Proprietor Magi Mekaiess brings flavors from her homeland to Tallahassee
On the fourth evening of Hanukkah, my husband and I walked into CAFE Yerushalmi and we had been greeted by the aromas of scorching oil and aromatic spices. It smelled like childhood, of dwelling and luxury.
“Individuals really feel like Hanukkah in my place,” stated Magi Mekaiess, chef/proprietor of CAFE Yerushalmi, positioned on Lake Bradford Street close to Doak Campbell Stadium. “Individuals are available in and get latkes, and doughnuts and bourekas. That is the place for them.”
Fried meals, like potato pancakes or latkes and jelly doughnuts, are eaten all through the vacation to rejoice the miracle of Hanukkah: oil that saved the menorah lit for eight days as a substitute of the at some point it was alleged to final.
Magi has a number of fried gadgets on the menu together with falafels (made with chickpeas), fried eggplant, vegetarian Moroccan “cigars” (meat or veggies wrapped in gentle pastry) and bourekas (pastries made of flaky dough with completely different fillings.)
CAFE (she capitalizes it) Yerushalmi, which had its grand opening Sept. 2, is an informal nook with a number of picnic tables exterior. It seems to be the solely full-service kosher restaurant in Tallahassee. The restaurant closes from Friday afternoon to midday Sunday consistent with the Jewish observance of Shabbat, which commemorates the day that God rested after creating the world.
The identify CAFE Yerushalmi says quite a bit. One of the meanings of Yerushalmi, Magi stated, is an individual of Jerusalem.
Magi was born in Jerusalem, and got here to New York 25 years in the past. She’s been in Tallahassee a couple of dozen years and whereas that is her first restaurant, she stated “I’ve been cooking all the time.”
Magi has carried out skilled catering, and touts her dishes as “genuine meals from the heart of Jerusalem.”
On busy days, you could have to attend a bit to your order. Magi, a petite powerhouse, does nearly every part herself. The meals is home made apart from the pita bread, which comes from a Miami supply.
You may order entrees like hen schnitzel, falafels and beef kebab on pita or as a plate with pita and two sides. These had been all wonderful and the hummus, with a wealthy, creamy goodness, was some of the finest we’ve had.
There are a number of dishes constructed round hummus, together with a fundamental plate with chickpeas, hard-boiled eggs, tahini and pickles or hummus with shawarma (turkey), tahini and pickles.
I’ve been getting dishes that I assumed would work finest for takeout however someday, I’d wish to order shakshuka, a dish of North Africa with variations in Israel, Egypt and different nations of the Center East. The dish options two poached eggs in a sauce of tomatoes, inexperienced peppers and onions with pita.
There are additionally a number of starters like soup of the day — usually home made matzo ball soup — stuffed grape leaves and a bourekas plate. The bourekas are some of my favourite dishes at CAFE Yerushalmi. They’re road meals, like empanadas or Indian samosas, they usually remind me of one other Jewish merchandise, knishes.
Magi makes three varieties of bourekas, stuffed with spinach, potatoes or mushrooms. They’re completely different shapes so you’ll be able to inform what you’re getting. The potato ones, as an illustration, are rectangles whereas the spinach are spherical. We ordered a range, 10 in all, and wolfed them over a number of days, reheated in the toaster oven.
For dessert, we took dwelling two puffy jelly doughnuts, a Hanukkah specialty.
“Persons are actually excited to return right here,” stated Magi. “They are saying, ‘wow a kosher restaurant. We’ve been ready for this.’ “
Once you go …
CAFE Yerushalmi, 910 Lake Bradford Rd.; 850-807-9895
Hours: Midday to 7 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. Closed Saturday.
Costs: Pita sandwiches or plates $9-$10 and $13-$15; Hummus plates with pita $9-$10; specialties shakshuka and tabouli salad $9; starters $2 to $7; sides $three for normal serving and $5 for big.
