Basil Pizza & Wine Bar

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Basil Pizza & Wine Bar
Basil Pizza & Wine Bar
Restaurant information
Established2010 (2010)
Closed2023 (2023)
Street address270 Kingston Avenue
City Brooklyn
County Kings
State New York
Postal/ZIP Code11213
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 40°40′13″N73°56′32.5″W / 40.67028°N 73.942361°W / 40.67028; -73.942361

Basil Pizza & Wine Bar was a restaurant in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.

Contents

Basil is credited with "ushering in the new era of fine kosher dining in the neighborhood, " so that by 2017 The Jewish Week described Crown Heights as "an eating destination." [1] The menu featured a range of vegetarian and fish dishes, in addition to pizza baked in a wood-fired oven. [2] [3]

A kale pizza from Basil Pizza & Wine Bar. Kale Pizza from Basil Pizza & Wine Bar.jpg
A kale pizza from Basil Pizza & Wine Bar.

Frank Bruni of The New York Times describes Basil, which opened in 2010 on the West Indian side of a neighborhood with a mixed population of Orthodox Jews, immigrants from the West Indies, that was beginning to attract hipsters and upscale purchasers for it fin de siecle row houses, as a "cross-cultural experiment, trying to promote better integration of, and communication between, groups in Crown Heights that haven’t always mingled much or seen eye to eye." [3] [4] [5] [2]

Moshe Wendel was part of the team that opened Basil. [6] The Forward called Wendel, one of the "small band of chefs has led the way in kosher dining, with restaurants that rival their local non-kosher competition." [7]

Daniel Branover was the owner. [8] [9]

Controversies

In February 2017, the owners of Basil's brought the owners of Calabria, a kosher pizza shop set to open directly across the street from them, to Beth Din (rabbinical court). They claimed unfair competition, known as Hasagat Gevul in Jewish law. [10] The court ultimately ruled that Calabria could open, but they were not allowed to serve any specialized pies, including the "Roman-style" pies they had originally advertised. After modifying their recipe to a "New York-Style" pie, Calabria was permitted to open. [8] Calabria closed on September 11, 2019. [11]

In June 2017 OK Kosher removed kosher certification from the restaurant. a back and forth ensued in which Basil claimed the certification was removed for "personal issues" [12] and the OK claiming it was due to contractual failure, [13] but not saying publicly what the issue was. Basil continued to operate for several mounts under the self certification of Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Not the late Lubavitch Rebbe whose Synagogue and office are just around the corner on Eastern Parkway, but rather a business partner with the same name . In November of the same year they received a new kosher certification from the Orthodox Union. [14]

Closure

In April 2023 Basils announced via their social media that they were temporarily closed and hoping to reopen shortly, But by late June it was reported that they were closing for good. [15] [16]

References

  1. ↑ Levin, Chaim; Dreyfus, Hanna (March 9, 2017). "Crown Heights Now Artisanal Kosher Haven". The Jewish Week . Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  2. 1 2 Firger, Jessica (August 26, 2010). "Café Serves All, Lubavitch Style". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  3. 1 2 Bruni, Frank (October 7, 2010). "Keeping It Kosher". New York Times. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  4. ↑ Feder, Shira (January 5, 2018). "Kosher Pizza Goes Avant-Garde". The Forward . Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  5. ↑ Udasin, Sharon (March 5, 2010). "The Rebbe's Rosé". The Jewish Week . Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  6. ↑ Blatter, Lucy (May 26, 2019). "Chosen Chefs: Moshe Wendel of Brooklyn's Pardes". The Forward . Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  7. ↑ Furst, Devra (July 26, 2011). "As Chefs Become More Observant, Kosher Menus Go Gourmet". The Forward. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  8. 1 2 Kilgannon, Corey (March 28, 2017). "In Brooklyn's Pizza War, Modern Tastes Battle Ancient Law". New York Times. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  9. ↑ Honig, Michelle (March 29, 2017). "Kosher Pizza War Simmers On After Brooklyn Rabbis Rule". The Forward . Retrieved May 26, 2019.
  10. ↑ "Kosher Pizza War Simmers On After Brooklyn Rabbis Rule". The Forward. March 30, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  11. ↑ Reporter, COLlive (September 24, 2019). "Calabria, Jus By Julie Close Shop". COLlive. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  12. ↑ "OK Removes Basil's Certification". COLlive. June 26, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  13. ↑ "OK Removes Hashgacha From Basil in Brooklyn; Restaurant Responds • YeahThatsKosher". YeahThatsKosher – Kosher Restaurants & Travel. June 27, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Brooklyn's Basil Restaurant Is Under New Kosher Certification • YeahThatsKosher". YeahThatsKosher – Kosher Restaurants & Travel. November 20, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  15. ↑ "End of an Era: Basil NY Pizza & Wine Bar Has Permanently Closed • YeahThatsKosher". YeahThatsKosher – Kosher Restaurants & Travel. June 27, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
  16. ↑ Reporter, COLlive (June 27, 2023). "Basil Pizza & Wine Bar in Crown Heights Officially Closes". COLlive. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
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