From The Peopling of New York City

Contents 1 Visiting a Jewish Restaurant 1.1 Dairy Palace -- Jewish Royalty in Food 2 The Menu 3 The Location 4 More Information

Visiting a Jewish Restaurant

Dairy Palace -- Jewish Royalty in Food

Deciding which institution to visit as a participant- observer to glean information about our chosen ethnic group was tough. The local synagogue, which boasts the largest number of members in the tri-state area, was tantalizing, as was the famous Kosher bakery located along the busy storefronts on Victory Boulevard. However, I finally settled down to the small, yet popular Kosher pizza store, Dairy Palace, conveniently placed next door to the bakery. One step into the little restaurant opens the arena for a learning experience of the Jewish population in Staten Island. The pizza shop is the only Kosher pizza store in the Willowbrook community. Hence, it attracts lots of local Jewish customers, as well as others from outside communities when they are in passing. The menu offers the regulars of a pizza store; French fries, pizzas, pastas, and salads are probably the most ordered dishes. In this way, Dairy Palace is attempting to fit into American culture by providing a typical American ‘institution’ of a pizza store that caters specifically to the dietetic needs of the Jewish community.

However, the shop also carries a menu with exclusively Jewish foods on it. One such item is called cholent. The origin of cholent extends many years back, when it was ordained by the Rabbis to eat a dish of this sort on the Sabbath. Since then, cholent has become one of the quintessential foods of Judaism; how can one not know what cholent is and be Orthodox Jewish?!? What is interesting is that generally this food is eaten only on the Sabbath. To have it on the menu of a pizza store, which is closed on our Sabbath, thus guaranteeing that this food will be eaten on some other day other than the Sabbath, is amusing. In the same vein, I simply find it funny to see cholent on the menu, since I think of it only in context of my home; it’s always made by my mother, so it is a very personal “homey” food to me, and it seems out of place in a commercialized public pizza store. However, seeing cholent on the menu in Dairy Palace is fun and points out again it's Jewish focus. The people who work in the store are not necessarily Jewish. While the owner is Jewish and an active member of the Willowbrook Jewish community, I’ve seen Mexican and Italian workers in the store as well. Apparently, the owner considers that the “Jewishness” of the store does not depend on the ethnicity of the workers, and he hires men regardless of religion or race.

The décor of the shop also reflects the desire to present itself as a typical pizza store. With small rounded table surrounded by chairs cramming up most of the tiny space and a picture of a fat- bellied chef holding a pizza pie in hand resting on the wall, the scene looks standard. In this sense, the owner wanted to establish a “regular” pizza shop, not unlike all the other pizza stores dotting America. The idea of a pizza store itself if certainly not Jewish, yet within the ordinariness of a pizza shop, Jewish values and ideas will find ways to present themselves. Hints of its Jewishness peek out with a sign of blessings hanging outside the restrooms, since it is Jewish law to recite a specific prayer after using the restrooms. Also, the blessings for some foods are posted since the basic assumption is that most customers would be Jewish and could benefit from these familiar signs. Of course, these signs are written in the Hebrew alphabet, so they are only readable and understandable by those who know how to speak Ivrit (the Hebrew language).

What is nice about this pizza store is that it serves as a mini melting pot of all the Jewish communities within Willowbrook. While most of the Jewish population is concentrated in Willowbrook, this population is yet further divided into smaller subgroups. Theses subgroups are not official or exact. Some examples of these subgroups would be those considered living “up the hill” vs. “down the hill” or the radius of blocks surrounding the many different shuls in Willowbrook. This small pizza store services all of these Jews, bringing them together in the pleasant, cozy setting of aromatic steamy pizza. And again, while it is strictly kosher, this store does not discriminate between its customers, and everyone is allowed and welcome.

All too often it seems that everything comes down to food. In a good way of course! And so it can be said of the Jewish population in Staten Island and Dairy Palace. The small, yet lively pizza store is a good reflection of the Jewish community it represents. While firmly holding on to the precious Jewish customs and values, the pizza shop offers a setting typical of American culture. This blend of Judaism and Americanism provides an intriguing synthesis almost as enticing as the spiced mozzarella cheese on an extra thick crust pizza slice.

The Menu

Dairy Palace boasts a huge menu, catering to all tastes! Of course, at the top of the menu is Pizza, with all its different varieties and twists, such as Broccoli and cheese Calzone, Onion, mushroom and Pepper Square.

In addition, Dairy Palace offers many choice within the following categories: Falafel, Salads, Sandwiches, Knishes, Giant Subs, Meat Wraps, Sushi, Side Dishes, Pasta, Diet Menu, Chinese Menu, Soup, and more!

Hop over to Dairy Palace and check out their delicious food! You won't regret it!

• Please note that Dairy Palace is strictly kosher, under the supervision of the Va'ad of Staten Island. Therefore, while it offers meat and dairy products, they are prepared, cooked and baked in Kosher ovens in separate areas.

The Location

2210 Victory Boulevard Staten Island, NY 10314-6624 (718) 761-5200

More Information