The morning pastries are homemade, the coffee is from Italian roaster Danesi, but the most remarkable thing about Basil, a café and wine bar in Crown Heights, may be who’s working the front and back of the house.
At this strictly kosher, all-dairy restaurant, none of the waitstaff are religious Jews, and a few are African-American and Caribbean-American. All are required to adhere to the Lubavitch dress code, so female waitstaff must wear long black peasant skirts to match their Basil logo t-shirts. West Indians work in the kitchen alongside a few observant Jews and prepare items from a trendy menu that includes thin-crust pizzas and panini stuffed with ingredients like goat cheese and Meyer lemon jam.
Nearly 20 years after the riots that pitted Hasidic and Afro-Caribbean residents against one another, Crown Heights still seems deeply divided in many respects. But Daniel Branover, who moved to the area from Jerusalem eight years ago, is betting that the desire for a decent neighborhood meal can unite even a divided community.
“There’s a lot of tension here. I thought the only way to bridge the gap is through breaking bread—as long as it’s good bread,” said Branover, 45, who lives in the Lubavitch community and is a religious Jew. “The irony is that Jerusalem is a lot less segregated. Even though there’s a fundamental block, it’s less severe than Crown Heights.”
Opened in March, Basil is the kind of casual, upscale eatery that would be unremarkable in nearby Park Slope, but is unusual in Crown Heights, where dining options are limited to take-out on one side of Eastern Parkway, and kosher markets and restaurants on the other. The mostly non-Jewish staff are a mix of longtime residents and newcomers who live in the area for its affordable rent. They serve about 250 customers daily, mostly youthful, stylish Hasidic Jews from the other side of Eastern Parkway.
“This is an expression of the younger community that has moved in,” said customer Yosef Yitzchok Serebryanski, while he finished his mango-banana smoothie at the counter. “When the restaurant opened up, in here were Hispanics, Blacks, and whites. I can speak to people who have nothing to do with Judaism.”
Hasidic reggae star Matisyahu, a neighborhood resident, is a regular, but so are State Senator Eric Adams and Caleb Buchanan, pastor of Saint Gregory Church. Basil’s morning coffee window is popular with the Afro-Caribbean community since it’s en route to the 3-train and there’s no Starbucks in the neighborhood.
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I have not read the above comments, however my daughter took me out there, on a recent business trip. Enjoyed every moment from the service to the ambiance. Gave a time, to relax from the daily stress, even though we were in the city, it felt like a country side inn. Thanks to the staff!!!!!!!!!
yes fellow readers….
the sitra achra awaits
not just on the “other side”
people, chill…
if you want to go, no one’s stopping you…
and if you don’t want to go, who’s forcing you to go?
live and let live
c’est la vie!
Just for your information, Sir “Carroll” Fitzgerald was an anti-semite priest. I think you are being a little stupid about the whole basil thing. Obviously there is no problem in naming a restaurant after a priest.
You are the ignoramus. The reason Chazal forbade breaking break was to avoid the “eat, mingle, and have fun” …
totally agree with 37 .how great to have a place where anyone may feel comfortable.there are many such restaurants in NWLondon appreciated and,more importantly for the owners, patronised ,by Jews and nonJews .similarly,the bakeries here are enjoyed by all who want quality products and pleasant,personal service,where the staff are set an example by the owner.
Very true. How sad.
There aren’t even nearly 120 comments yet. I suggest you revise your estimate.
Guess what. I don’t think the owner WANTS chassidishe people who don’t like mingling with all types. All those who think Basil is bad for “the community” should not go there. They will be happy and Basil will be happy. Basil wants to be kosher food and hip/cool and mainly – generic. A place where anyone who would feel comfortable anywhere could feel comfortable. A place where someone who wants to eat kosher but also get the feel of being in a place that doesn’t scream kosher, can go. Meaning a fundamentalist ortho-chassidic person who is not conmofrtable anywhere, should… Read more »
When you see something that causes the lowering of Torah standards of a Yid, chas vesholom, it is a sin to remain silent. Encouraging Yidden to socialize with goyim and to try to build something based on a goyishe lifestyle is like starting to take a fish out of the water, on to land that may seem more tempting than the water, the water being the only home he can really live in. SILENCE is sometimes a sin…. We are talking about a place that is right here in our neighborhood, where people from our community are mingling in a… Read more »
It’s easy. You don’t like it–whether the food, the service or the lack of adherence to your standard of Chassidishkeit—don’t go. If you like it go.
To all you ignoramuses braking bread is a cliché. the meaning of is a place where a diverse set of people can come eat, mingle, and have fun hence breaking bread.
When the goal of a restaurant (as one of the owners mentioned in an interview) is DAVKA to attract goyim too, and at the same time they hire female waitresses in Crown Heights, and play goyishe music, and, and, and-
this is not a place for a chossid to be.
Besides everything else, it’s simply not appropriate.
If a Lubavitcher opened up a bar and served kosher food, would that make it acceptable to hang ou there?
Remember the story of Achashverosh’s feast???????????
they supervise kitchens, food, and all food practices to ensure that they adhere to the laws of kosher. Music with females vocalists do not ‘arouse hassidic men’-The author of this article should get their facts straight before publishing! Jewish men, not only hassidic, are not supposed to listen to female vocalists: This Jewish law is mentioned in Gemora already, several times (Berochos 24 a, Soteh 48 a), and is codified explicitly in Shilchon Aruch (Code of Jewish Law), and commonly observed by Yidden, with varying degrees of stringencies, as other laws of Modesty. The law does not put down women,… Read more »
Crown Heights already has more than enough problems, i.e.tzniyos and boys and girls shmuzing on the streets. Something like this would never happen, for instance up in Monsey or in Boro Park, because the Rabbunim would never allow it. You are forgetting the big picture, a kosher restaurant in Crown Heights means that JEWISH people should have a comfortable place to eat and relax, “with other JEWS”! They can’t discriminate or anything, but the atmosphere should Definitely be a FRUM jewish one. They should be proud of who they are, and if they aren’t then move to another area and… Read more »
The whole allure of this Jewish owned establishment per this article seems to rest in advertising how ‘un-Jewish’ it is. Personally, I am proud to be a Jew.
Isn’t that why we have Jewish bakers? So that they eat on our terms and not the other way around? You are allowed to get along with your non-jewish neighbors, and they are allowed to eat in your ‘taverns’. You may not eat their food, in their environment so as not to get too comfortable with them. I don’t see why goyim can’t feel comfortable in our restaurants.
“they” didn’t make it a hangout. The simple reality that people are choosing to eat in a local restaurant with a fine menu should not incite such outrage, nor be deemed disreputable or a hangout. It is utterly pathetic that some commenters harp on the Rebbe picture not being prominent, or the lack of “overt Jewishness” (whatever that means). Seriously, does it make any difference to the kashrut standards (which is essentially the only matter of importance)? If your identity and security as a Lubavitcher is based on such minute and irrelevant factors, it’s tragic indeed, for you have lost… Read more »
You missed the whole point. the problem isn’t that its nice, the problem is the making the restaurant the way they did, made a hangout in crown heights.
You got the point and then lost it. NIMBY exactly! If you happen to feel that for example your kids can watch videos at home would you want to have them watch videos at cheder? Think of what direction you will be heading with IMBY.
Nimby, stands for Not In My Back Yard, it’s the name given to people who want something but don’t want the inconvenience it causes i.e. everyone wants a fire station but not across the street. That’s what #12 explained in many words that it’s okay to have a nice restaurant in manhattan and that the majority of us would go to it, but there’s something “wrong” with it being in CH. This is the excuse used for many things for example with the shiduch issue, many say it’s fine for there to be a singles event for older singles …BUT… Read more »
No a place should not be a dump in order to be chassidish. It can be beautiful, stylish and even modern but jewishly so. Without attempting to copy non jewish culture in anyway. Having different people of different religion eat in the same restaurant is a good thing, but only if it can be done in an atmoshpere were jews would not be tempted to mingle.
I am not saying basil is this or that, just generally speaking.
It is so sad what direction CH seems to be taking.Vidal
YOUR OBVIOUSLY AN IDIOT. BASIL IS AN HERB USED IN ITALIAN COOKING.
Was anyone else bothered by the “Lubavitch dress code” description, “long black peasant skirts”?
It would have been nice if they had been more accurate, like maybe: “The female waitstaff wears long black skirts, keeping with the Orthodox Jewish dress code of wearing skirts below the knees.”
and i must admit that i would have to quote my friend and he was right when he talked about the atmosphere of the establishment
besides for a quaint picture of a rabbi near the back
the resturant has no aura of being jewish the fact that jews enter the resturant seems to be very random
and this may work in a place like boston
but in a chassidic community it is quite abhorrent that there should be such a foreign alien unfriendly climate
hope and change is part of america may it be so
Agree with number 5 and 11; that crossed my mind, too. Isn’t the entire point of pas akum that we should NOT Agree with #’s 5 and 11; that crossed my mind, too. Isn’t the entire point of pas akum that we should NOT mingle — which leads to assimilation? Respect for other people — all other people — including non-jews, is a beautiful thing. Living side-by-side respectfully and peacefully is surely ideal. However, to mix and mingle, by *breaking bread* is most definitely going in the direction of assimilation… Which brings me to – I completely agree with #12.… Read more »
Basil was a famous bishop who lived in Caesarea (329-379)…
Its a beautiful restaurant with great food!
but I have trouble with this quote: “There’s a lot of tension here. I thought the only way to bridge the gap is through breaking bread—as long as it’s good bread”.
Isn’t the idea of “breaking bread” with goyim the basis for the Isurim of Bishul Akum and Pas Akum???
just some food for thought.
So if Basil was a dump (like other CH restaurants), that would make it “chassidish” somehow? Acceptable to the Rebbe? It’s tragic that this community is purged of common sense, and resorts to paranoia to defend their obsolete religious values that frankly have nothing to do with Judaism or the Rebbe.
Does a kosher restaurant have to have anything other then kosher food, to render it kosher?
I BET THIS WILL REACH AT LEAST 120 COMMENTS
It is such a joy that there is now a decent place to eat when we come to Crown Heights. Thank you Basil! Wishes for continued success.
I like Basil, I think its a pretty classy place. the service could be better and the prices are a little high for the service and quality. Its a pretty well run business, in general. However, I see how and why people have a problem with the resturaunt as far as religous standards are concerned. Its definitely diverse, which is a good thing in my opinion. People have to realize though, that it is in a neighberhood that was established as a lubavitcher community by the Rebbe. Personally, I’m not a fan of ch at all, but I’m not even… Read more »
right on!!!!! thats exactly what crossed my mind when i read that.
a danish for $5! is a over the top!
This place is gonna be gone soon. I predict it wont be here anymore in two years. service is so bad!
It is such a joy that there is now a decent place to eat when we come to Crown Heights. Thank you Basil! Wishes for continued success.
“Its really just a handful of ‘hardcore’ people from when the Rebbe was alive that have a problem with this place,” said Michelle Gelker. – I’m sorry, but that is a disgusting thing for her to say. Has she no respect for the Rebbe?!
you better be sarcastic!!
are you not ashamed to say this??
nothing bad except it makes Lubavitch look like a bunch of modern orthodox with beards (oh so sorry I mean mostly with beards).
Uh, like, what was that whole thing about pas akum, bishul akum and like, not breaking bread together?
My memory’s a bit fuzzy.
i hope you are being sarcastic, because there is nothing wrong with having something a little different that isn’t bad! its because of people that dont know how to adapt that kids are finding other ways to make theme self happy!
weird
I guess im stylish because I eat there.
this will for sure make the Rebbe proud.