Kosher in Newark Airport

I had remembered reading something about kosher food in the Newark Airport, so since I had so much time in between flights, I went searching. I was in the terminal which has United Airlines, and since I was an "international traveler" only using United, my suitcase was sent directly to Israel from Phoenix. I did not have to retrieve it and go through security etc again. That gave me lots of time to search.

I looked at all of the food places but didn't find anything special, just the usual stuff. Then I went to the gate for my plane to Israel, which was still open to everyone, since it was too early. The gates to Israel flights are closed off and one needs additional security before a flight. There I saw all sorts of prepared foods, meals of sorts with a "star K."

I checked on facebook to find out about this "star K" and was told that it's a very reliable kosher supervision from Baltimore. In the end I didn't buy anything, because the prices were so high. I was full enough from my homemade airline food and the special coffee I had bought myself in the Phoenix airport.

Non-Diet Treats

Granted that I've been keeping my weight "down," that is lower by about 15 kilo (30 pounds) than it once was, for the past seven years or so, but every once in awhile I do need a treat.

First of all there's my not so secret craving for Haagen Daz mint ice cream. I limit it to my trips to the states, generally just once a visit. I used to have no problem finding a Haagen Daz place in all sorts of malls and stations and if not that the mint ice cream was in every supermarket all over. But the last couple of times I looked for it in Arizona, I couldn't find it at all. So I began scouting around for it while still in New York. I saw that the Duane Reade near my friend had a container and began fantasizing about having an entire container for lunch before flying to AZ.  I sort of hinted the idea to my friend who knows me all too well and suggested we go to the Haagen Daz place not far from her and just buy myself a couple of scoops. 

And that's what I did. A cup with two scoops of my mint and one of the special run peppermint (not as good) cost me more than a container that had lots more (and lots more calories, too.) But I certainly do not need the calories, and my cravings were satisfied with the scoops. 

Since I had been so good about just getting scoops of ice cream, I allowed another craving to win. In the international chain Coffee Bean, all of the coffees are kosher, not just the plain ones. There are even branches with kosher foods, sandwiches etc. But the branch in the Phoenix Airport is not one of the kosher ones. But I wanted a fancy coffee, so I bought one there.

Yes, it was good! And I got it before getting on the plane to Newark which was the "stopover" before the plane to Israel.

And now that I'm home, back to the diet...

Kosher in the L.A. and Newark Airports

It's not easy to find kosher food when stuck in airports. The Israeli Ben-Gurion aka Natbag or "Tel Aviv" has kosher food, but I usually find myself choosing between overly expensive fruit, chocolate and nuts if I can't bring from home. During my recent visit I had a lot of trouble, since I ended up spending the night in Newark Airport. 

I brought instant oatmeal with me for the Newark to Phoenix, AZ flight, but that was cancelled, so I was stuck. There were places where they sold instant oatmeal, but finding boiling water was almost impossible. 

That's because there weren't any coffee places open in the middle of the night. But they also sold some yogurts. Some were kosher.

It was better in the Los Angeles Airport, where I ended up when rebooked to AZ via LA.

Coffee Bean is a chain that has many kosher products, and some branches have even more. There were kosher tuna sandwiches in that branch. So, after a delicious and very needed cup of coffee, I got myself breakfast, a tuna sandwich.

In Coffee Bean, unlike Starbucks, all the coffees are kosher, even the fancy ones. I had a regular one, which was what I needed at the time. But it's a good thing to know.

New and Old in Newark Airport

Yesterday, I spent a few hours in Newark Airport awaiting my flight home. It was nothing like the night I had spent there just two weeks earlier.  First of all the weather had warmed up and snow was no where to be found. Flights were mostly on time, too, and there wasn't an epidemic of cancelled ones.

We're in the 21st Century, which is pretty obvious. Garbage cans are like preschool toys. Fit the correct garbage into the right hole:

"PAPER"
"PLASTIC"
"ALUMINUM PANS"

OK, this can has seen better times. Letters are already missing. OK, it isn't 2001 anymore... 

Electric cart being charged!

There was one "old-fashioned" machine, a public telephone. Not everyone has a phone that can be used in the USA, so although I didn't see anyone using these, there are available.