Simcha Dishes up Modern Israeli Cuisine
Chef Avi Shemtov, creator of the popular Chubby Chickpea food truck (based in Canton) as well as the Tapped Beer Truck, ishelping to shake up the dining scene south of Boston with his new restaurant Simcha. The Sharon eatery opened on March 5 and serves globally inspired modern Israeli cuisine that utilizes the bounty of New England farms. “We call it Israeli soul food with a New England accent,” says Shemtov, whose own family heritage inspired the restaurant’s concept (Simcha—the Hebrew word for “joy”— was the name of his Turkish grandmother).
Simcha features Jerusalem limestone walls and a custom-built wood-fired oven that is perfect for baking pita bread. The menu honors the vibrant and colorful cross-cultural flavors behind Sephardic Jewish cuisine, including Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Northern African, Iberian and other culinary influences that shape modern Israeli food. Fresh ingredients are sourced locally whenever possible. Herbs and produce from Ward’s Berry Farm in Sharon are used to craft dishes like Moroccan carrots and heirloom bumble bee beans, grown in Maine, which are used to make the restaurant’s Alt Hummus.
Watch for shakshuka brunches (a dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, garlic and other ingredients) and seasonal dishes such as venison kibbe nayyeh, zaatar lobster rolls and scallop and apple rosti with local bacon and crème fraiche.
Simcha
370 South Main St.,
Sharon 781-867-7997
simcharestaurant.com