Everything You Need to Know About the Stellar Brunch at Abbalé
Towering olive trees, warm woods, and pink sand banquettes set the scene for Abbalé Telavivian Kitchen’s Aventura outpost. Its design is striking but feels comfortable and inviting — especially during the day.
The menu is a reflection of executive chef Sam Gorenstein, who pulls inspiration from his Middle Eastern, Eastern European, and Latin heritage.
“When I create something, I always think about how I can build different layers between textures and flavors,” Gorenstein explains. “It’s comfort food but on another level, using super high-quality ingredients. We’re not a special occasion restaurant. I want to be your everyday kitchen.”
Here’s a breakdown of four dishes that reflect Abbalé’s bold soul in a true leisurely brunch fashion.
1. Shakshuka
Any respectable brunch menu needs an egg dish, so choosing this treasured Israeli dish was easy for Gorenstein. The hearty mix of supple tomatoes, onions, and peppers topped with pasture-raised eggs is seasoned with Aleppo pepper, cumin, coriander, and garlic and then dusted with parsley and cilantro. “I like my eggs with soft yolks,” he says. “So the idea is to break those yolks and have that creaminess with the tomatoes and eat it with the warm challah. It’s just the perfect combination.”
2. House-Smoked Beef Brisket Pastrami Sandwich
“I wanted to have a dish that features that New York Jewish-style deli, and (there’s) nothing better than pastrami,” Gorenstein says. Abbalé’s pastrami is an intricate process that starts with a five-day brine followed by a spice rub of peppercorns, coriander, cumin, salt, sugar, and paprika before the brisket is smoked for 14 hours. Sliced and served between two toasted slices of sourdough rye bread from Sullivan Street Bakery, the sky-high juicy, smoky meat is topped with a crunchy cabbage slaw and mustard.
3. Challah French Toast
To balance his savory dishes with a sweet side, Gorenstein gives your sweet tooth everything it has ever wanted in a French toast. He makes a crème anglaise custard, and then soaks his challah bread before pan searing it to give it that ideal crispy outside and soft, pillowy inside. Served in a beautiful au gratin dish, the toast floats in the decadently rich warm custard, and it’s topped with fresh berries, whipped labneh, caramelized walnuts, date honey, tahini, and pistachios. “I wanted to incorporate as many Mediterranean ingredients as possible,” he says.
4. Tahini Soft Serve
The first time Gorenstein had tahini gelato, he was in awe. It was in the Israeli city of Acre at chef Uri Jeremias’ Uri Buri restaurant. “It was so surprising to have tahini gelato,” he says. “That flavor always remained in my brain.”
The captivating experience stayed with him for years until he opened Abbalé Aventura and had the space for a soft serve machine. It was a tireless trial-and-error journey, and the hardest part, he admits, was figuring out how to make it dairy-free.
“You want that richness, that mouthfeel that swirls in your tongue, and that creaminess that makes you feel good.” The final product is now a staple dessert topped with cotton candy-like shredded halva or baked tahini, date honey, olive oil, and Maldon salt. The oil gives the dessert an unexpected herbiness, and the salt pops all the flavors out.
“I wanted to have a dessert (so that) guests can end the meal in an exciting way and have that same memory I had when I had tahini gelato for the first time,” he says.
