The former 613 Auto Dealership on Main Street South is now the Kosher Garage, serving ice cream, paninis, pizza and lots, lots more.

Proprietor Yanki Kellner, phone in hand and constantly on it, is overseeing ice cream deliveries, ice cream sales, plus all the other work involved in a fairly extensive menu.

The restaurant is open, spacious, clean and welcoming. A visit on Tuesday afternoon revealed a steady stream of customers, many whom had arrived in a yellow bus from one of the summer camps up in Greenfield Park.

“We have everything,” says Yanki. “Try the non-dairy ice cream. It is made in a non-dairy facility.” A moment goes by and then, “And waffles!”

Kosher, too, of course!

The milk shakes – dairy, of course – run the gamut. There’s “Peanut Explosion,” “Cookies and Cream” and things I hadn’t seen before like “The Dulcenator” – $10.25 for a large, or the “Lotus Elevator” in the same price range. One is simply called “Slush.”

For those with a sweet tooth that is slightly less sweet, there is the fruit smoothie with ice cream.

If you’re not hungry, you can just pick up a big cup of hot coffee, $3.50, a competitive price indeed. There’s also water in cans and bottles, and 16-ounce servings of orange juice, apple juice, and chocolate milk all at $3.00.

Sandwich offerings cover the usual bases: tuna, avocado, omelet, cream cheese with lox, and classic peanut butter and jelly. And there are paninis, $9.99 including cheese sauce and toppings, and a base salad at $15.00.

Yanki is excited for people to know they have pizza. As a special treat, if you call ahead on weekdays, you can come in and build your own pizza, choosing your own toppings.

The origins of Kosher Garage came about 18 months ago with an application by Moishe Betesh for an ice cream parlor and falafel restaurant at 15 Canal Street, opposite Wilson’s Deli at the western end of the village. The application passed through the planning process with broad approval from the board, although the location had a few specific needs. One was making sure traffic pulled in from one direction only, so the application was approved with the condition that higher (and expensive) new curbs be put in to control traffic flow.

However, construction work did not begin and it appears that Levi Hecht, well known developer in and around Ellenville, had heard of Mr. Betesh’s proposal and stepped in to offer a deal on using the vacant property that had been 613 Auto on South Main Street. The rest is history.

We’ll see what the future holds for Kosher Garage, but Yanki suggests it might include falafel, once they purchase the necessary equipment. So, for now, pizza, waffles, sandwiches and all kinds of ice cream and ices to enjoy!

There is one thing to note about business hours. The business is run by observant Jews for whom Saturday is the Sabbath, during which time the business will be closed. However, the Sabbath is the period when the sun is above the horizon, meaning they can (and will!) be open after dark.

So, the hours on Saturdays vary with the year –in the winter, when the sun goes down, they expect to open at 6 p.m. on Saturday nights. But now, in summer, they open on Saturdays at 10 p.m. and go to 2 a.m., making late night ice cream runs a go!

Kosher Garage is open Sundays from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays from 7 am to 9 p.m., Fridays, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. (for now).