Gilmer Dishes New & Traditional Holiday Foods

Native Atlantan Steve Gilmer, owner of Kosher Gourmet on Briarcliff, has proven to be a steady, customer service-oriented purveyor of prepared kosher cuisine, deli counter food, and kosher shelf items, including a grand selection of fine kosher wines. Now with the High Holidays fast approaching, Gilmer offers many of the standards associated with tradition, but also some novelle cuisine options.

Regarding upcoming High Holiday tables, Gilmer recommends apples and honey, and round raisin challah. He continued, “There should be a sweet carrot dish like carrot cake or carrot side dishes, popular tzimmes, which is cut up carrots boiled with sweet potatoes, honey, and raisins. We offer whole wheat challah … even chocolate chip and multigrain. These are typically round for the High Holidays, but we have many of the same items every Sabbath.”

Steve Gilmer, owner of Kosher Gourmet, shares some helpful tips for hosting this High Holiday season.

Prior to the fast, Gilmer recommends bland foods that are filling — roasted chicken, potatoes, vegetables, and bread.

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Kosher Gourmet’s recipes come from a variety of places. Many target those who like the “standards” and want to know what to expect. Gilmer adds new recipes acquired from customers and social media. He explained, “Our recipes have to work for a large number of people and be easy to warm and still taste good. We also make gluten-free variations of foods and other specialty items for the variety of needs that people have these days.”

There are two categories: items that are pre-made and available every week in the food case like schnitzel, fried or grilled chicken, stuffed cabbage, classic soups, grilled vegetables, sesame noodles, chickpea salad, chopped liver, and Israeli salads. For holiday menus available for pre-ordering, Gilmer suggests a classic menu with matzoh ball soup, brisket, kugels, potatoes, baked or grilled chicken, and stuffed cabbage.

For catering a private Simcha, Kosher Gourmet custom designs the menu. Think of a younger client who wants kale salad, chicken marsala, chicken piccata, quinoa, then classics like wieners in a blanket, beef roast or turkey sliced in front of the client.

Also in style are charcuterie boards, carving stations, and fresh spinach mixed with nuts and cranberries are also popular. Gilmer stated, “Any kind of item that a client would like, we can make, and we can make it as fancy and modern or classic- traditional as desired.”

For lifecycle events, Gilmer recommends serving a meat tray or dairy deli tray.

For deli “to go” business, they cure and cook corned beef and pastrami, roast beef, breads, bagels, salads all made on site. Other bakery products are imported from Montreal and Fairlawn, N.J. For lifecycle events, Kosher Gourmet offers meat or dairy deli trays, bagels and cream cheese and salads including lox, whitefish salad, pinwheels, and wraps. Kosher Gourmet also caters for shiva meals, bar and bat mitzvahs, brisses, and weddings.

Gilmer grew up near Morningside on Lenox Circle. He recalls a great childhood with two Holocaust survivor parents and attended Atlanta Jewish Academy and then Grady High School. Gilmer’s father started Fred’s Deli. When he passed away, Gilmer took over in 1977 and aggrandized the business. Not only are Jewish holidays big for Kosher Gourmet. Gilmer said “Thanksgiving, Super Bowl, Chanukah, Purim, and any occasion for people gathering to eat delicious foods. I have my business and it’s increasing.”

For breaking the fast, Gilmer suggests schmear platters: bagels, whitefish salad, tuna, egg salad, smoked fish, lox.

Gilmer’s personal life is hectic and “unbalanced.” He rises early to open and ensure that orders are filled correctly. He anticipates what items are needed for each season and manages a staff of 20. Outside of work, Gilmer follows sports and is active in Congregations Beth Jacob and Ohr HaTorah. He stated, “My social circle is very broad. I grew up in Atlanta and have serviced the Jewish community for decades. I have customers all over the Southeast and vendors from all over the world.”

Kosher Gourmet carries the largest selection of kosher wines in Atlanta — from Israel, California, Spain, Argentina, France, New Zealand, Chile, and Italy.

Keeping kosher by the numbers, Gilmer estimates that “only one to two percent of the Atlanta Jewish community buys kosher food. Some have kosher food for the holidays even if they don’t keep kosher year-round.”

Kosher Gourmet is located at 2153 Briarcliff Road. 404-636-1114.

Gilmer’s Carrot Kugel

Gilmer’s Carrot Kugel

Ingredients:
2 cups brown sugar
2½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1½ cups oil
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp water
3 cups grated carrots

Directions:
Grate the carrots first, then add the rest. Mix well.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Makes one large kugel perfect for any holiday, especially Rosh Hashanah.