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Rabbi serves kosher food to Jewish travelers at the World Cup
Rabbi Eli Chitrik’s phone buzzes. A woman is about to show up at his Doha hotel to pick up her lunch: two bagel sandwiches.
It’s one of the many calls and messages Chitrik is receiving these days for bagel sandwiches, freshly made in a designated kosher kitchen set up for Jewish World Cup fans who want to comply with Judaism’s set of dietary regulations during the tournament in Qatar.
Chitrik said the kosher kitchen has been making 100 sandwiches a day to feed fans from around the world, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, the United States, Uruguay and Israel. Recently, production has increased to more than 100 to meet demand.
On Fridays, the kitchen makes challah, special bread, usually braided, which is traditional food on the Sabbath.
“There were some people telling me that they would only be able to come because of this,” he said. “Some people (were) telling me that they thought this was going to be their first Shabbat without challah and now they could send the picture to their mother that they have challah.”
Rabbi Eli Chitrik’s bagel business has helped Jewish travelers keep kosher at the World Cup.
Many Jews say that Rabbi Eli Chitrik’s business is the only reason they were able to attend the World Cup.
Rabbi Eli Chitrik is proud that he’s able to provide Challah for Jews observing Shabbas in Qatar.
Rabbi Eli Chitrik says he knows everything that goes on in his kitchen so he can guarantee his sandwiches are 100 percent kosher.
Rabbi Marc Schneier, president of the New York-based Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, said he had been involved in discussions with Qatari officials for the past five years to help accommodate the attendance of Jewish fans at the tournament. Besides making kosher food available, he said, discussions included the attendance of Israelis at the World Cup and direct flights from Tel Aviv to Doha, despite Israel and Qatar having no diplomatic relations.
“It’s a very important step from an interreligious point of view … from a Qatar-Israel point of view,” he said. “There are so many levels here.”
Qatari officials, with their history of public support for Palestinians, have insisted on the temporary opening to Israelis was purely to comply with FIFA hosting requirements — not a step to normalizing ties as Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates did in 2020. Qatar, which often serves as a mediator between Israel and the Hamas militant group in Gaza, has warned that a spike in violence in the occupied West Bank or Gaza Strip would derail the arrangement. Despite a surge in deadly fighting in the West Bank in recent days, however, it has taken no action.
Having ties with Israel is a contentious topic, unpopular among many Arabs, due to factors such as Israel’s 55-year West Bank occupation and a lack of a resolution to the Palestinian issue. Israeli social media has been filled with videos showing Israeli TV reporters receiving hostile receptions from Arab soccer fans in Qatar.
The Qatari World Cup organizing committee did not respond to emailed questions about the kosher kitchen.
Early each morning, Chitrik heads to the kitchen. There, he supervises the sandwich-making process — from opening the ovens himself to inspecting ingredients for compliance with kosher standards. Sundried tomatoes in jars, for example, were excluded for containing non-kosher ingredients; tomatoes are dried in the kitchen’s oven instead.
“I know every little thing that happens in that kitchen, so that way I can tell you 100%, no question, this is a kosher sandwich,” he says.
Visitors typically make arrangements to pick up their kosher food from Chitrik. He keeps the bagel sandwiches stored in special cases in his hotel room, with labels declaring the food kosher.
Tirtsa Giller, who is visiting from Israel for World Cup-related work, came to the hotel on Sunday to pick up her lunch.
Flying into Doha, she had stuffed her luggage with dishes, a frying pan, cutlery, tuna cans and snacks to keep kosher. Working long hours and not wanting to rely on just snacks, she said she was excited when friends in Dubai told her about the new kosher offerings in Doha.
“Everyone was searching for this information, if there is kosher food,” she said. “We were afraid that it’s banned because there were rumors. I’m happy to find out it’s not.”
When he’s not in the kitchen or handing out sandwiches at his hotel, Chitrik, who was born in Israel but raised in Turkey, said he had been going out on the streets of Doha in his religious garb, including a black hat and tzitzit, a fringed garments ritual.
“I want to show that anywhere you are in the world, you can live openly as a Jew the same way, hopefully, you can live
These 13 San Antonio-area restaurants will be closed in 2022
San Antonio saw quite a few restaurant openings this year and there is still another on the way with a California hot chicken chain set to open next month. But 2022 also saw a lot of restaurants closing their doors this year. The summer saw a lot of restaurants close, whether they announced their last days or just shuttered abruptly.
You could order these tangy and spicy Thai and Kimchi Bloody Mary’s at Hello Paradise.
Camille Sauers/MySAHello Paradise
The Pearl-area outdoor lounge concept from local restaurant and cocktail guru Jeret Peña just celebrated one year of being in business. Then in February, Peña said Hello Paradise would close its doors.
You can’t grab these pork ribs and turkey from Bandit BBQ anymore.
Mike Sutter /Staff file photoBBQ bandits
Chef and pitmaster Brandon Peterson and business partner Mark Garcia announced in May that it would close San Antonio barbecue favorite Bandit BBQ after only two years. However, Peterson and Garcia said they would team up to open Bad Animal at the former Hello Paradise spot.
Alamo BBQ would serve a meat tray of lean brisket, marbled brisket, peach-glazed baby back ribs, smoked sausage, chopped beef, smoked pulled pork, smoked turkey, and stuffed jalepeños.
Josie Norris /Staff file photoAlamo BBQ
Lauded San Antonio chef Jason Dady said in May that he was bringing an end to the Pearl-area barbecue joint Alamo BBQ after four years.
A trio of pizzas from Playland are no more.
Mike Sutter/StaffPlayland
This one kind of came out of nowhere, but Chef Stefan Bowers took to Instagram in June to say that he would close the downtown San Antonio pizzeria Playland with plans to open a new concept elsewhere. Now the old building will be home to Voodoo Donuts.
The Pizza Gorgonzola was one of the popular choices at Cerroni’s Purple Garlic.
Mike Sutter/StaffCerroni’s Purple Garlic
In keeping with the pizza theme, a longtime Italian eatery called Cerroni’s Purple Garlic on Austin Highway announced in July it was going to close the beloved spot after over 20 years.
Cerveceria Chapultepec, a Mexico-based chain of one-price restaurants, has closed both of those locations.
Mike Sutter/StaffCerveceria Chapultepec
This closure took people by surprise only because the Mexican chain Cerveceria Chapultepec shuttered both of its San Antonio locations in late June without any word after just a year.
William and Addie Garner, owners of Mr. and Mrs. G’s Home Cooking and Pastry on WW White Road, closed the restaurant this year.
JOHN DAVENPORT, Staff Photographer / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWSMr. & Mrs. G’s
This San Antonio soul food staple on the Eastside announced via social media in July that the restaurant would close after serving the community for 32 years.
The Gwendolyn Burger with a half-pound beef patty and a house-baked bun was one of the items you could get at 5 Points.
Mike Sutter/Staff5 Points
This European concept at 1017 N Flores said that it would close its doors in July because it had trouble finding staff after the COVID-19 pandemic.
You could find the Big Over Easy Pizza with eggs at Broken Stone when it was open.
Chuck Blount/StaffBroken Stone Pizza Co.
This Boerne pizzeria that opened its doors 10 years ago said in a Facebook post in July that it would have to close at the end of the month, saying that it was the only option they had.
Rawley and Christine Weber were the owners of Flagstop Cafe. Now the building no longer exists.
Photo courtesy of Rawley WeberFlagstop Cafe
Another Boerne restaurant that fed the community for 36 years closed its doors in August. Any chance at a return to the same location was dashed as the building was later demolished.
Sol Y Luna made a variety of giant cookies.
Yelp / Tara T.Sol y Luna Baking Company
A popular bakery on the Northside known as Sol y Luna Baking Company closed in August after 14 years because the family decided to “hang up our rolling pins” and retire.
Hometown Burger closed all of its chains abruptly.
Google MapsHometown Burgers
This local burger chain abruptly closed all eight of its locations in September with very little explanation in a Facebook post that said: “It is with a heavy heart that we are announcing the permanent closing of all of our Hometown Burger locations. We thank you for your business over the years. We’ll see you on the flip side.”
This meatball pizza was one of the pies you could order at Truth Pizzeria.
Mike Sutter /Staff file photoTruth Pizzeria
Truth Pizzeria, a pizza joint on the Eastside that received praise, announced “with a heavy heart” that it would close its doors in October.
We Asked 17 Drinks Pros: What’s the Best After-Dinner Drink?
Dessert may be some folks’ favorite course, but here at VinePair, we believe the best way to end a meal involves a tipple or two. From cocktails and cordials to wines and digestifs, the act of consuming after-dinner drinks is a long-standing tradition. And thanks to the rise of craft cocktails and the resurgence of amari in recent years, the nightcap has returned with vigor.
Today’s after-dinner drinks take many forms and range from customary digestion-aiding drinks and dessert wines to intricate specialty cocktails. If you’re new to the movement and are just entering your grown-up after-dinner drinking phase, finding the right sip to fit your preference can be daunting — especially in today’s Espresso Martini-laden landscape. To help guide you, we’ve polled a team of experts. Ahead, bartenders, sommeliers, and other beverage pros share their favorite drinks to sip post-meal.
The Best After-Dinner Drinks, According to Drinks Pros
- negroni
- Jean-Marc Roulot L’Abricot Liqueur
- Palm wine
- Underberg
- Forthave
- Carajillo
- Ferrari
- Chartreuse VEP
- Drambuie
- Braulio
- Pineau
- Kijoshu
- 2000 D’Oliveiras Malvasia Colheita Madeira
- Francoli Antico Amaro Novelis Liqueur
- Averna
“My cocktail of choice is always Negroni, and is, of course, served over one big ice cube. The most interesting Negroni I think I’ve ever had was in Positano a month ago. It was fermented in butter for 24 days before serving.” —Justin Moran, founder, The Hidden Sea, South Australia
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“An after-dinner drink should be a crowd pleaser — something anyone and everyone can enjoy after a wonderful meal. Lately, I’ve been reaching for Jean-Marc Roulot’s L’Abricot liqueur. It’s made from apricots grown on the estate of JL Chave in the Hermitage which are then shipped to Meursault, where they are macerated in a brandy made from Roulot’s own grapes. It has a pure apricot flavor that anyone will love and isn’t as polarizing as whiskey or amaro.” —Jon Adler, beverage director, Shinji’s, New York City
“My favorite after-dinner drink is palm wine. Palm wine is a traditional African beverage that is made by tapping the sap of a palm tree. The juice then hangs from a bucket attached to the side of the tree and naturally ferments for up to six hours. Afterward, you are left with a slightly sweet and creamy ‘wine’ that has a low ABV of just around 4 percent.” —Mathew Scherl, beverage director, Lagos Restaurant & Lounge, NYC
“The bracingly herbal Underberg digestif is my top choice for after-dinner drinks. Not only does the slogan on their label hold true — ‘After a good meal… to feel bright and alert’ — but the adorably unique mini bottles make it the most fun after-dinner out there, and if you collect the signature green plastic caps , you can redeem them for prizes, like this enviable leather belt holster that costs 480 caps.” —Bryan Schneider, bar director, Quality Branded restaurants, NYC
“I think Forthave is the star here. Not only do I love the gents from Forthave, Aaron Sing Fox and Daniel de la Nuez, but it is an extremely local product coming out of Brooklyn.” —Gabriel Maldonado, beverage director, The Wesley, NYC
“The Carajillo is made many different ways in many different parts of the Spanish-speaking world, and asking five people how they like theirs would probably yield five distinct specs. But the basic formula — espresso with a nice, hearty spirit — is always a winner for an after-dinner drink. I also enjoy a Ferrari cocktail as an after-dinner drink. Fernet-Branca and Campari are polarizing amari — many people either love them or hate them. If you’re in the former camp, this 50/50 concoction brings you the best of both worlds. It retains Fernet’s bracing minty bitterness, but the Campari softens and lightens the overall flavor profile, turning what sounds like an overly intense combination into a uniquely refreshing one. Ferraris are typically consumed as a shot alongside a cold can of Tecate beer, but they’re just as good sipped over ice.” —Noah Manskar, head bartender, Colonia Verde, Brooklyn
“My favorite is Chartreuse VEP (Yellow Label). After a heavy meal — especially during this season, or even if you have a hard time with your digestion — Chartreuse, like many other herbal-based spirits, works best. It is also one of the only liquors that ages and improves in-bottle.” —Simon Sebbah, beverage director, The Lambs Club, NYC
“I love Drambuie as an after-dinner drink. The combination of aged Scotch, Heather honey, spices and herbs is the perfect end to a delicious meal.” —Paula Lukas, bartender and beverage consultant, NYC
“At the end of a meal, a glass of amaro is my go-to. While its pharmaceutical benefits may have been debunked centuries ago, there is something civilized and soothing about ending a