DALLAS — Passover is just around the corner, so it’s a busy week for Dallas kosher restaurant owner Jordana Kohn. She explained what the day looks like for her and her restaurant, The Market Local Comfort Cafe.
“Okay, so tomorrow is Passover, so this is kind of like the last day that everybody can eat this type of food,” Kohn explained. “But also, mostly everybody in here, their kitchen and their house, have already been turned over for Passover.”
Those who practice the faith clean their kitchen of leavened grains like oats, bread, pasta and cookies.
“Brand new equipment, brand new food, brand new items everywhere.” Kohn explained. “The refrigerator to the oven to the microwave. Everything gets boiled down and literally flipped. So it’s kind of like you’re starting from scratch and it’s brand new. You can’t have any of the regular food that you would eat during the year during that time.”
The week before Passover is usually a busy time for The Market Local Comfort Cafe. This is the first time in two years that some families have been able to come together because of COVID-19 restrictions. This is great for Kohn, because her restaurant opened six months before the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“So two years ago COVID was like the height of the pandemic, so we are all on like forced lock down,” Kohn said. “So literally nobody could be with anybody. Then the year after it was the second variant, people were still very nervous. Then this year is the first time people are, you know, they’re vaccinated, or they had it or they’re just over it and everybody’s family is back in town and everybody is just ready to be with each other.”
Customers are sharing in the owner’s excitement. Rabbi Yerachmiel D. Fried is happy to be dining in this year and taking part in family gatherings.
“It’s very special to be able to actually be physically free to go out and do what we want to do and celebrate and be able to go to synagogue and celebrate with other people.” Fried explained. “To not have other people over with us during those years, it was really, really bad, especially for elderly people who are stuck at home all by themselves away from their children, away from their grandchildren. Cause a big part of Passover is the celebration with family cause we’re passing this down from generations. Were like links in a chain. So it’s very important to keep the tradition.”
Kohn is happy things are getting back to normal.
“It’s awesome. I mean, the whole point of having a restaurant is to see it busy and then enjoying the food,” Kohn said.
The Market Local Comfort Cafe will be closed from April 15 to April 25 for the duration of the Passover holiday.