FARMER JAC SPECIAL WINTER SAVINGS! FRESH EMPIRE KOSHER POULTRY Chicken Cutlets 5 99., 4-5 lb. Roasters $2191 , Chicken Breasts $3! Turkey Wings . . 99,'b Whole Fryers . 8 pc. Cut-Ups . Leg Quarters . ..$1 2! Chicken Drums $2 2.9 Chicken Thighs $1 69. Turkey Drums . 100% All Natural Empire Kosher! • Free Roaming • Double Inspected • Free of Antibiotics • lArinner of Taste Tests • Cold Water Processed • Raised without Growth Stimulants EMPIRE Available at These Farmer Jack Locations: ■ Greenfield at Lincoln ■ 10 Mile at Coolidge ■ 1 1 Mile at Lahser ■ Southfield at 12'h Mile ■ Orchard Lake Rd. at Maple I All Items On Sale February 28 Thru March 7, 1997 Coupon. Coupon We'll Pay Your Deductible FREE Loaner Car For Collision Repairs Over $1000 We'll Pay Up To $100 on Any Theft Loss Over $1000 Maximum of 5 days. Must present at time of order. Not valid with any other coupon. Expires 3/31/97. Maximum of 5 days. Must present at time of order. Not valid with any other coupon. Expires 3/31/97. - ------------------- Collision Specialists To Handle All Your Insurance Needs We Repair ALL Makes And Models Coupon Coup on $50 OFF $100 OFF Any $100 Deductible On Collision Over $500 Any $250 Deductible On Collision Over $1000 Must present coupon when order is written. Not valid with any other coupon. Expires 3/31/97. Must present coupon when order is written. Not valid with any other coupon. Expires 3/31/97. LASSMAN COLLISION CENTER 20 , 22250 Telegraph, Just South of 9 Mile X TELEGRAPH 810-350-1020 Kosher? He's Game. Kosher takes on new meaning at Avrum Kirschenbaum's New York City restaurant. RUTH MOSSOK JOHNSTON SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS W hat's a religious Jew doing running a fancy eatery in midtown Manhattan? Dishing out 100-percent glatt kosher fare. Avrum Kirschenbaum, own- er of Levana, is not a chef, nor a culinary consultant, nor a cook- book author. Rather, he is an in- vestor in real estate and an accountant who hangs with his brothers, one of whom works at Levana. Fifteen years ago, Mr. Kirs- chenbaum opened Levana on West 67th Street, moving to the current location at 141 West 69th Street 11 years ago. "I needed to get into the restau- rant business; I wasn't sure what kind of kosher food I was eating when I was eating out," he said by way of explaining what prompted him to get into the restaurant business. "[Levana] was only dairy in those days. I used to live next door," said George Gross, a kosher New York caterer who owns Negev Foods Inc. in Brook- lyn. Intense about all things, a de- vout Chasidic Jew and father of 10, Mr. Kirschenbaum is ba'alei teshuvah, or one who has re- turned to the faith. Both quali- ty control and kashrut are monitored closely by his over- seeing eye. What separates him from the pack, even beyond his gourmet bent, is his menu. Levana fea- tures wild game, some of it raised and slaughtered at a deer farm owned by Mr. Kirschenbaum. He calls his deer "venison fit for roy- alty: , "Jews don't like to eat Bambi," said Mr. Gross. Not so. Venison is prominently positioned on Lev- ana's menu in the appetizer and entree selections, along with bi- son and whatever wild game has been prepared according to the glatt stipulations and the cre- ativity of -Chef James Lenzi. Game is popular among Levana's clientele. Other Levana delicacies in- clude an appetizer of griddled duck on a bed of mixed greens; an entree platter of sweetbreads; a huge morel mushroom stuffed with chicken and venison mousse; a ravioli stuffed with a delicate meat mousse in wine sauce; striped bass with porcini mushroom crust and a saffron vermouth broth sauce set upon grilled risotto; and peppered veni- son saddle with venison sausage and juniper berry sauce, sauteed Chef James Lenzi and Avrum Kirschenbaum of Levana. baby carrots and miniature as- paragus. Desserts include platters of coconut mousse, Levana's signa- ture flourless chocolate mousse torte, white and dark chocolate roulade and mango sorbet. This fare doesn't come cheap: Entrees and appetizers range from $12 to almost $60. Chef Lenzi, whose presenta- tion is simple and elegant, is a graduate of the Culinary Insti- tute of America and a practicing chef with 25 years in the busi- ness. Levana has established its reputation based on quality, the strict observance of kosher di- etary laws and the pleasing of sophisticated palates belong- ing to kashrut-conscious baby boomers. According to the Zagat survey of New York, there are over a dozen upscale-trendy kosher restaurants to choose from: fusion cooking, French, Italian, Persian, vegetarian, In- dian and Japanese. "Competition is a factor," Mr. Kirschenbaum says. "Any restaurant is competition; every- one (the consumers) wants to have a change. You 'want to rotate, to have different choic- es." Le Marais, a kosher French bistro (now a chain of five) in the heart of New York's theater dis- trict, has jumped on the upscale kosher bandwagon. It even of- fers a cigar bar featuring live jazz. Other kosher establishments in Manhattan include The Kosher Tea Room, (212) 677- 2947; Haikara Grill, (212) 355- 7000; Madras Mahal, (212) 684-4010; and Jasmine, (212) 251-8884. Levana is open Monday through Thursday for lunch and dinner, on Saturdays after Shabbat and after 2 p.m. Sun- day. The phone number is (212) 877-8457. ❑