Minsky, Levin Join Restauranting

By COLlive reporter
Photos by Yossi Percia / COLlive

Shneur Minsky, a premier art and frame dealer on the internet, has been coming to Schnittzel’s Bar in Brooklyn for over three years now.

The restaurant’s location is obviously a prime factor in his frequent visits with his ArtToFrames.com offices situated just a couple of blocks away on 5th Avenue.

But Minsky insists it was the food.

“They had a great chef named Carlos Andregas,” he told COLlive.com. “He is a Mexican who spent most of his life working in kosher and Israeli restaurants in New York, such as Carmel and others, and even speaks Hebrew.”

Minsky, who lives in Crown Heights, says he mostly appreciated the Shawarma made from real lamb, the hummus and the falafel – all freshly prepared on the premises.

As of just before Pesach, Minsky can be seen there even more often, since he purchased the eatery in partnership with his friend, Mendel Levin, a real estate broker and owner of Abba Realty Associates.

“The place had recently been bought by a new owner who was going to close the place and sell it to non-Jews,” Minsky says, explaining how he got into the food and restauranting industry without prior experience.

“There are lots of Israelis who come from all over Brooklyn to eat here, and I believe that unfortunately, even if it turned not kosher, some might not have stopped visiting.”

So he bought the restaurant at 4002 3rd Avenue corner 40th Street which is under the supervision of Rabbi Shlomo Tzvi Koenig, Rosh Kollel of Yeshiva Tal Torah in Borough Park (and son of the Yoka Rov).

Minsky and Levin made the purchase before Pesach and are now planning to add a Chinese menu in the near future and possibly extend the store hours in the summer months (currently it’s open from 11 AM to 6 PM serving Jews who work in the area).

The two, both born in Israel, are known for throwing BBQ events for friends at their summer homes in Mountain Lodge Estates in Monticello, NY.

Are they following the footsteps of their Israeli buddy Danny Branover who opened Basil Pizza & Wine Bar in Crown Heights?

“We’re doing this as a hobby,” is all Minsky says.

And in the spirit of Chof Ches Nissan, the day the Rebbe told Chassidim to do all they can to bring Moshiach, Minsky ponders establishing a weekly shiur in the place.

Schnittzels Bar
4002 3rd Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11232-2551
(718) 499-2100