Conference taveng::bagels

    re: -1
    
    Yes Martin, the opening had been anticipated for quite some time.
    I have been meaning to get a sampler of my in-law's products over
    to them.  They are in the kosher meat (as was my family) business,
    and on top of the usual red meat/poultry, they manufacture
    continental-style kosher meat products, i.e., westphalian ham -->
    westphalian beef, and assorted other wursts, etc.
    
    David

    
    And now, for some deli trivia:
    
    1. Whose pictures are depicted on the Maven's menu?
    
    2. Where did Maven's cook work as her last job?
    
    3. What was Alan Dershowitz's *original* idea for an eatery?
    
    (If everyone kicks in $ .25 we can treat the winner to a pastrami
    sandwich...) /Fern

    Hey Fern on a number of those you kinda have an unfair
    advantage :-)
    
    Well since I haven't been there yet (yup a week after its opened
    - but maybe tonight for take-out) I can't talk about the menu but
    the cook at Mavens used to be the cook at Harvard Hillel.
    
    yossi
    

Isn't it time for this group to have another woods meeting?

Martin.

    re: .4
    
    I wholeheartily agree, but I'm up to my you-know-what in organizing
    work activities, who would like to organize this?
    
    David

re Woods meeting -

Yeah!!!  I'm game - this would be my first-ever DEC-related meeting
at a Kosher restaurant, I've been waiting for this moment for 7 years!

By the way David, what is "kosher-style Westphalian ham"??  

Kathy

    re:-1
    
    Kathy, we do not sell "kosher-style ham", what it is is kosher meat
    made to give all the appearances of Westphalian ham, and it does.
    
    Good to see you taking the initiative.
    
    David

re .4

Count me in.  Martin, is it your turn to organize?

Gavriel

    
    Partial credit awarded for the Delittante Quiz.
    
    Zan, the cook at Mavens, was indeed the cook at Harvard Hillel last
    year.  She was coaxed/wooed/stolen from Hillel by Dershowitz, who
    sent her off to chef school in New York in preparation for the deli's
    opening.  Those in the know say they won't be surprised to find
    carrots creeping into all the deli's dishes--carrots were apparently a
    particular favorite of hers at Hillel, where they turned up in the
    soups, the entrees, and the desserts, with alarming frequency...

    Well are we considering any dates for this woods meeting yet?  Just
    curious.
    
    David

How about this Thursday (May 6) @ 7:15.  If I know how many people are coming,
I can get there earlier and put my name on the list.  I just called and
they don't take reservations: "they're always busy."

So, rather than make plans, let's just pick a date and show up.


Martin.

    Boy you work fast!  I hope that you can gather everyone in on short
    notice, I'll try to be there myself.
    
    David

Given that we can't make reservations, all that's needed is notice here.
I fear that if we wait too long, the place will be even more popular than
it is today.


Perhaps our friendly moderator could send a notice out to the membership?

Martin.

>Given that we can't make reservations, all that's needed is notice here.
>I fear that if we wait too long, the place will be even more popular than
>it is today.
>
>
>Perhaps our friendly moderator could send a notice out to the membership?

    Actually, your friendly moderator would prefer some delay because he
    has a little trouble with such short notice   8^{).

    If noone other than I objects among the people who read regularly,
    I will post to the mailing list before I go home tonight.

    Gavriel

So, let's pick a better date.

M.

    re:-1
    
    Martin,
    
    Why don't we go for May 12?
    
    David

>    Martin,
>    
>    Why don't we go for May 12?
>    
>    David

	I can think of a reason.  Arthur Avnon is making a presentation
	at Hebrew College that evening 7:30 to 9 pm -- which I'm going
	to.  :-)

/don

    I already had plans to go there this Thursday.  It shouldn't be
    hard to figure out which table is the group from BAGELS.  If I
    spot you, I'll stop by.
    
    Dave

       Rule #1:  No matter what date you pick, someone will be pissed
         because he/she has a conflict.  
       
       Why not go ahead with the May 6 date as a trial run.  If the
       weather is decent, you can get the stuff to go (eating either in
       front of Grendel's, or in the yard next to the Charles Hotel.
       (Getting stuff to-go also avoids problems of people showing
       up at different times.)
       
       --Mr Topaz

    
    - .1
    
    Get it to go?  And miss listening to 40-odd bacon-with-Sunday-brunch
    types kvelling about the wonders of kosher deli?  And miss watching
    the cook scurrying around muttering about the maitre d'?  And miss
    the maitre d' pretending to be Don Rickles?  And miss watching a
    handful of Harvard law professors in the corner listen respectfully
    as one of them brags about the sandwich which is now his namesake?
    Tsk tsk.  That'd be like viewing Niagara in a goldfish bowl :~)
    --Fern

Is there a particular Thursday fetish among you folks? The two dates mentioned
were Thursdays...is it because it's payday?

Anyhoo, I can't make it 'coz I have a class to attend (its last meeting is 5/12)
8*(

So, get some heartburn for me.

eric

    Shalom, Y'all

    Have we decided on a date and time yet?

    Gavriel

    I can make it either tomorrow (May _5_) or next week.
    Which is it?
    

Any day except Monday is fine by me.

Of course, there's no reason why we can't go more than once, right?

M.

       re .24:
       
       Oh, okay, let's all just show up any time, any day we feel
       like it.
       
       Perhaps Martin would have said in .24, if he had a chance to
       reconsider his flaccid pronouncement about a day and time that he
       originally proposed, is that it's too late to arrange anything for
       tonight, but that May 12th at 7:15 is a 'go'.
       
       --Mr Topaz 

    I'll 2nd the motion for the 12th.

    Gav

    And I'll third it.
    
    David

    Besides, the 6th is Friday and the 5th is Thursday.

Thursday the 12'th is fine.

Martin.

    Tried Maven's last night:
        
    	pickles   -- great
    	borscht   -- terrific, but portion small
        tongue	  -- tasty but very fatty
        brisket   -- good
        light rye -- good
    	turkey    -- dry  
        russian 
        dressing  -- okay
        coleslaw  -- poor
        menu      -- too cute for comfort
        prices    -- expensive (e.g., $10 for brisket sandwich, coleslaw,
    		     & soda)          
    
    All in all, nothing at Maven's -- except maybe the borscht -- was
    better than at Ruben's (Harvard Ave., Brookline);  Ruben's prices and 
    parking are, however, better than Maven's.
    
        

    re: -1
    
    I was at Mavens last night and agree with the food rating, especially
    regarding the cole slaw.  However, I thought the food was better
    than Rubins and the place had a nicer "feel" to it - I know thats
    subjective. Prices though are higher than Rubins, some of them aren't
    even close.
    

	RE:  .-2


	I was a Maven's on Sunday.

	I also think that the menu was "cute", but I did think that
	the food was an easy step function above Ruben's.  The
	turkey was a little dry, I agree -- the pastrami was
	_outstanding_, the corned beef was better than Ruben's.
	Selection is much better; I found service much better than Rubin's.

	It is somewhat expensive.  We "eat out" so seldom that
	I did not find that an issue.

	For several reasons, some time ago we simply stopped eating
	at Rubin's. We had a very nice experience at Maven's.

	And -- for what it's worth to you -- the standard of
	Kashrut is considerably higher at Maven's.  [How do I know?  My
	Rabbi is president of the Va'ad; he certified Maven's, and
	also has detailed knowledge of Rubin's. Also,
	a good personal friend of mine is the mashgiach.]

>	And -- for what it's worth to you -- the standard of
>	Kashrut is considerably higher at Maven's.  

I heard that Rubin's was going glatt.

What time?  7, 7:30?

Gavriel

Seven sounds good.

If people send me mail (THUNDR::MINOW) up to 3 PM, I'll call Maven's
to warn them how many to expect.

Martin.

>>I heard that Rubin's was going glatt.

	That's a good rumor.

	They're under a lot of pressure from the Va'ad to
	do exactly that.  We'll see.

/don

    Parking in Harvard Square is normally bad, but Thursday night is
    the worst time of week.  It's the night stores stay open.
    
    Two tips:  Mavens will validate for parking at the Charles Hotel
    garage; it'll be $1.50/hr. instead of the usual $3/hr.  (It used
    to be $1/hr at that garage without validation...)  Or you can take
    the Red Line; parking is $3 at Alewife station on Rt. 2.
             fred (Judy & I should be there)

I'm going to try to make it - did we say seven?  How will I know you
guys? (Is someone going to wear a DEC badge, frog zample?)

We had a lovely meal: pan-blackened tuna, roasted duckling, salmon with roasted
garlic, and barbequeued tuna.

This is not your usual deli fare; but Maven's isn't your usual deli.  Unlike
most deli's, they were closed this evening for final painting and fixing up
in preperation for their official grand opening on Monday.

So, about 8 of us showed up (on time), had a nice chat with one of the very
apologetic owners, and ended up at the Green Street Grill in Central Square.

My fault for not phoning this afternoon.  On the other hand, one of us did
phone to ask about parking, and they didn't say anything about not being open.

So, maybe next week?

Martin.

Well, it's opened to the usual Cantibridgian welcome.  (The deli was
picketed because one of its owners (Prof. Dershowitz) had defended
the First Amendment rights of pornographers.  I suspect that, had
the picketers been arrested, he would have offered to defend them,
too.)

Shall we try again?  Perhaps Tuesday, May 24th, this time?

Martin.

So, are we going to try again, or what?

Martin.

    re: -1
    
    I opt that we meet again this week or next Thursday the 2nd.
    
    David

    My preference would be tomorrow, Thursday the 26th.
    

	I can't come the 26th, but if it's 2 June, I'll plan on being there.

					Aaron

    re .44

    Gam ani!

    Gavriel

June 2 sounds fine.

Martin.

    Then we can officially declare June 2 as the meeting date?
    
    David

    re: .47
    
    Gee Aaron thanks for "volunteering" me!  That's ok, I'll go ahead
    and make the reservation, shall we say a table for 20 @7:00 p.m.?
    
    David

They don't do reservations.  Best you can do is to call them around 3 pm
and warn them; then one of us should show up *real* early to get our names
on the list.

Martin.

    So, nu? Vot hoppent?
    
    				Russ

    About eight of us showed up.  As to my opinion of the food, it was
    good, however I wouldn't call their pastrami superior to Rubin's.
    
    David

    For your interest, Robert Nadeau (really the infamous Mark Zanger),
    the food critic of the Boston Phoenix has written a review of Maven's
    in this week's edition of the aforementioned rag.
    
    It's not bad, and in fact he raises many points that I agree with.
    
    David

   Is Maven's still around?  I'll be in the area in a few weeks and 
   might check it out.

    
    Yes, Maven's is still here and doing well.  Check it out: It's pricey,
    but fun.

    Update on Mavens':
    
    The Vaad Haraboanim has withdrawn its hecksher.  Mavens is now open
    on Shabbos.
    
    While it may seem that the latter is the cause of the former, topic
    570 speculates that the opposite may be true, so I won't cast judgement
    here.  Mavens still serves only kosher food; they just do it seven
    days a week.

    Hi,
    
    To me it sounds good that there are kosher shops/restaurents 
    even if they have to open on Shabbath to be viable. 
    
    It opens up interesting questions about are the people who choose
    tu use a kosher place on Shabbath, and even more interesting ones
    about who are the people who work there, and keep the place supervised.
    
    Malcolm
    

A brief item in today's Boston Globe noted that Maven's has closed its
doors "until the restaurant is sold."

As one might expect, the meat supplier is suing the owners, who, being
lawyers, are suing back.

If the lawsuit ever comes to trial, it would be worth going to: the
three lawyers include two Harvard Law professors (Alan Dersowitz and
Arthur Miller) and one very well-known Boston attorney, Harvey Silverglate.

Martin.

    And to complete the irony, yesterday's Boston Globe Calendar section
    had its featured restaurant review of
    
    Latacarta, in Peterborough, NH.
    
    The owner said he likes it there and won't move back.