Pittsburgh Zoo welcomes kosher catering with new partnership
“We want to be more inclusive. We have strong ethnic communities in Pittsburgh, and we don’t want to turn people away.”
Wild parties can be kosher, too, with Elegant Edge Catering Company now partnering with the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium.
The Squirrel Hill-based business has signed on with the zoo, in Highland Park, to provide kosher and halal food and beverages for weddings, bar mitzvahs, galas and other gatherings.
“It’s exciting,” said Elegant Edge owner and head chef Judah Cowen of the arrangement that was finalized earlier this year. “We’ve been talking with the zoo for a while and building a relationship. We’re happy they selected us.”
Cowen’s first gig will be a fundraiser at the aquarium in January.
The Elegant Edge collaboration is unique, since the facility has a concessionaire, SSA Group, and has rarely worked with an outside caterer, according to the zoo’s director of events and special projects, Samuel Holloway.
The zoo hosts more than 120 events a year, and averages two or three requests for kosher or halal, which drove the decision to seek a specialty provider, Holloway said.
“We want to be more inclusive. We have strong ethnic communities in Pittsburgh, and we don’t want to turn people away.”
SSA was on board with the zoo’s decision to contract with Elegant Edge, since it doesn’t have the capacity to provide kosher catering, Holloway said.
Cowen and his staff will be able to kasher any of the four zoo kitchens — a process that includes using high heat or boiling water to cleanse surfaces and sealing the room for at least 24 hours.
Elegant Edge offers an array of cuisines, including Asian, South American, Mediterranean, French, “and, obviously, Jewish,” said Cowen. “We like to say that we provide great food that happens to be kosher.”
Although it specializes in large events, Elegant Edge also caters small intimate gatherings, Cowen said, noting that his company works with party planners throughout the city to provide clients with a full-service experience.
Cowen, 50, has developed recipes over the years to substitute plant-based products for dairy. “Today, there are fantastic parve cream cheeses and sour creams and alternatives to butter and milk,” he said. “We can make really creamy sauces and rich deserts for meat-based meals that you wouldn’t know are kosher.”
Elegant Edge has concessions at Carnegie Mellon University, and has worked at other venues around town, from office complexes to Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden to the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.
The zoo is one of the more unusual, Cowan said. “Atmosphere is part of a celebration. It makes an event memorable. The zoo is a really cool place.”
The zoo rents seven different event sites on its 77-acre campus, including the aquarium, Garden Tent, Lecture Hall, and Waters Edge conference room, each with a particular ambience. Some events can include visits with ambassador animals and other perks, Holloway said. “If you rent Water’s Edge for a quarterly board meeting you might see a polar bear looking through the window.”
At least two other zoos in America provide for kosher catering, including Zoo Atlanta, which maintains a dedicated kosher kitchen, and the Lincoln Park Zoo in Illinois, which hosts events with an outside caterer, like the June 2026 Family Shabbat on the Lake.
While kosher food service addresses the needs of many observant Jews, its appeal is expanding among mainstream consumers, according to K-Star.com, Inc.com, and other sources.
The global kosher food-for-service market valued at $1.61 billion in 2024 is projected to reach $3.02 billion by 2031, representing a compound annual growth rate of 9.4% during 2025–2031, according to ResearchandMarkets.com.
Vegans, health-conscious individuals, and people with food sensitivities, Jewish or not, equate certified kosher food with higher standards of quality and clean eating.
Kosherconnect.app reports that of the 13.5 million Americans who regularly purchase kosher products, only about 20% are Jewish, and the kosher restaurant landscape is changing with “kosher elevated” menus and cuisines like Asian fusion and sushi on the rise.
“Kosher catering can be creative, exciting and welcoming,” said Cowen, who notes that braised beef short ribs, shawarma and burnt almond torte are among his most requested items.
Cowen began his career at a culinary school in Israel, apprenticed at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, was executive chef at Pinati Mediterranean Grill in Pittsburgh and served as director of dining services for the Jewish Association on Aging before founding Elegant Edge in 2013.
He is president of B’nai Emunoh Chabad.
Dr. Jeremy Goodman, the zoo’s president and CEO, and an Orthodox Jew, said bringing Elegant Edge into the fold is consistent with the zoo’s philosophy.
“Our zoo is for all. I am happy that, with the new partnership, even more people can have their special events and celebrations at the zoo.” PJC
Deborah Weisberg is a freelance writer living in Pittsburgh.
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