Image by Graham Blackal

A spread at Shaya in New Orleans.

Chef-Driven Tour of Israel

Tel Aviv-born chef , has shaken up New Orleans dining, is leading a private tour of Tel Aviv for a lucky group of foodies and fans.

From June 25–July 6, Shaya will share his favorite eateries — from haute cuisine to hummus joints — along with wineries, distilleries, and a few secret spots.

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In Israel’s food capital, “there are so many great restaurants opening, and the food game continues to get stronger,” Shaya told the Forward.

Don’t try booking, though; the inaugural tour’s sold out. Shaya says he’s planning more. Stay tuned.

Hello, Columbus

Izzy and Mo are real. And now, so is Izzy and Mo’s — finally. After months of construction delays, the nouveau deli opened last week in Columbus, Ohio’s hip Peach District. Chef-owner Magdiale Wolmark, who owns a biodynamic restaurant next door, named his new place after his Polish father (Izzy) and Israeli mother (Mo), according to Columbus Crave.

Look for “foods of the Jewish Diaspora, using local, grass-fed and organic ingredients” — think bagels, blintzes and babka, along with matzo-ball soup, cured fish and pastrami. Wolmark’s also introducing the Shiksa, a cheeky variation on a Blondie.

Call It the Jewish Burger Pilgrimage.

For young Orthodox Jews, trips to Israel are providing their first taste of forbidden foods: McDonald’s hamburgers, which are kosher in the Holy Land. “People come back and say, ‘You have to go to the Wailing Wall and you have to go to the beach and you have to see Masada, and you have to eat at McDonald’s,’” one teen tells Grub Street, which reported on the phenomenon this week. “It’s almost, like, imperative law. It’s practically biblical.”

Michael Kaminer is a contributing editor at the Forward.

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