What You Don"t Know May surprise You:
Meat, Pareve and Dairy in Kosher Restaurants
Rabbi Tzvi Rosen, Star-K Kashrus Administrator; Editor, Kashrus Kurrents

A TYPICAL RESTAURANT SCENE: “Ma, I’m going to grab something to eat before supper.” “Fine, but don’t make yourself fleishig. We’re having milchigs tonight.” “No problem. I’ll just get an order of fries from Kosher Burger!”

Was that a fatal supper flaw or not? Possibly, however, it is not uncommon for a fleishig restaurant to cook their french fries or onion rings in the same fryer that is used for chicken. If that is the case, the fries are 100% fleishig, and the little boy is cooked! One would have to wait six hours before eating a dairy meal.

This is not the only pitfall that can befall an unassuming kosher consumer. There are many other factors to take into consideration when dining at a 100% reliable kosher eatery. Just as a fryer can be used for both meat and dairy dishes, so can knives that cut the salad. Also, frying pans used between cutlets and vegetables, or ovens that cook any number of meat and pareve food items interchangeably, would cause the items served to be considered fleishig.

Halacha does make provisions for pareve items prepared in meat or dairy utensils. Those items would be considered in modern kashrus terms, ME or DE; that is, a pareve item cooked in clean meat equipment or dairy equipment. The status of these items is somewhat different than a strictly pareve item. True, you wouldn’t have to wait six hours for french fries from a fleishig fryer, but you would not be able to eat those fries with dairy items, such as pizza. Similarly, it is not permitted to eat french fries from a dairy fryer with a meat hamburger or hot dog.

As kosher restaurants do not routinely maintain segregated fryers, due to the constant preparation of assorted meat and pareve items, keeping a “pareve” fryer is nearly impossible. Accidental splattering, or interchanging of compatible equipment or cooking oil, would make it very difficult to consider those fries pareve even if there is a separate fryer. Similarly, most fried Chinese noodles that are served as an opener in a Chinese restaurant are cooked in the meat fryers and are 100% fleishig .

A TYPICAL RESTAURANT SCENE: “What do you want to order?” “I don’t know, but I am not in the mood for meat.” “Why don’t you try some grilled fish. It’s delicious!”

Ordering fish in a meat restaurant can create other halachic pitfalls to the unaware kosher consumer. It is common to offer fish entrées on a meat restaurant menu. Sushi bars have become very popular in many fleishig establishments, as well. One of the well known laws regarding sakana, Jewish health concerns, stipulates that one is forbidden to eat fish and meat together. Therefore, fish items are cooked and prepared in separate utensils. Furthermore, it is customary to drink a beverage and eat something pareve after the fish, such as a cracker or piece of challah, before eating any meat.

When a popular entrée such as fillet of fish is ordered, it is common to request a fried side dish, such as french fries or Chinese noodles, to munch on while the entrée is being prepared. If these items are considered to be fleishig, the consumer would unwittingly be violating the law of sakana, eating fish and “meat” together.

A TYPICAL RESTAURANT SCENE: “Waiter, I am Sefardi. I am makpid (exacting when it comes to details, rules, regulations) on bishul Yisroel.” “No problem. We have a full-time mashgiach on the premises.”

Many of the items served in kosher restaurants or fast food eateries are oleh al shulchan melachim, i.e., fit to be served at a banquet or state dinner, and are subject to the rules of bishul akum (food cooked by non- Jews). As such, ingredients that are 100% kosher yet cooked by an aino Yehudi are forbidden for consumption. Often, restaurants employ cooks who are aino Yehudim. According to the Rema, the mashgiach should make sure that he/she turns on all the fires of any cooking apparatus to solve the problem of bishul akum. This includes the stove, burners, steamers and rice cookers so that all the critical items on the menu are bishul Yisroel. However, many customers who frequent kosher restaurants are of Sefardic descent. The Bais Yosef, who compiled the Shulchan Aruch, is the leading authority of Sefardic Jewry. He concludes that to satisfy bishul Yisroel requirements, the mashgiach would actually have to place the food in the oven or on the burner. Therefore, while a restaurant might be in 100% halachic compliance, the food being served may not be permitted to a Sefardic Jew.

Regarding kosher doughnut shops, some offer more than kosher doughnuts and coffee. They also serve muffins and croissants with eggs, a popular breakfast menu item. The halacha states that eggs are oleh al shulchan melachim and subject to the laws of bishul akum. It goes without saying that doughnut shops do not have the luxury of full-time supervision, and frequently eggs are microwaved in order to avoid the prohibition of bishul akum. However, if the doughnut shop prepares the omelets on the grill, the laws of bishul akum would apply. If certification only applies to the doughnuts and coffee and does not cover the breakfast menu, an uninformed kosher consumer could inadvertently consume bishul akum eggs. Another common problem could arise from serving sandwiches. If tuna fish is one of the items available, who is watching the tuna fish preparation? Fish is an item requiring two simanim, distinct identifications. Without proper supervision, the sandwiches would be prohibited.

A TYPICAL RESTAURANT SCENE: “It is so nice to have the cousins together for this special evening.” “Yes. It’s great to have an elegant kosher restaurant in town.” “Do they serve wine?” “They have a great selection!”

Many restaurants have different policies regarding mevushal wines. Some fine dining restaurants offer mevushal and non-mevushal wines with a frum waiter to pour them. Other kashrus organizations permit only mevushal wines to be served. Some customers will order a whole bottle for their party. If some of the guests are aino Yehudim and pour their own wine, the wine becomes stam yayin and cannot be used.

Do you think that pizza shops or dairy restaurants don’t have surprises? Have you ever topped your pizza, lasagna or baked ziti with parmesan toppings? Are you aware that the parmesan cheese topping is real grated hard cheese? Since the cheese is aged over six months, one has to wait six hours before eating fleishigs. Six hours milchig… you’ve got to be kidding!