Mark Around the World Posts

Kosher Meat Restaurant and Market in Bogotá, Colombia ✈ Kosher Express Bogotá: Restaurant, Butcher, and Bakery in Colombia During my time in Bogotá, Colombia , I visited Kosher Express , a place that combines a butcher, bakery, and restaurant all under one roof. It is located at Calle 70A # 9-45, in the Chapinero neighborhood. This part of the city is known for its mix of commercial activity, residential areas, and small businesses, which makes it easy to find restaurants, ma

Bogotá, Colombia ✈ BD Bacatá in Bogota, Colombia When I visited Bogotá, Colombia , one of the first things that caught my attention was BD Bacatá , a skyscraper that dominates the city skyline. Located at Carrera 5 # 19-45 in the downtown area, this building is impossible to miss as it rises above the surrounding streets in a staggered, modernist style of glass and steel. It currently holds the title of the tallest building in Bogotá, making it a natural point of interest for

Kosher Meat Restaurant in Bogotá, Colombia ✈ HaMakom Kosher Restaurant in Bogotá, Colombia On my recent trip to Bogotá, Colombia , I stopped at HaMakom , a kosher meat restaurant located at Carrera 11a # 82-71. The name is written in Hebrew on the front sign as “המקום,” which in English translates to “The Place.” It’s a fitting name, since HaMakom serves as a meeting point for locals and visitors looking for authentic kosher Middle Eastern food. The restaurant sits on a pedes

Bogotá, Colombia ✈ Monserrate Mountain in Bogotá, Colombia Monserrate in Bogotá: Experiencing the City from Above When I planned my trip to Bogotá, Colombia , I knew that visiting Monserrate had to be part of my itinerary. Monserrate is one of the most recognized landmarks in the city, and at 3,152 meters (10,341 feet) above sea level, it offers an unmatched view of Colombia’s capital. The mountain is topped by a church, restaurants, walking paths, and lookout points that dr

Kosher Bakery in Bogotá, Colombia ✈ Babbka Bar Kosher Bakery in Bogotá, Colombia When I was in Bogotá, Colombia , I stopped by Babbka Bar , a kosher bakery that specializes in babka and related pastries. They spell the name with two b’s, “Babbka,” and they also use the branding “Yum Babbka.” The bakery is located at Cra. 12 # 85-65, in the Chapinero neighborhood, a part of the city known for its mix of cafés, restaurants, and shops. It is also notable that Babbka Bar sits dir

Bogotá, Colombia ✈ Calle del Embudo in Bogotá, Colombia When I planned my time in Bogotá, Colombia I knew I wanted to explore La Candelaria , the historic district at the heart of the city. Within this neighborhood lies a narrow cobblestone street that has become one of the most photographed and talked-about areas in Bogotá: Calle del Embudo . The name translates directly to “Funnel Street,” a reference to the way the street narrows as it descends. That funnel-like shape is

Kosher Deli Restaurant in Bogotá, Colombia ✈ Manhattan Delicatessen Kosher Restaurant in Bogotá, Colombia When I travel, I like to find places that connect me to home while also showing me something different about the world. On this trip, I came from New York City to Bogotá, Colombia , with a very specific goal: to sit down and have a pastrami sandwich at Manhattan Delicatessen . There are plenty of reasons to visit Bogotá, but as someone who writes about travel and food, I

Bogotá, Colombia ✈ Monserrate in Bogotá, Colombia Bogotá , the capital of Colombia , is a city that sits high in the Andes mountains at more than 8,600 feet above sea level. Its altitude immediately sets it apart from many other Latin American capitals. The air is thinner, the weather is cooler, and there is always a sense of being perched above much of the surrounding region. For travelers arriving from lower elevations, the first few days can require some adjustment, but th

Kosher Restaurant in Bogotá, Colombia ✈ PizzaTov Kosher Restaurant in Bogotá, Colombia When I travel, one of the first things I look for is kosher food. In Bogotá, Colombia , I found PizzaTov , a restaurant that has become a reliable kosher address in the city. Located at Calle 84 # 24-43 in the Barrios Unidos neighborhood, near the Polo Club area, PizzaTov is part of a broader project called KosherTOV . Tov is the Hebrew word for Good. The restaurant sits in a quiet part of

Bogotá, Colombia ✈ Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá, Colombia On my visit to Bogotá , I set aside time to explore Plaza de Bolívar , the central square of the city and one of the most important public spaces in Colombia . The plaza has been at the center of Bogotá’s history since the city’s founding in 1538, and today it remains both a symbolic and practical center of government, religion, and daily activity. To get there, I took an Uber from my hotel, the Hilton Bogotá . The ride

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

Keeping connected while traveling ✈ Work continues smoothly between stops when you can reach your desktop remotely. I spend a lot of time...

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

New York City ✈ New York City's Diamond District on 47th Street I stepped onto the sidewalk at Fifth Avenue and 47th Street near the east entrance to New York City’s Diamond District , with a sense of return that always hits me in this part of Midtown. My grandfather on my mother’s side first walked this same block in the 1940s, fresh from Antwerp, Belgium after escaping the Nazi advance. He took a bench‐jeweler’s seat in a cramped upstairs workshop and spent long days at the

JFK Airport in New York City ✈ HelloSky Lounge at JFK’s Terminal 4 in New York City I reached JFK’s Terminal 4 in New York City , cleared security, and turned left toward the A-gates. Just past the McDonald’s, a wall carries the new HelloSky Lounge logo on a blue backdrop. For years the sign read “Primeclass” and the interior wore deep red trim; the lounge changed hands in early 2025 and the blue paint went up almost overnight. The redesign stopped at the logo, so anyone wh