Kosher Website Launches: MyKosherLA on Local Eats

Shopping at Elat Market or Pico Glatt on a Friday afternoon can be stressful--maneuvering your cart through crowded aisles, fighting the neighborhood yenta for the last challah. But MyKosherLA, a website breaking down all things kosher into categories such as eating out, groceries, catering and kashrut, can be your moshiach on the days leading up to Shabbat.

Web-savvy entrepreneurs Uzi Moses and Aryeh Powers launched the website in December, and incorporated a blog three weeks ago. The community-oriented site is a place for people who might not know what kosher options are available. If you're not kosher but are just curious about the custom, the site can be a helpful introduction. "We want to make kosher cool," explained Moses. "I know for a fact that Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore and Madonna have eaten at Shiloh's."

Moses is no stranger to the restaurant business, as a former owner of two restaurants in Israel and one on the Westside called Berri Good, which closed last year after about a three-year run. Though the kosher Pinkberry-inspired yogurt shop was a success initially, it couldn't compete with heavy competition and a bad economy. Since the launch of the blog, they have received feedback and gained fans on Facebook. Last week Irene Saiger blogged about a 33-year-old hamantashen recipe that was passed on to her from her mother-in-law.

"We felt a need for it in the community," Moses said, "It's a place where people can express their own opinions." MyKosherLA publishes blogs about kosher wine tastings and events, and posts reviews and restaurant ratings. Powers encourages people to try it out, even if they're not committed to the kosher lifestyle. "Give it a shot. Experiment," he said.