Non-kosher hotdog sparks outrage in NY

[Nagishkaw 510]

Non-kosher hot dogs can be found in almost every corner of New York City, but in the case of one Brooklyn eatery, their presence almost sparked a riot.

It happened just a few days ago, when patrons of "The Shawarma King" kosher deli spotted a non-kosher frankfurter wrapper and then saw a worker at the restaurant barbecuing the meat on the grill. The customers confronted the man, a heated argument broke out, and the incident quickly escalated from there.

Footage captured by a cell phone on the scene and aired on New York City's CBS 2 showed the patrons yelling at the worker, who, in response, grabbed an electric knife from behind the counter and fended off the angry crowd.

"I was petrified - stuff was going through my mind," one man told the news station. "I want to live. I don't want to get stabbed for a hotdog."

Other customers who were present at the time played down the incident and defended the worker.

"He just got angry," the patron told CBS 2. "He wasn't about to do anything to the guys."

According to rabbi who originally granted the restaurant its kashrut certification, the whole situation was "a terrible mistake," but certainly not intentional.

"It was a one-time incident," he wrote in Yiddish in a Jewish community newspaper, explaining that the workers who had been sent to buy the hot dogs had gotten confused and purchased the items from the wrong market.

"They caught it before it was even served to the consumers," he added.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid...icle%2FShowFull

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I won't buy any street meat in NYC after I saw a car pull up on 5th avenue one day on my way to work - guy pops the trunk, starts unloading meat wrapped in black plastic bin liners and delivers it to a nearby fast food restaurant.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I won't buy any street meat in NYC after I saw a car pull up on 5th avenue one day on my way to work - guy pops the trunk, starts unloading meat wrapped in black plastic bin liners and delivers it to a nearby fast food restaurant.

Does that go for DC-area as well? (asked because there is a "naan-and-kabab" cart due across from my office--no, I haven't bought there yet).

[AlHayatZween 2]

Yeah, man... one has to be careful about these things!

Also there is nothing like an all-beef kosher frank...

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I won't buy any street meat in NYC after I saw a car pull up on 5th avenue one day on my way to work - guy pops the trunk, starts unloading meat wrapped in black plastic bin liners and delivers it to a nearby fast food restaurant.

Does that go for DC-area as well? (asked because there is a "naan-and-kabab" cart due across from my office--no, I haven't bought there yet).

I can't say I've ever eaten there.

I don't eat fast food generally tho.

[Nagishkaw 510]

I won't buy any street meat in NYC after I saw a car pull up on 5th avenue one day on my way to work - guy pops the trunk, starts unloading meat wrapped in black plastic bin liners and delivers it to a nearby fast food restaurant.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

My opinion on sausages, including hot-dogs (shared by my wife and MIL): no thanx, they're about as compatible with us as avocados

[AlHayatZween 2]

ok, i understand your concerns about street meat, but wait what is wrong with avocados?

[almaty 19]

hmm. i was curious myself

[Nagishkaw 510]

hmm. i was curious myself

I was curious yellow.

[Amby 490]

I find all the rules for being kosher very odd. I will tell you that I've worked A LOT of "all kosher" weddings and events. Many times it's very hard to get things kosher or the client wants them kosher but isn't willing to pay the extra cost. Sometimes they get non-kosher thinking it's kosher. I'm sure it's ok if they don't know. They're innocent. We're the ones going to hell

eta: it's very easy to get things in past the rabbi if you have a good imagination and a big trash can

Edited March 23, 2009 by Amby

[almaty 19]

hmm. i was curious myself

I was curious yellow.

touche, and you were banned in boston

[Peikko 1,575]

How can anyone be sure that their meat is Kosher? We live in a society where the point of production is so far removed from the point of consumption that we are just reliant on what people say which is less than satisfactory on many occasions. Of course, most people are honest most of the time, but you just don't know if you are dealing with the rogue element.

[Nagishkaw 510]

hmm. i was curious myself

I was curious yellow.

touche, and you were banned in boston

You remember!

[Amby 490]

How can anyone be sure that their meat is Kosher? We live in a society where the point of production is so far removed from the point of consumption that we are just reliant on what people say which is less than satisfactory on many occasions. Of course, most people are honest most of the time, but you just don't know if you are dealing with the rogue element.

Unless everything at the place is kosher then nothing really is. Unless they have separate pots/pans, separate kitchen, utensils, etc. They had to boil my knives and then wrap the handles in plastic wrap. I wasn't allowed to take them out of the kosher kitchen. If I took them out the rabbi would have to boil them and wrap them again. It was so odd to me. The only way they could leave the kitchen is if the rabbi took them to the place we were going.