Ask the Critics: What’s a Good Kosher Restaurant To Bring My Parents?

Rachel T. asks: My parents are coming to town and I want to take them out to dinner. One requirement is that it needs to be a certified kosher restaurant. What are some places with actually good food for our evening?

Dear Rachel: New York City offers several kosher restaurants, plus a great selection of vegetarian eateries that would also fit the bill. Here are some spots to check out.

I suggest considering kosher vegetarian Indian restaurants. My favorite in Curry Hill is Bhojan, which has a varied selection of dishes in a setting that’s a bit nicer than some in the surrounding block. I love the chaats, including the bhel puri and the chana chor chaat to start, and then I’ll usually get the paneer with peas and tomato sauce or the malai kofta, both spicy. And when they say spicy, they mean it. Tiffin Wallah is a decent backup, too, with some fine thali meals.

If you want meat, though, your best bet is probably Prime Grill, a kosher steakhouse in Midtown. You’ll find a selection of steaks (rib eyes, “filets,” etc.) that tend to be good (not the city’s best, but not bad), though prices do run high here. Owned by the same company is Solo, which also isn’t cheap, but offers inventive kosher cooking with an Asian flair.

Should you be in Queens, be sure to check out Cheburechnaya, which offers up a good selection of Uzbek food. Don’t miss the namesake chebureki — the large fried tarts stuffed with cabbage, meat, or potatoes — or the many kebabs on hand.

I’m always a huge fan of Taïm for sabich, falafel, and veggie salads, though seating is limited, so it’s not really a dinner spot. But dinner could still mean a takeout picnic, right?