Mr. Fisher has not as yet made his plans known but is said to seriously eye opening several stores in the US.  The buzz began with the closing of the Pathmark store in Monsey, which sources say will be taken over in “some form” by Fisher. It was unclear whether the Monsey store would be modeled after the Yesh stores that cater to the Charedi (Orthodox) sector with bulk packages, discounted items, and other promotional programs geared for many of the large families that shop at some of the 53 Yesh stores. The sources also noted that the Fisher foray into Monsey will merely be the first of several stores the retailer plans to open. Ironically, the Super-Sol name, which was not affiliated with Israel’s largest chain, will soon disappear in the US. The first of four Super-Sol stores in Queens and Manhattan is set to open in Kew Garden Hills early next year under the name Seasons.

Menachem Lubinsky is the founder and co-producer of Kosherfest, the annual trade event for the kosher food & beverage industry and is the editor-in-chief of KosherToday.  Menachem Lubinsky is also the President and CEO of LUBICOM Marketing Consulting a firm that specializes in strategic business and not-for-profit planning and implementation.

Some of the customers are here to feel good while others are on an olive oil regimen prescribed by physicians to lower saturated fats. The various olive oil jams have become best sellers to Israelis looking for the blend of the sweet and the distinct olive taste. At Olia, Hila’s brother Nimrod is constantly producing new combinations at his plant in Nes Ziona, sometimes creating the conditions of foreign grown olive trees. The fusions at Olia “simply blow many tourists away,” says Hila. Blends like the Middle East blend with three different types of olives, infused figs that includes dried figs, sugar, balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, green olives and shata pepper. Customers have become as discerning with olives as wine connoisseurs are with their fine wines. Both Olian and LiveO also offer a full line of olive oil cosmetic products that many customers have come to associate with healthier and “younger looking” skin. The products in both stores are under rabbinical supervision and there is a growing interest in exporting these olive oil gourmet products that are taking Israelis by storm.

New York…With the summer travel season looming, leading kashrus officials in this country are preparing to respond to inquiries from travelers about kashrus overseas. While generally being familiar with symbols and organizations here, many vacationers find it hard to negotiate the standards and symbols overseas. What is fascinating, say kashrus officials, is that Israel is the most confusing. While the majority of Israel’s food establishments have certification by either the Chief Rabbinate or the local Rabbinate, the standards may vary from case to case. It is particularly perplexing to travelers who covet glatt kosher. Some establishments routinely interchange Glatt with Mehadrin, adding to the confusion. Then there is Bet Yosef glatt which is not always accepted by many Orthodox Jews. The certification by the Orthodox Union (OU) of some  establishments (hotels and restaurants) in recent years has given American travelers and Americans living in Israel “a level of comfort.” One observer noted that at such high-end restaurants as Papagaio and Red Heifer, English was the language spoken. “It’s like you closed your eyes and imagined you were at an upscale restaurant in Manhattan.” It is also important to such popular hotels as the Ramada and Plaza in Jerusalem who attract American Orthodox Jews.

A leading kashrus official in Israel told Kosher Today that American tourists seeking the highest standard of glatt are aware of rabbis and agencies that meet their standards. He mentioned Rabbi Moshe Landau of Bnei Brak, Rabbi Avrohom Rubin of Rehovot and the Eda Hachreidit as examples of some of “the more acceptable certifications.” The rabbi acknowledged that certificates hanging in food establishments can be confusing, especially to tourists with limited command of the Hebrew language.

Tel Aviv, Chef Yonatan Roshfel of the upscale Herbert Samuel restaurant was recently ranked as being in first place in a list of rising stars by the prestigious culinary magazine Food&Wine. The news was disseminated by the Israel Export Institute in an effort to create what a food writer once called “the non-existent Israeli cuisine.” In fact, in a televised game show, a contestant described Israeli cuisine as “kosher food.” Unlike France and Italy, there is no international acclaim for Israeli cuisine. Israeli products are routinely labeled as Middle Eastern or even Mediterranean as the highly successful Sabra Salads is positioned n this country. Even Food&Wine characterized the cuisine at Herbert Samuel as “neo-Mediterranean.” As a melting pot, there is no monolithic cuisine that can be tabbed as Israeli. After all, Jews immigrated to Israel from the broader Diaspora bringing the local cuisine with them. But that has not stopped Israeli food officials from trying to create a new “Israeli cuisine.” Israeli chefs are often invited to participate in international competitions and they are certainly revered in the Jewish markets, particularly if associated with one of the leading hotels.

Industry officials point to Israeli wines that have leapfrogged into world-wide recognition, so much so that well established wine producers such as France, Italy and Spain have taken notice and are actively competing against the wines. Israeli food officials say flatly that the objective of establishing an Israeli cuisine is well worth the effort from a financial point of view. But the question becomes what besides the traditional Middle East dishes (i.e. hummus, tehina, falafel etc.) can Israel claim is authentically Israeli, a challenge many chefs have pursued. They are looking at many traditional French, Italian and Spanish dishes and trying to “Israelize” them, as one chef put it. Truth is that Israeli chefs are up to the challenge, creating dishes that compete favorably with world-class chefs, as anyone who has eaten at a leading Israeli hotel knows. The challenge at hand is to sell this new excellence to the rest of the world. The good news is that the nouveau Israeli cuisine is absolutely kosher.