, f , rt+.' 11 b e r e, k ,4 4 4 4 Jeffrey Rosenberg with his late mother, Sarah Rosenberg, and comedian Alan King What kind of caterer was your dad? My father was a master kosher caterer. He cooked because he loved food and he loved recipes. He collected antique kosher and non-kosher cookbooks, which my brother [Dr. Howard Rosenberg] and I now have. My dad could do a taste test with his eyes closed — like the old Coke and Pepsi test. He made eating fun, some- times having waitstaff dress to the hilt in turbans and capes to make guests feel like they were on a cruise ship. Where else did the family cater? When the Jewish Community Center opened in West Bloomfield in 1975, we were the first ones to serve food. For about a year, we served meals like brisket and roast chicken with fresh bakery items in the cafeteria, and we offered a health- conscious menu in the health club. What was your relationship with party hosts and others in the food industry? Rabbi Joseph Krupnik [kashrut direc- tor at the Vaad] was one of my father's best friends, and I continued a relation- ship with him. In the last five years, Phil Tewel [of Jewel Kosher Caterers in Oak Park] was very kind to me. He did Grandma Cecil Rosenberg with Uncle Bob Rosenberg at Holiday Manor cooking for the holidays in the 1950s some parties at our place, bringing the Orthodox work to my location, and we worked for him. Many organizations have held their din- ners at Adat Shalom, like Yad Ezra, Hillel Day School and the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS). Eva Mames and her late husband, Dr. John J. Mames, brought the American Friends of Magen David Adorn Michigan Region dinner to us for 43 years straight. [Editor's note: Eva Mames passed away on Dec. 10, after this interview was conducted. See page 82 for more information.] My waitstaff was treated the best, always offered a cold drink while they worked and dinner at the end of the night. I always had a smiley face and was involved with the guests and the hosts. I carried out gifts at the end of bridal show- ers and made scrambled eggs or corned beef sandwiches for brides and grooms after many weddings. How did the trend from more tradition- al foods to gourmet-type party menus affect you? I was traditional when somebody want- ed me to be, but I explored other types of dishes when it was fitting. I hired pastry What Else Is New? Shelli Liebman Dorfman Contributing Writer H ere are some recent catering changes at other local syna- gogues: Congregation Beth Ahm Dish Kosher Cuisine, based inside Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield, is owned and run by on-site caterer Paul Wertz. "Paul has been catering here for a couple years but reinvented the business as Dish Kosher Cuisine this past January,' said David Goodman, Beth Ahm's executive director. "I see every event that he does at the synagogue; and hosts are very happy with the high quality of his service and presen- tation. He is easy to work with and pro- vides a great menu and a great product." Wertz also offers a carryout menu and provides kosher meat and parve catering off site, accompanied by a kosher supervisor. "He provides both traditional and creative presentation in his events:' Goodman said. "He can match the menu and decorations to the theme of a party." Wertz also owns the non-kosher Platinum Dish Catering in West Bloomfield, providing service through- out the community, including at Temple Kol Ami in West Bloomfield and Congregation Shir Tikvah in Troy. Dish Kosher Cuisine is glatt kosher and certified by the Vaad. (248) 539-8825; pjwertz@socialeventsonline.com; dkc@cbahm.org . Congregation B'nai Moshe After 81/2 years as the synagogue's caterer, Elite Kosher Catering will no longer be based at Congregation B'nai Moshe in West Bloomfield beginning at the end of January. Owner Mimi Markofsky will move the Rabbi Joseph Krupnik and Jeffrey Rosenberg in New York City chefs to come in for parties. All of our pas- tries were always fresh, never store-bought. For three years, starting in around 2006, I planned theme nights, a night out for the community to come to dinner, something other caterers then followed. The first one I did was a Chinese buffet that brought in 620 people. Then I did an Italian buffet and hired a violin player to walk around and serenade the guests. Did you ever meet anybody famous while at work? I met, and have pictures of myself, with so many celebrities from events we catered, like Ted Kennedy, Henry Winkler, Alan King, Suzanne Somers and Dr. Ruth. JTS held its Top Rabbinic Chef Competition at Adat Shalom, with local rabbis cooking, and we had a special dessert demonstra- tion and tasting with Keegan Gerhard from the Food Network Challenge series. When Barry Manilow was at the B'nai B'rith Humanitarian Awards dinner downtown, he let me introduce him! What about your business partner, Al Kovalenko? The best thing I did during a financial crunch time almost four years ago was business to another West Bloomfield loca- tion and will remain supervised by the Vaad, with a full-time kashrut supervisor on site. She will continue to offer a glatt kosher, meat and parve menu along with many gluten-free options. Outside caterers will provide services at B'nai Moshe. The synagogue's meat kitchen may be used by any meat caterer certified by the Vaad as well as the Star-K certified Quality Kosher Catering based inside Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. Dairy catering is provided by the synagogue's sisterhood. B'nai Moshe: (248) 788-0600; bnaimoshe.org . Elite Kosher Catering: (248) 592-0200, elitekosheringcatering@gmail. corn, Elitekoshercatering. corn. Congregation Shaarey Zedek Since the March 2010 death of Quality Kosher Catering owner Paul Kohn, the Star K-supervised business has been run by Kohn's son, Daniel, with Kohn's wife, Leah, assuming hands-on ownership. to partner up with Al, who was already a chef for us. He is a workhorse with so much integrity. Now he's working for Chef Cari Kosher Catering at Farm Fresh in Oak Park — making lathes with my grand- mother's recipe. What happened to your equipment when Matt Prentice took over the Adat Shalom kitchen? I auctioned a lot of it off, and Matt bought some of it. He bought some of my pots, so I know Jeffrey still lives on a little at Adat Shalom. What's next? I'm 57, and I trained on the job that I thought I would be at forever. But I have a few options on my plate, including host- ing at a local restaurant or being beverage director at a hotel in South Beach, Fla. I may work in food service in the Pocono Mountains or at a water park in Dundee, Mich. I will miss Adat Shalom a lot and am very grateful to the loyal members there. I'm sorry to be leaving. The last chapter of my life was pretty darn good, but whatever I do next, I look forward to turning the page to the next one. 1 I Based inside Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, the 33-year-old Quality Kosher continues to plan func- tions from black-tie events and strolling suppers to boardroom luncheons and kids' parties. They cater at the synagogue — with a capacity to serve 1,600 guests — and at other venues, bringing their own kosher equipment when necessary. The longtime Passover, Rosh Hashanah and Thanksgiving carryout business con- tinues. "Our regular carryout is growing, too, with our biggest increase being our plated carryout',' said Sandy Singal, sales and office manager and event coordinator. "And Daniel is making a lot of updates. We are out there more than ever, with a Facebook page and different advertising and email promotions:' he said. "Daniel worked for the Ritz-Carleton for a couple of years and is bringing that flair to his work. The clients love working with him." Quality Kosher Catering: (248) 352- 7758, info@qualitykosher.com , www. qualitykosher. corn. II December 15 2011 31