arts & life
out to eat
Kosher Eats
Dining
Around The D
‘Nosh Pit’ caters to
kosher/vegan crowd.
Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails
Judy Greenwald | Contributing Writer
J
ewish people and food.
attended a course designed to see if our
Synonymous, right? Where kosher idea was feasible. We were encouraged to
concerns arise, however, the
move forward. When my family returned
myriad options open to the non-kosher
to the U.S., I began designing a menu
world are much diminished, leaving those based around my overseas experience.”
following the mitzvah of kashrut (keeping
At this point, she and Kudek are the
kosher) eager to find new dining options. entire staff, but “our families help out.”
Enter Karen Kahn Schultz,
Right now, Nosh Pit handles cater-
40, of Troy, who has com-
ing jobs, which she said are helping
bined her cooking experience,
her learn the food business. Her
vegetarian lifestyle and desire
first event was a fundraiser in June
to run her own business into
for New Beginnings Animal Shelter
“Nosh Pit Detroit,” a catering
in Royal Oak and featured vegan
venture featuring kosher/
appetizers and desserts for 100
vegan sandwiches, soups
people. Her most recent job was in
and baked goods. In addi-
early December, catering a dinner
Karen Kahn
tion to the catering business, Schultz
for the Ferndale Cat Shelter’s Catfe
Schultz’s ultimate goal is to
Lounge.
operate a kosher food truck that will serve
Schultz’s vision for her food truck is
communities in the Metro Detroit area.
to offer New York-inspired deli food,
“My bubbie Dorothy thought ‘Nosh’
Israeli sandwiches, soups and one of her
should be part of our name, which we
most popular items — pickles. Some of
liked because it was Jewish and cool,” said her tempting sandwiches include a lentil
the outgoing, friendly Schultz. “My friend sloppy Joe, the “Rashi” — egg, potato
and business associate Stefan Kudek
and mango on pita, and the “unrue-
equated ‘Nosh’ with ‘Mosh’ and came
ful” Reuben — tempeh, sauerkraut and
up with ‘Pit,’ and that’s how we got our
Swiss on rye; and flavorful soups from
name!”
dill pickle to cauliflower cream to Israeli
The New York native attended Barnard shakshuka to the perennial favorite, mat-
College, where she majored in music and
zah ball.
computers. After her two children were
As a new member of Congregation
born, she received her M.B.A. in strategic Shir Tikvah in Troy, Schultz said she’s
management from Davenport University, been volunteering in the kitchen and has
and has held a variety of jobs, from
gotten many requests to do bar and bat
computer repair to teaching music. She
mitzvahs and weddings, as well as other
explained that it was a six-month sojourn Jewish or kosher events.
in Israel with husband, Eric, two children,
“The reason I chose to be kosher is
grandmother and six pets that inspired
because I wanted to meet the food needs
her to create a cooking career.
of the whole Metro Detroit Jewish com-
“In 2014, I left a good job as a project
munity. When I was considering kosher
specialist with Waste Management when
certification, I called Rabbi Jason Miller,
my husband was offered the opportunity
director of Kosher Michigan, who was
to work on a half-year project in Tel
very excited about my idea and convinced
Aviv,” she said. “Living there was trans-
me that running a kosher vegetarian out-
formational. We had to adjust to living
let would be very easy to accomplish here
in a country where we didn’t speak the
in Detroit.
language and navigate home life in a for-
“I’d like Nosh Pit to be of service to
eign culture — including eating! We had
local temples, especially around holiday
a vegetarian kitchen and found that veg-
times. When I have the truck — hope-
etarianism is very common in Israel; and
fully sometime this coming summer — I
I was inspired to open a kosher, Israeli-
can travel as far as Toledo or Ann Arbor
themed food truck.
for special events. But I mainly see myself
“Before we moved, Eric and I had
serving Troy, Bloomfield and Oak Park on
joined a Detroit-area potluck cook-
weekdays, and going to different farmers’
ing group, Snacktics, where I met
markets on weekends.
Stefan, who’s very creative and went to
“There’s a real demand for vegan
Schoolcraft’s Culinary Institute to be
restaurants and food trucks now, which
a chef. He and I love cooking, and we
is great,” Schultz added, “and Nosh Pit
started talking about opening a vegetar-
Detroit can meet the need for clean,
ian food truck with environmentally sus-
kosher cuisine that’s unique and deli-
tainable practices. We joined Detroit Food cious!”
Labs and, while I was in Israel, Stefan
*
36 January 7 • 2016
D
egreed psychologist Sandy
Levine understands what
people like. He’s done very well
since July 2011 with his speakeasy-style
bar, Oakland Art Novelty Company (The
Oakland), on Nine Mile Road in Ferndale.
In association with Executive
Chef Doug Hewitt, formerly
of Terry B’s in Dexter, Levine’s
first restaurant-bar, Chartreuse
Kitchen & Cocktails, has been
delighting guests since spring
with its innovative American
fusion cuisine and craft cock-
tails in a vibrant Midtown
Esther
Detroit setting.
Allweiss
Chartreuse brings a patch
Ingber
of beauty to the Park-Shelton,
opened in 1926 as the Wardell
Hotel on Kirby at Woodward, near the
Detroit Institute of Arts. Converted to
apartments, the Park-Shelton now offers
luxury condominiums.
Inside the hotel’s original Green Room
restaurant, Chartreuse took the name
to heart by specializing in fresh farm-
to-table food and painting walls a perky
green. Up to 125 guests can be accom-
modated in a space highlighted by natu-
ral installations and colorful floral art.
Special features include a living wall of
succulents beside the poured-cement bar
and a room-dividing “curtain” of dried
flowers and herbs. The plant-focused
mural in the vestibule introduces the res-
taurant’s growing theme.
Levine and his mother, Donna
Heligman, a retired interior designer,
worked out the atypical decor, including
a comfy lounging area in front that mixes
banquettes with patterned sofas. The
servers also exude a comfortable, casual
friendliness. Ask them anything about the
food and drink — no problem. In fact,
our server kindly brought out tastes of
yellow and blue Chartreuse liqueur, just
so my friend Diane and I could experi-
ence what the French aperitif is about.
For us, it’s maybe not; but Levine is a
longtime Chartreuse liqueur fan. French
monks have distilled Chartreuse — once
regarded as “an elixir of long life” — since
1737. The liqueur contains up to 130 dif-
ferent herbs, flowers and botanical ingre-
dients suspended in wine alcohol. Levine’s
fully stocked bar offers 13 Chartreuse
options, with vintages starting from the
1940s.
The restaurant’s food operation has the
drawbacks of a small kitchen, no walk-
in cooler and inadequate storage space
— three practical reasons “we knew our
menu would be heavy on fresh produce,”
Levine said.
Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails can
“provide things that are a little fresher for
diners,” he added, because of close relation-
ships with Recovery Park Farms
in Detroit and other local food
growers and producers. Farms
deliver what’s seasonal — includ-
ing produce grown indoors in
the winter — once or twice daily.
Chef Doug also shops Saturdays at
historic Eastern Market.
“He runs the kitchen, and I
prefer it that way,” said Levine,
usually found at the front of the
house. “That’s why our food is as
good as it is.”
Chartreuse’s abbreviated menu changes
frequently, depending on available food-
stuff. Selections listed as “Cold,” “Hot” and
“Vegetables” may be combined for indi-
vidual meals or shared with companions.
The most popular dish is Twice-
Cooked Egg. It’s poached, rolled in
breadcrumbs and fried, then placed upon
frisee lettuce, pea tendrils, salty cheese
and Brussels sprouts with a warm shallot
vinaigrette.
Another Levine recommendation is
Smoked Skuna Bay Salmon, pastrami-
style house-cured salmon served on
grilled cornbread with chevre and pep-
per jelly. Grilled Spanish Octopus and
Mushroom Ricotta are other “Cold”
choices.
Diane enjoyed squash soup, savory-
tasting with sorrel. We shared a delightful
beet salad, one of my favorite vegetables.
Grilled Cap Steak provided a jolt of spicy
pleasure from the Chermoula sauce.
“Hot” selections also include Duck Confit,
Spare Ribs and Branzino. Plates come
with veggies and unexpected ingredients.
Chef Doug is a wizard!
Lunch, served 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Tuesdays through Fridays, includes sand-
wiches. Dinner is 5-10 (till 11 Saturdays),
nightly except Sunday and Monday. Use
the Park-Shelton’s structure for validated
parking.
*
Chartreuse Kitchen
& Cocktails
15 E. Kirby St.
Detroit, MI 48202
(313) 818-3915
www.chartreusekc.com
$$$ out of $$$$