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July 4, 2003/Tamuz 4 5763, Vol. 55, No. 45
Kosher restaurant opens in Scottsdale
LEISAH NAMM
Managing Editor
Danziger Kosher Catering opened its kosher cafe, The Cafe, at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus on July 1, making it Scottsdale's first kosher restaurant supervised by the Greater Phoenix Vaad Hakashruth.
"A lot of people are happy there's kosher food available on the campus," said Rabbi David Rebibo, rabbinic administrator of the Vaad.
On opening day, "we had a nice breeze of members that came out of the exercise room about 7:30 and joined us for breakfast and then we had a nice breeze of people that came after work," after their workout, said Ray Hirsh, managing partner along with Gerhard Asanger and Stuart Morginstin.
"It's very convenient because you don't have to leave to go out to eat after working out, like we always do," said JCC member Joe Newman of Scottsdale. "The food was excellent."
The cafe menu features such stand-ards as pizza, soups, salads and sand-wiches, as well as more exotic items such as sushi, a Pastrami Salmon Club and Black and Blue Ahi.
"We try to mix tradition with nouveau faire," said Hirsh. "Everything is made here from scratch."
The cafe also boasts that it is the Valley's first retailer of Double Rainbow Gourmet Ice Cream and an authorized purveyor of Starbucks Coffee.
"I think it's wonderful and federation thinks it's wonderful that the community now has another choice and another opportunity to meet the needs of those who prefer a kosher restaurant experience," said Fred Zeidman, assistant executive director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix. "I'm sure they will be one more quality addition to all of the quality kosher caterers and food providers in our community."
Morginstin, who for 20 years has owned Danziger Kosher Catering in Chicago, a big force in that city's kosher catering world, designed the cafe's three kitchens.
There are two dairy kitchens (one for the cafe and one for catering) and a third for meat.
The kitchen is "designed for speed," Morginstin said. A Remco Millennium 2000 Carousel Brick Oven cooks fresh pizza in 90 seconds - 120 pies per hour.
Everything on the menu - as well as fresh-baked artisan breads and Friday challah - is available to go. Eventually, orders can be placed online at www. cafefood.com and www.shabbostogo.com. The sites are currently under construction but should be up within the next few weeks, Hirsh said. Customers will be able to place orders online so the food will be ready when they arrive at the cafe, Hirsch said. Or, if they prefer take-out, they can pay online and pick it up at a pull-up area at the side of the building.
In addition to catering at hotels, synagogues and other locations throughout the Valley, Danziger provides lunch to children at the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center's preschool and camp.
Starting in August, Danziger will present "Sunday at the Pool," serving hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken breast sandwiches outside, Hirsh said. The cafe also plans on hosting theme nights with entertainment that coincides with the food. Daily specials will be featured as well.
The menu also includes breakfast items, served all day.
Executive Chef Will Van Dusen was formerly the executive club chef at the Boulders Resort for the past three years and, before that, at the Fairmont Princess for six years.
"The presentation is just beautiful - it's like eating in a really nice restaurant," said Marcia Weisberg, executive director of the Jewish Community Foundation, which is housed at the campus. "It's nice to have a kosher option on this side of town."
The cafe seats about 48 inside and 36 outside.
Cafe hours are 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday; and 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Saturday. The campus is located at 12701 N. Scottsdale Road.
The Vaad also certifies the Valley's other kosher restaurants: Segal's, King Solomon's Pizza and Yaffa's Place, all in Phoenix.
Call The Cafe, 480-659-9180.
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