By COLlive reporter
Photos by Levik Hertzel
Call it a full turn-around – like a bagel.
An eatery in Crown Heights, poorly graded and closed by New York City’s Department of Health and mainly frequented by visiting Israelis, is reopening under a new entity and ownership.
The store that was once Arele’s Bagel will be opening its doors Thursday morning at 333 Kingston Avenue as Holesome Bagel, a posh kosher dairy and bagel restaurant.
True to its new commitment of freshness, the color green was chosen as the dominant one in the redesigned store. The take-out counter and a coffee stand were placed in the entrance with seating in the back.
It is a result of a partnership between local food entrepreneurs – Nati Abukasis of Mendy’s Delicatessen, Yossi Gershowitz of Prime Sandwich and Avraham Sheinberger, former owner of Arele’s Bagel.
After toying with the collaboration idea for a while, Sheinberger came across a letter from the Rebbe where he gives a warm blessing 3 Jewish businessmen who joined forces in a restaurant.
COLlive.com was told they will be serving a variety of Hamotzi bagels, pastas, a selection of flavored cream cheeses and butter (pesto, olives and spicy to name a few) and will have a pizza bar.
Rounding out the menu are desserts, freshly squeezed juices and milk shakes. New staff were hired and Abukasis will be the manager as well.
“We want to build a trusting relationship with the customer and therefore we built an open kitchen,” said Gershowitz. “Everyone will be able to see the quality of the food, the cleanliness and how fresh it will be made.”
And yes, the inspectors of the health department will be back to hopefully grade it a coveted “A”.
“We want to bring all locals to this store,” he added, referring to what some will call the “American clientele,” Crown Heights residents.
“If until now people didn’t come because the place wasn’t clean or had a bad name, now there will be no reason not to visit,” Gershowitz said. “They’ll find great food, friendly service and your breakfast scrambled eggs will be made in front of your eyes.”
You are wrong. It is not money from the government, but money from tax payers.
And of course #58, if you are a single mother and need it, that’s what it’s for. #35 is complaint about ppl that use food stamps to eat out.
Filtered water a kashrus issue? Are you out of your freaking mind? You know, I was wondering why we are seeing kosher symbols on everything from water to toilet paper these days, I guess now we know, it’s all for you!
we miss u guys and cant wait to come see u and ur new shop again! Love, ur neices from postville:)
go eat a bagel!
there are several yummy dishes to be had in the heights
if you can’t afford the prices,don’t eat out.i hardly ever eat out or take out.sure i’d like to but tath’s life and it ends up being healthier anyway.
Hatzlochoh Rabboh from Gil, your next door neighbor, at Crown Heights Florist.
http://www.shmoogle.com/local/holesome-bagels-crown-heights-brooklyn-ny-11213/
add mirrors to the walls in the seating area,
much success to holesome bagels but i liked the old one better.
they do have gloves if u see in another pic they have gloves its just for the picture lol 😉 and just btw u dont need gloves if u wash ur hands with soap every 25 minuts ect…
they copied bagels and greens in flatbush totally
so move to Harlem – coffee is 59 cents at burger king.
some of you folks really need to wake up.
nice to have alot of places to eat.
i totaly trust that yong thos guys they will do a good job
they allredy in food business.and they give good service.
THANK YOU SO….
I am tired of getting ripped off in this Neigberhood. Kingston bake shop, bunch o bagel, cafe rimon, and now this place charges a whopping 6$ for a lousy breakfast.
Though I must say their bagels kick. Amazing bell bagel. Much better than the Bell bagel company that Buncho gets their par baked bagels from.
Fast service with a smile + fresh food + fair prices = satisfied customers. Have reasonable store hours and maintain cleanliness. Experiment with new menu items but keep customer favorites. Hatzlacha Rabba.
It was soooo good! Plan on going back tomorrow!
Would never think it’s the same place!
very pretty and well-done! A+!!
We wish u with all the broches and a lot of success!!!
Large Ice Coffee at Cafe Rimon is $1.75!
not the potatoe egg
just the potatoe! bagel!!!!!!!!!!!
haha!! i agree!! go arele! from postville fans. u MUST keep the potato bagels!
It seems like everyone really loves their potatoes!
What hashgocho is it? Is it chk? there is no rov supervising it!
To #32– please do not judge people who have food stamps– many are hardworking too– they just don’t make enough– you have to be poor to qualify– most people use foodstamps to help feed their families not to eat out– take it from a very hardworking single mother who would not be able to subsist without the added help of foodstamps…
But bagels are soooooo fattening!!!
is really to expensive i cant afford it!!
very nice design. you should hang up some nice pictures on the green wall to jazz it up.
Well I paid $4.33 for a black Iced Coffee at another kingston store the other day!!! When i asked why they were charging so much when a hot coffee was $1.25.. they told me its a longer process!!!!! OH PLEASE!!!!!!! talk about gouging!!!!
why is $3.50 for this? WHy so high for that? So expensive this so this, hate the green, bla bla bla Why are their so many people commenting on this post instead of finding work? You know if you found a job, and had little time to post these assinine comments you might possibly be able to afford a snack at this new place. Personally I’m thrilled that another shop is opening up – how positive is that? It says alot to those that really care, those that really want to uphold the hood, and their are obviously many many… Read more »
I miss the potato and egg on a bagel.. i sure hope this place still has it… WITH THE ORIGINAL RECIPE. None other could compare…
believe it or not basil’s ice coffee to go is only 2.50!!
wishing you all much success together with the bracha from the Rebbe.
to all the people of crown heights who had only nice words thank you and may you all have success in your lives.
Sarah Abikasis
בהצלחה רבה רבה לרגל פתיחתת הבייגל.עשו שותפות רוחנית גם בלימוד משותף .למשל עשו קביעות לפחות אחת לשבוע ביחד ולימדו ב770 ותראו הצלחה רבה בגשמיות ורוחניו
it was opened yesterday so thats why its already stocked….ppl came in yesterday
NOT BASIL
looks great! i can tell you personally that i’ve never been in there because it’s always filled with bochurim!
the outer part of a bagel needs crust, not softness. I hope they put more than just trust… we need crust
to # 36…At Starbucks or Coffee Bean, one will pay close to $3 for one. Tack on the gouging..er, increased price for Cholov Yisroel, and your price seems in line
Hatzlacha to all the partners, especially R. Arele Sheinberger, an honest, hardworking Yid, a chossid and a menstch. So glad to see you opening again! You should have success, and parnassa b’harchovo.
if the potatoes are exactly like they used to be then i am not stepping foot into that store that was what made the places food special
Wishing you mazel and brocha… and people should make many brochas… 🙂 Best regards, Yossi in Cozumel
hatzlacha – hope it will be as it was when it 1st opened years ago
We don’t have a decent coffe in CH, all of them taste like umbrella juice and give no quality coffe. I hope they can get a good name for their good tasty bagels and food and the best coffe in town. I am sure we will all enjoy the nice aroma of a good cup of coffe
Just one request: bagel potato MUST still be on the menu if not the whole renovation in worth nothing.
Potatoes?
Why is it $3.50 for hot chocolate ?
SO right… It sickens me when I see distinguished members of the community using their food stamps cards and I work hard for every penny I earn and don’t take from the government.
WILL THEY HAVE COOKIES AND LAFFY TAFFYS? I LOVE ME SOME LAFFY TAFFS!!
Can u please sell reasonably priced ice coffee. Sick of being ripped off elsewhere
I hope they dont have expensive prices like buncho bagels, some poeple simply cant afford it although its nice to have a posh place , what about beign affordable . many poeple are hardworking peopleWHO DONT HAVE FOODSTAMPS TO PAY FOR THEIR PREPARED BREAKFAST!! and need an affordable place .
To this moment, the best bagels I ever had were bunch-o-bagels. I will give this a benefit of doubt and try this one out.
i loved the old bagel shop for how it was. old fashion. it had a sense of relaxed atmosphere, even with the screaming and huddle around. the best part was the prices!
don’t raise the breakfast price! we have plenty of expensivewe need something cheap places.
It looks good. I hope they are successful.
Just please bring back that breakfast like it was in Areles, it was really good.
“V’hiyisem Nekiim…”
Where can we find the letter?
Looks beautiful, I can not wait to try. Hatzlacha
Hatzlochoh Rabboh from a good Friend of yours from Toronto
As the economy goes down, Kingston increasingly focuses on the few gvirim left. I know CH has many rich visitors throughout the year, but can CH really sustain so many posh eateries? Don’t get me wrong, I hope they succeed.
Hope you keep the potatoes with the breakfast
B.H. Nate, Zeide and Bubba, are wishing you Hatzlocha Raba
in your new venture, in good health, MAZEL-TOV.
Will they still serve there one of a kind spicy potatoes!!
How much is a breakfast?
Much hatzlocha in your new venture!
r they still gonna have the potatoes??
The store looks beautiful but that green is hideous!
I hope they still have the bagel & potato on the menu, it’s part of my heritage. and much Hatzlacha to the new opening.
every year they are shut down and then they just open up with a new name what a joke
Peretz: I wasn’t sure if that was you, but then I saw the keys…
I hope it is still under the CHK
besha’a tova umutzlahat! finally a normal bagel store in the area! lots of luck (and costumers :)) !!!
Yay for gloves while handeling the food!
Why does arele look depressed?!
hope no more mice droppings !!!! keep the place clean !!!!
so when i come in tomorrow…i will b eating day old bagels and veg…?? i see them in the baskets…and the store doesnt open until tomorrow! haha so much for being fresh!
This really looks amazing!
hey touching bagels without gloves and the same hands that cash out is violation lol good luck we will eat the bagels anyway
I hope that after investing so much money in to the restaurant, that they also included under the sink filters for all the water that is used. As a potential customer for my daily breakfast, id like to know the answer, as it affects my choices of where to eat. This is not a matter of politics, it is a serious kashrus issue. Even if there are rabonim who allow the use of unfiltered water, it is necessary to be more stringent, especially when one is servicing the public. If the answer is positive, then I can easily say yoichlu… Read more »
All the restaurants here start off promising but all turn into the mass produced ready made garbage with nothing fresh, all bought wholesale and out of a tub.
This place will be no different. CH has no class.
Very smart move!
Please tell me they will still have the acclaimed potato egg bagel. Those potatoes are divine and $3 is a bargain!
they stocked up on food and there opening tomorrow? oh no