Pizza Night Team Opens New Bistro on Tel Aviv's Shenkin Street
Translated & summarized from Globes by baba
Chef Ran Blefer and his partners have opened a new bistro, "Laila Shenkin," on Tel Aviv's Shenkin Street, expanding from their successful "Pizza Night" on Levinsky Market. The bistro offers a broader menu beyond pizza, inspired by neighborhood eateries. The team aims to provide a welcoming atmosphere with accessible prices and a focus on fresh ingredients, utilizing their signature stone oven for a variety of dishes. The new establishment is intended to fill a culinary void on Shenkin Street, offering a more diverse dining experience.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Chef Ran Blefer and partners opened "Laila Shenkin" bistro on Tel Aviv's Shenkin Street.
- The new bistro expands on the success of "Pizza Night" from Levinsky Market.
- The team aims to fill a neighborhood bistro void on Shenkin Street.
- The menu features a wider range of dishes beyond pizza, utilizing a stone oven.
- The venture is a promotion for long-time employees of "Pizza Night."
The team behind the successful "Pizza Night" from Levinsky Market has opened a new bistro called "Laila Shenkin" on Tel Aviv's Shenkin Street. The venture is led by Chef Ran Blefer and his partner Arad Offel, who also own a bakery and bar in the market, and a restaurant in Ramat HaSharon. Three employees who grew with "Pizza Night" have joined as partners: Or Maoz, who manages the kitchen; Gal Miller, responsible for the bar and wine; and Lir Israel, who oversees the restaurant and service. Blefer expressed pride in promoting long-time employees who have demonstrated dedication as if the business were their own.
The opening follows nine challenging years for "Pizza Night" on Levinsky Market, including the COVID-19 pandemic, wars, and a building collapse that temporarily closed the pizzeria. Despite reopening, the surrounding area changed, prompting the team to seek a more established neighborhood. "Laila Shenkin" aims to be a neighborhood bistro, offering a broader culinary scope beyond pizzas, inspired by the spirit of the former "Orna and Ella" bistro which closed in 2018. The new establishment currently operates in the evenings and on Saturday afternoons, with plans to open for weekday lunches.
Chef Blefer, 37, brings extensive experience from various culinary roles, including "Tony Vespa" pizzeria, "Lecheminin" bakery, and Ilan Shani's restaurant group, where he managed the kitchen at "Romano." He also studied pastry. The desire to expand his culinary expression beyond the limitations of a pizzeria, even a successful one, led to the creation of "Laila Shenkin." He noted that customers were hesitant to order dishes like sashimi at a pizza place, restricting his creative freedom. The new bistro allows him to explore a wider range of cooking styles and ingredients, utilizing the stone oven for dishes beyond pizza, such as roasting vegetables and fruits for sauces and preparing breads and desserts.
The menu features dishes like handmade quattali pasta with tomato butter and stracciatella, and beef tartare on brioche, showcasing the fusion of Blefer's baking background with his bistro aspirations. The wine list, curated by Gal Miller, focuses on accessible, light wines that complement the food, featuring young wines, light French blends, natural wines, and Israeli options. A seasonal cocktail menu using fresh market ingredients is also available. The service is described as personal and familiar, reflecting the neighborhood bistro concept.