ENTERTAINMENT Kosher Restaurants Expanding In New York ROSE KLEINER Special to The Jewish News C onsidering the size of New York's Jewish population, the number and range of its kosher dining facilities have often been less than adequate. But many changes are on the horizon, and the city may yet become a mecca for the kosher gourmet. Several new restaurants have opened this summer. Others, only recently opened, already have a faithful fol- lowing. Then there are the older establishments, whose dedicated clientele continues to grow. A new development is the availability of kosher meals in some luxury hotels. This year at least four new and interesting kosher res- taurants opened in the city. Three are in Manhattan and the fourth in Brooklyn. La Kasbah, a glatt kosher restaurant, serves gourmet Moroccan and Middle East specialties. Its location, 70 West 71st St., is convenient for those attending programs at Lincoln Center. Another opening, under the same auspices as La Kazbah, is that of the East Side Cafe Masada at 1239 First Ave. (at 67th St.). The latter makes 'deliveries. A new Italian restaurant, Cheers, at 120 W. 41st St. (between 6th Ave. and Broadway), opened in July. Fish and pasta dishes are the specialty here. The fourth new restaurant, which also opened in July, is Little Budapest. Terming it- self the "family restaurant that will become a family tradition," it is located at 1776 Ocean Ave. in Brooklyn. There are many kosher eating places in Brooklyn. Tourists, however, mostly stay in Manhattan, and the kosher facilities in this borough are steadily increas- ing and improving. - On the west side, Benjamin of Tudela (307 Amsterdam Ave.) serves French and Sephardic specialties, and caters private parties. Nearby is the more casual Famous Dairy Restaurant (222 W. 72nd St.) which, after more than 30 years, has become a neighborhood landmark. Though unpretentious in de- cor, the place is visited by celebrities such as Isaac Bashevis Singer, Shelley Winters and Tony Randall. Midtown Manhattan has a number of kosher restau- rants. But if you're staying at the New York Hilton you need not even venture out- doors for kosher cuisine. Upon request, breakfast, lunch, or diner, strictly kosher, can now be enjoyed in one of the hotel's dining rooms, or as part of room service. No advance notice is required. Guests can also order from a kosher wine list. Among the well-established hotels in midtown, Lou G. Siegel's (209 W. 38th St.) has just announced extended hours to 10 p.m. One street to the south is Moshe Peking (40 W. 37th St.) which spe- cializes in some of the best kosher Chinese food avail- able. Traditional dishes are also served, and the restau- rant is closed on Fridays. For a choice between cafeteria style or waiter serv- ice, there is the Maccabeem Restaurant (147 W. 47th St.). Open till 11 p.m., its spe- cialties are Israeli and American meat dishes. A number of versatile and interesting dairy restaurants are now open in midtown. Levana (141 W. 69th St., at Broadway) serves fish and vegetarian dishes in an ultra-modern setting, close to Lincoln Center. Edible Pursuits features gourmet vegetarian, dairy, and seafood cuisine. Reserva- tions are recommended. The newly redecorated R. Gross Kosher Dairy Restaurant (1372 Broadway, at 37th St.) offers 'flambe desserts.' Across the street, Jerusalem 2 is always filled with young people. Its popu- lar nightclub on the second floor serves the same dairy foods as the downstairs res- taurant. California vegetarian cuisine can now be had at Verve Naturelle (157 W. 57th St.), across from Carnegie Hall and the Park Central Hotel. It is a good stop for pre-concert dinner, and is also open Saturday night for after concert snacks. Fine vegetarian and dairy meals in midtown can be enjoyed also at Greener Pas- tures (117 E. 60th St., at Park), and at any of the three locations of the Great Ameri- can Health Bar (154 E. 43rd St., 30 W. 48th St., and 35 W. 57th St.). In lower Manhattan, Bernstein's at 135 Essex St. has served the city's kosher diners for 50 years. The Mar- rakesh West Restaurant in Greenwich Village has live music along with its Moroc- can cuisine. The Dairy Planet (182 Broadway, corner John St. in the city's financial district), is walking distance to the World Trade Center, and to the Vista International Hotel. There is delivery in the Wall Street area. Th e South Street Seaport is only a short walk away. Many of the above men- tioned places offer take-out service. For excellent meat take-out, Fischer Brothers & Leslie (230 W. 72nd St.) must be included in the list. 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