page: once by the hashgacha, and once by the hours of business. It is noted twice to insure that this fact is not possibly overlooked by a concerned party and to avoid any possible ambiguity as to whether an establishment is opened or closed. In this designation we do not take into account any considerations other than the hours of business for a particular establishment. We do not in any way imply by this designation that the restaurant, and/or those individuals involved with the operation of the restaurant, the owners, the managers, the employees, the mashgiach, or the hechsher organization, are not Shommer Shabbos.

It should also be noted, that even by some orthodox standards, legitimate halachic arguments can be made for allowing certain kosher restaurants to remain open on Shabbos under very specific and strict conditions. These may include complete ownership of the business by a non-Jew, or utilizing the formalized sale of the business to a non-Jew when necessary coupled with preparation of all foods before Shabbos. Other considerations include the location of the business, and by whom and how the food is prepared and served. For the most definitive explanations of these concepts, we would expect concerned readers to consult with their rabbis or hechsher organizations certifying the specific restaurants.

Although we identify a restaurant’s kosher supervision, and have to the extent possible verified that the supervision in fact certifies the restaurant, we do not in any way certify that a place is kosher, or guarantee any level of kashrus or any aspect of kashrus for any restaurant.This why the Guides include a mashgiach and /hechsher directories. Diners with questions about the kashrus of a particular restaurant should directly contact the restaurant or its certifying rabbi or organization.

Every reasonable effort has been made by us to locate all the kosher establishments within NYC, Long Island and Westchester right up to the date of publication. Exclusion from our guide does not imply that a restaurant is not kosher. No kosher restaurant is deliberately excluded from our guide. We feel it is our obligation to report on every restaurant that presents itself as kosher. Completeness is essential, so that our readers can make the most informed dining decisions. This is of particular significance to out of towners who may not have any other source to refer to.


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