Image by Flickr

Just when you recovered from the long weekend comes World Chocolate Day on July 7th. And Israeli-owned chocolate emporium Max Brenner in New York’s Union Square is stepping up to the plate with a Pina Chocolada drink, Melting Chocolate Truffle cake and, um, chocolate syringes.

But the kicker is chocolate selfies – yes, images by a “chocolate portrait selfie artist.”

That is a real job title.

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A Taste of Brazil at Home

There’s a Jewish connection to the latest box from Try the World, a subscription service whose monthly deliveries showcase different countries.

For July, chef and author Leticia Schwartz is partnering on the company’s first-ever Brazil box, which debuts this week. Inside: spice mix and barbecue sauce inspired by the churrasco, or traditional Brazilian BBQ restaurant; a mix for pao de queijo, or cheese bread, a ubiquitous snack in Brazil; brazil nut cookies; and goibada guava paste, a fruit preserve made from guava juice and pulp. Schwartz has also thrown in some family recipes.

A subscription’s $39/box.

New Jewish Deli Coming to DC

Details are sketchy, but Washington, DC’s getting a new deli. On Rye will open in Chinatown sometime this year.

Washington Business Journal reports that a developer has ordered a buildout for the restaurant, whose food is currently available at Nationals Park. “Apparently, the babka is amazing,” writes Michael Neibauer.

Indeed, On Rye’s babka ice-cream sandwich has earned raves from the Washington Post. Stay tuned.

Matzo-Meal Fried Chicken

For summer, Houston’s fabulous Kenny & Ziggy’s is adding all-American fried chicken with a haimish twist to the menu; the crunchy coating’s made of matzo meal. For $21.95, you get five pieces, mashed potatoes, cole slaw and corn on the cob, reports Houston Press.

Israeli Domino’s Pizza?

A Domino’s pizza pie. Image by Flickr

A star Israeli chef is catching heat for lending his name — and face — to a new Domino’s pizza line.

Assaf Granit, whose restaurants include London’s Michelin-starred Palomar and the white-hot Jerusalem eatery Machneyuda, launched the “Assaf Granit by Domino’s” collaboration in June, with three specialty pizzas.

But not everyone’s picking up the phone to order. “As a chef who has acquired a reputation for fastidiousness, Assaf Granit is putting himself at the service of those whose greatest business enemy is fastidiousness,” sneered Haaretz.

A Kosher Wawa

Image by Facebook

Now open in Ventnor, New Jersey: “A kosher version of Wawa.”

That’s how owner Andrea Lee describes Poppy’s Café & Commissary, a playfully named convenience store stuffed with prepackaged foods including pastries, bagels, meats, cheeses, candy, chocolate, salads, pickles and knishes, along with beach musts like hats and books, according to The Jewish Exponent.

Wawa, of course, is the always-on chain of convenience store/gas stations all over the mid-Atlantic.

Kosher Sushi Craze Continues

Latest on the bandwagon is Houston’s Genesis Steakhouse. Houstonia mag says the 15 featured rolls include a California roll topped with whitefish and spicy sauce, then baked. Basic makis like spicy tuna and Philadelphia round out the menu.

Sorry, but you lost us at “baked sushi.”

Kosher Sub in Kansas? Not So Fast

Dish got excited when we saw this headline in the Wichita Eagle:

New Ron Baker sandwich is spicy, cheesy — and completely kosher now that he’s graduated.

Kosher food in Kansas!

False alarm. It turns out the writer had deemed the sandwich “kosher” in jest — its namesake, a local basketball player, had just signed with the New York Knicks.

We did wonder if any frum Wichitans had wandered into Planet Sub looking for a “kosher” sub composed of salami, pepperoni, spicy capicola, provolone, red onions, lettuce, banana peppers, oregano and oil and vinegar.

Michael Kaminer is a contributing editor at the Forward.

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