“It is with great sadness that This Thursday, September 29th will be the last day that Terra will be Kosher under the supervision of the Vaad,” went the announcement this week on the Facebook page of a unique vegetarian restaurant at 238 Washington Ave., in Albany, NY. Terra, with a large international menu of Vegetarian, Vegan and Pescetarian (pronounced pes·ca·tar·i·an, meaning dining on fish) dishes boasts of being the only full service restaurant of its kind between NYC and Montreal.
Until Thursday, Terra has been under the supervision of the Vaad Hakahsruth of the Capital District, and Rabbi Moshe Bomzer (Orthodox) was the Rav HaMachshir.
The restaurant’s Facebook pages stated plainly: “It has been our privilege to have served the community for almost 22 months. However, without the Jewish travelers, the local support is simply not enough. (Travel season ended after Labor Day).”
“On behalf of our owner, Dzavid Cekic and the ‘man with the dream’ for a kosher restaurant in the Capital District, Howard Katz, we want to say THANK YOU to all who help make TERRA possible. We hope you will stop in on Wednesday or Thursday ‘one moe time’ for a pizza or dinner to say ‘farewell, until we meet again.'”
The Facebook entry promised that “if there is a show of support, we will look to resurrect a new Capital District kosher Restaurant in a smaller space, in a location more suitable for our locals. Thank you again, one and all.”
Before the closing announcement, Terra claimed that it served “The BEST Eggplant Parmesan in the Capital District, and it ‘happens to be’… Cholov Yisroel Kosher!!!”
Ah, well.
The Terra move represents a loss of 25% of the kosher restaurants available around Albany and Saratoga Springs, NY. For the list of the remaining three, click here.
