A popular Friday school lunch option offered in the dining hall, Siena’s pizza is very familiar to the JDS community. However, Siena’s does not need to be exclusively purchased in the JDS dining hall, as the restaurant is located directly across the street, and offers both dine-in and take-out options.  

Siena’s offers a plethora of vegetarian food options, such as salads, fries and personal pizzas. One of my favorite dishes at Siena’s is the shakshuka. For only $15, it is filling and tasty, with a great balance of richness and tomato taste. Notable for its friendly service, the JDS family-owned restaurant is a must-visit when in the vicinity of JDS.

With a variety of different meal options and cuisines, Moti’s Market is a kosher grocery store that also sells prepared food. Customers can buy food from the in-house sushi bar, deli counter or lighter salad and dip options in the grocery section. 

The sushi bar is especially delicious with many rolls made up of unique flavor combinations, like the Goodtime Roll ($13.99) filled with imitation crab, cucumber, avocado, sweet sauce and a crunchy topping.  

For shoppers craving something more filling, on the other side of the store stands a deli counter, with meat meal options like schnitzel ($18.99/lb), chicken ($16.99/lb) and beef kebabs ($22.99/lb), burekas ($9.99/lb) and so much more. Shoppers can buy single-serving food options to eat on the spot or can purchase large containers of food to take home and share with family. 

If a shopper is looking for a lighter meal option or snack, there is also a long aisle of different Mediterranean dips and salads. Moti’s can uniquely appeal to a wide variety of food needs and is one of my favorite kosher grocery stores in the area.

Right next to Moti’s, kosher meat restaurant Al Ha’esh Israeli Grill, brings the flavors of Israel to Rockville. Though on the pricier side compared to its neighbors, Al Ha’esh successfully provides customers with a delicious and pleasant sit-down dining experience.

Some highlights from the Al Ha’esh menu are the Hummus with Chickpeas ($9.50), which tastes very authentic and creamy, the Schwarma ($22) which is perfectly seasoned with Israeli spices and very filling and the Grilled Eggplant ($19) which is packed with flavor.

The ambiance in Al Ha’esh is especially unique as it feels like a restaurant in Israel, with pita and salatim brought to your table upon arriving. With both lunch and dinner menus, Al Ha’esh is a great option for a special afternoon outing.

In the Jewish community, there is no better meal than a classic New York bagel. Luckily, Goldberg’s NY Bagels is just across the street from JDS. Goldberg’s is a great quick food option, with an abundance of bagel flavors ($1.50) like plain and sesame, as well as more unique breads such as flagels ($2) and bialys ($2.99). 

Goldberg’s has an extensive menu, consisting of their classic bagels and schmear, as well as more innovative bagel sandwiches like the plant-based Philly Cheesesteak ($14.99) and the Avocado Deluxe ($9.99). While the name might have you convinced that Goldberg’s just sells bagels, they also sell wraps (varied prices) and burritos ($13.99) as well as fries ($4.99), soup ($4.99) and salads (varied prices). 

With fast service and sandwiches that taste just like they are off the streets of New York, Goldberg’s is a great place to stop for a quick bite.