New Mediterranean Mashup and All the Weekly Dish
Image by Courtesy of Timna
Chef Nir Mesika.
New Mediterranean in New York
Nir Mesika, former executive chef of Brooklyn’s beloved Middle Eastern joint has hung out his own shingle in the East Village.
Contemporary Mediterranean spot Timna opened last week with fusion-y plates like Yemenite kubaneh bread with heirloom tomatoes, roasted cauliflower with labane and “Mediterranean sashimi” of sea bass with quinoa tabouli and tzatziki.
The restaurant takes its name “from dual geographical locations of the same name: Timna Valley in Israel, a place of geological and historical significance, and Yemen’s ancient city of Timna, an important hub in the Incense Route.”
The restaurant replaces longtime occupant Hummus Place; Ori Apple, Hummus Place’s owner, is a partner in Timna, Eater says.
Toronto Mayor John Tory (center, in tie) with the Caplansky’s crew.
Toronto Mayor Mans Thunderin’ Thelma
Doesn’t that guy serving Caplansky’s smoked meat look familiar? Oh yeah, it’s Toronto Mayor John Tory.
To celebrate the relaxation of ultra-strict rules around food trucks in Canada’s largest city, Hizzoner slung deli food last week from Thunderin’ Thelma, as Caplansky’s food truck is affectionately called.
“Mayor John Tory was a model employee,” owner Zane Caplansky tells Dish. “He showed up on time, in uniform, well-groomed and ready for action. He made no mistakes with the cash, was polite to customers and loved by his coworkers — maybe because he shook down some guests for bigger tips.”
The festivities were deemed #FoodTruckFreedom day.
Oregon Gets Second Spielman’s
RIP, Einstein’s. Long live Spielman’s.
That’s the cheer heard around Portland, Oregon, after local baker Spielman Bagels announced it would open a second location where — until recently — chain bagelry Einstein Bros cranked out “bagels that had more in common with a loofah than a baked good,” according to Portland Monthly.
The news gets even better for Portland deli lovers: Spielman’s father-and-son owners Rick and Raf Spielman tell Portland Monthly their big new space will include a full bakery, selling classic deli pastries like rugelach, hamantaschen, cheesecake and challah.
Possibly encroaching on the turf of local artisan deli Kenny and Zuke’s, the Spielmans plan to smoke their own brisket and pastrami, expanding into a fully-fledged delicatessen, Portland Monthly says.
Yada, Yada, Yada — Let’s Eat!
The fraught relationship between Jews and food is the subject of the latest Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, Jerry Seinfeld’s hugely popular online series.
Along with guest spots from luminaries like Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, the hilarious segment covers burning topics like Jews’ need for napkins and chewing with one’s mouth open.
A highlight: Seinfeld interrupts a confession by Sarah Silverman to order creamer: “In the Jewish view of life, my half-and-half and your depression — those things are kind of equal,” he tells her.
Michael Kaminer is a contributing editor at the Forward.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!
