Izzy’s Café on hold, catering OK

By Jonathan Rubin

jrubin@jfri.org

WARWICK / PROVIDENCE — Izzy’s Kosher Cafe, a family-owned baked goods and take-out establishment in Providence, has temporarily closed; the Warwick kitchen of its parent company, Izzy's Kosher Catering, was recently told that its ventilation systems were not acceptable under new stringent sections of the Rhode Island fire code.

“I had to close my kitchen down,” said Nathan Yamuder, Izzy’s owner. He said that his building, on Post Road, was originally approved under the Rhode Island Fire Code “grandfather” clause, but recently the situation has changed, requiring him to close both his kitchen and the cafe for the time being.

He’s still catering, with help from an unlikely duo – his competitors, specifically Catering by Andrew in the greater Boson area, and Daniel Alon from Daniel’s Gourmet Kosher Catering in Providence. Izzy’s has been able to use their facilities in catering for events.

“Dani has been amazing. He really helped me out,” Yamuder said.

Izzy’s is a well-known institution in the Jewish community, catering everything from weddings and bar mitzvahs to small office meetings and kosher meals to seniors.

Yamuder is examining the cost of repairs.

He has been doing his best to make sure services aren’t interrupted while he surveys his options. He said he’s been largely successful.

The major exception is the delivery of prepackaged kosher meals to two institutions — the Jewish Family Service’s (JFS) Kosher Mealsite at Temple Torat Yisrael in Cranston, and to the kosher Meals on Wheels program of JFS and the Jewish Community Center. Yamuder said he was no longer able to provide the meals, largely because of cost. Patti Harwood at JFS said Izzy’s had been providing them with a “really reasonable fee” for years, mostly as a “community service.”

She said Yamuder called them the day he ran into problems, and they were able to piece together help from Deb Blazar, a caterer who uses Temple Emanu-El’s facilities, and from another caterer in Connecticut. The JCC and Jewish Seniors Agency have been helped by Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living’s facilities.