Monday, November 16th, 2020
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The Dairy Restaurant
with
Ben Katchor
A ZOOM presentation followed by open discussion
Dairy restaurants, with menus of blintzes and borscht, onion rolls and matzo brei, all lavished with butter and cream, flourished in Lower Manhattan in the early 20th century. Brightly lit and often tiled to emphasize their cleanliness, they were community cornerstones: cheap, filling refuges that made it possible for Jewish immigrants in New York to eat out according to kosher laws, by keeping milk and meat strictly separated. A century later, such restaurants have nearly all disappeared.
Using his own clever and incisive drawings, Ben Katchor recounts this rich history, from early Jewish beliefs about milk to the dairy restaurant exploits of such diners as Leon Trotsky, Edward G. Robinson, and Frank Zappa.
The first cartoonist to receive a MacArthur Fellowship, Ben Katchor is the author of several books, including The Dairy Restaurant and Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer. He teaches at Parsons/The New School in New York City.
6:30: Sign-in to Zoom
6:40: Presentation followed by general Q & A
Recipes for two classic dishes, Cold Beet Borscht and Kasha Varnishkes, will be posted on the CHNY website and the Eventbrite Event page, so you can have your own dairy meal at home.
The program is free to members, although advance registration is required. Please RSVP through Eventbrite, and we will send you a link to join the Zoom meeting. Nonmembers and guests are invited for $10.