Mark Around the World Posts

Private Villas for Kosher Travelers in Providenciales, Turks & Caicos ✈ Photo credit: Beach Enclave Turks & Caicos There are places that redefine what it means to take a family vacation, and Beach Enclave is one of them. Imagine a collection of private villas along some of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, each with its own butler, chef support, and space for the entire family to spread out. That’s the reality at Beach Enclave Turks & Caicos on the island of Provi

Kosher Meat Bar & Restaurant in New Rochelle, New York ✈ The North End Grill Kosher Restaurant in New Rochelle, New York The North End Grill is a new kosher restaurant in New Rochelle, New York , and it’s part of a noticeable upswing in kosher dining in Westchester County. Full disclosure: this is my sister-in-law’s brother’s restaurant. The place soft-opened for takeout in late September 2024 and started dine-in service the following month. It sits at 1301 North Avenue at

Blade Helicopter Flight in New York City ✈ Blade Helicopter Flight to JFK in New York City New York City traffic between Manhattan and the airports is a gamble I rarely win. One stalled semi on the Van Wyck, an accident on the Brooklyn–Queens Expressway, or a flooded FDR lane can wreck a schedule that looks fine on paper. After a recent slog to JFK that burned more than an hour in a back-seat crawl, I booked a seat on Blade’s by-the-seat helicopter from Blade Lounge West at

4-Star Hotel in New York City ✈ The TWA Hotel at JFK airport in New York City I first spotted the TWA Hotel at JFK airport in New York City long before I reached the front desk. While gliding past on the AirTrain toward Terminal 5, I saw the terminal’s gull-wing roof perched beside the jetways, still as sleek as the morning it opened in 1962. The building was designed by Eero Saarinen for Trans World Airlines at the height of the Jet Age, when air travel promised glamour in

Kosher Meat Fast-Food Restaurant in New York City ✈ Kosher Deluxe in New York City I stepped out of Grand Central with a packed afternoon of calls ahead and a familiar midday dilemma: where in Midtown Manhattan can I grab a kosher meat lunch fast, eat in peace if I have a spare half-hour, or take it back to my hotel room without worrying about soggy fries? 10 West 46th Street has been the answer for years. Kosher Deluxe—now branded as KD46 —sits on the block between Fifth an

Kosher Café in Midtown in New York City ✈ Robusta Espresso Bar in New York City's Diamond District I spend much of my time cataloging kosher dining across the world, and West 47th Street in New York City's Midtown Manhattan remains one of the most concentrated commercial corridors I visit. The block between Fifth and Sixth Avenues is known as the Diamond District , a dense half-mile of wholesalers, cutters, setters, and walk-in shops that together handle the majority of rou

4-Star Hotel in New York City ✈ Dream Downtown, by Hyatt in New York City I checked into Dream Downtown, by Hyatt at 355 West 16th Street on a warm New York City afternoon. The stainless-steel façade set with circular windows looked more like a docked ocean liner than a city building, a deliberate cue that this is not a conventional New York hotel. A doorman guided me into a compact entryway that opens to Ninth Avenue on one side and Sixteenth Street on the other, anchoring

Kosher Meat Restaurant & Bar in Jerusalem, Israel ✈ Jacko's Street Restaurant in Jerusalem, Israel I spent a recent evening on Agripas Street, the busy spine that flanks Jerusalem, Israel ’s Machane Yehuda market, and followed the flow of shoppers and after-work drinkers toward the low façade at number 74 where Jacko’s Street Restaurant & Bar glows under a crisp white sign. Even before I stepped inside, the air smelled of charred meat, rosemary, and toasted bread drifting t

Kosher American Style Retro Diner in Jerusalem, Israel ✈ Buchman’s Diner in Jerusalem, Israel I first noticed Buchman’s Diner earlier this year on a visit to Jerusalem, Israel , while walking on Emek Refaʾim Street in the German Colony. The bright chrome-framed windows and candy-red booths that peeked out from behind them looked like a still frame from a mid-century postcard, and the smell of dough in a wood-fired oven slipped through the doorway. On my most recent visit to

Kosher Café & Bakery in Jerusalem, Israel ✈ Duvshanit Café & Bakery in Jerusalem, Israel I arrived at Duvshanit Café & Bakery at 42 HaPalmach Street early in the day, halfway along the gentle bend of Old Katamon’s main commercial corridor in Jerusalem, Israel . The façade is modest—gold Hebrew lettering on a charcoal awning and Israeli flag bunting fluttering above the window. Turquoise-and-pink woven chairs and a few green rattan seats spill onto the sidewalk under broad be

5-Star Hotel in Jerusalem, Israel ✈ Theatron Jerusalem Hotel & Spa in Jerusalem, Israel I recently had the opportunity to experience the Theatron Jerusalem Hotel & Spa , regarded by many as Jerusalem, Israel 's best new hotel. It’s located in the Talbiya neighborhood, just a few blocks south of Jerusalem’s busy downtown yet feels more like a secluded garden suburb. Tree-lined streets curve around early-twentieth-century villas, diplomatic missions, and cultural landmarks, chi

Kosher Food in Sint Maarten ✈ Chabad House of S. Maarten I walked the short stretch of Billy Folly Road from The Villas at Simpson Bay to the Chabad House of S. Maarten . After three blocks of small storefronts, a plain cream-colored building marked by a Chabad sign and a mezuzah came into view. Inside, one practical multipurpose room serves as synagogue, community space, and kosher kitchen. I have picked up kosher meals from Chabad houses elsewhere - most recently in San Ju

4-Star Hotel in Sint Maarten ✈ The Villas at Simpson Bay Beach Resort in Sint Maarten I recently stayed at The Villas at Simpson Bay...

JFK Airport in New York City ✈ Chase Sapphire Lounge at JFK’s Terminal 4 in New York City I reached John F. Kennedy International...

Kosher Meat Restaurant in Jerusalem, Israel ✈ Andalucia Cocktail Bar in Jerusalem, Israel I reserved an evening for dinner at Andalucia...

Kosher Café in Jerusalem, Israel ✈ Aroma Espresso Bar on Emek Refa'im Street in Jerusalem, Israel I woke up early on a mild mid-week...

Kosher Meat Restaurant in Jerusalem, Israel ✈ Rooftop Restaurant at Mamilla Hotel in Jerusalem, Israel On a recent trip to Jerusalem,...

Kosher Café in Jerusalem, Israel ✈ Muffin Boutique Café in Jerusalem, Israel On a recent trip to Jerusalem, Israel , I had a chance to...

JFK Airport in New York City ✈ The Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Lounge at JFK Airport’s Terminal 4 During a recent visit to New York City's...

LaGuardia Airport in New York City ✈ The Chase Sapphire Lounge at LaGuardia Airport’s Terminal B I recently spent some time at the Chase...