By COLlive reporter
Photos: Shimi Kutner/COLlive
Berel Raskin has a new chossid, and he’s not even Jewish.
New York State Senator Jesse Hamilton, who represents the 20th District that includes Crown Heights, admits that he’s hooked on pickled brined herring made by the local Raskin’s Fish Market.
Hamilton was one of the 350 foodies who came from across the Tri-State area on Sunday for the first “A Taste of Crown Heights” food crawl organized by JMenu.com benefiting NCFJE’s Toys For Hospitalized Children and sponsored by COLlive.com.
He joined the walkable trail on Kingston Avenue where over 20 Brooklyn restaurants, beverage shops, and caterers served samples of their signature dish or beverage.
Showcasing were Albany Bakery, Baguette Express, Boeuf & Bun, Calabria, Chocolatte, Dean Street Café, Eber’s Wine & Liquor, Empire Grill, Ess & Bentch, Gombo’s Bakery, Hal’s New York Seltzer, House of Glatt, JJ’s Holy Cow, Koshertown, Mama Kitchen, Mendy’s @ the JCM, Mermelstein’s & Kohen Bros. Catering, Natural Treats Juice bar, Noribar Sushi Lounge, Prime Avenue, Raskin’s Fish, Sushi Spot, Sweet Expressions, Table One Catering, Turk Catering, and Wine By The Case.
Hamilton says that the taste that topped his favorites list was Raskin’s Fish. “It was delicious and I was very impressed with the herring dish that Raskin’s has been making since 1961,” he told COLlive.com.
Matthew Pitt, Constituent Services Liaison for Council Member Laurie Cumbo, concurred. “Of all of the food that I sampled, I must say that I’m a big fan of Raskin’s red herring,” he said.
“The participating eateries were built from the ground up by families who have been in this community for generations,” he said. “These small businesses have become the backbone of this diverse and thriving neighborhood, providing local residents with affordable and delicious food, year-round.”
A runner-up for Hamilton was the Tuna Sandwich with kale, tomato medley and jalapeno relish served on a pretzel bun by the Dean Street Cafe owned by Zalmy Mochkin.
As you can tell, Hamilton loves fish. He said he planned to frequent these shops in the future. “I love the diversity of food in Crown Heights. Brooklyn is the epicenter of international cuisine. I’m glad so many people came out for this and got involved with kosher food.”
Assemblywoman Diana Richardson, who represents the 43rd Assembly District in Brooklyn which includes Crown Heights, brought her 13-year-old son Isaac to the crawl, saying her intent was to promote small businesses in the community.
“What better way to attract businesses, than by showcasing the best of the best, that we have at our local restaurants,” Richardson said.
She came for work, then stayed for the food.
After tasting from 3 different restaurants, Richardson said: “I’m totally impressed. Now that I have this menu, I will be patronizing these restaurants and using JMenu to order them to my home.”
“This is the best burger I’ve ever had,” commented her son, Isaac, after trying JJ’s Holy Cow’s classic burger with lettuce, tomato and house sauce. “I can’t wait to have another one!”
VIDEO: Crown Heights Food Crawl on InstaStory @COLliveOfficial
Come around more often; one of your fans.
Good choices!!! Yum yum yum! Great cause, fun day!
Great display! Nice to see the faces behind the food and so many flavors yum!
Thank you all who made this event happen
IT WAS GREAT TO BE A PART OF IT!!
FROM THE STAFF OF: raskinsfish.com ·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º>
Had a great time. Kiddush Hashem! An awareness of strictly kosher upscale food! Thank you
What an amazing KIDDUSH HASHEM and may your website continue to soar!