Judging from the lengthy line at Bakey, a new bakery/cafe in Hallandale Beach, southern Broward County was in need of some good babka.
Bakey makes the gooey pastries on-site, throughout the day, with at least half a dozen flavors available at a time, including pistachio, cinnamon, almond, marzipan, apple and the crowd favorite, chocolate. The chocolate babka tray behind the counter had to be replenished several times during a recent visit.
The bakery opened on July 14 and carb-loving customers are keeping the place busy. Co-owner Amir Vadash said he is not surprised. He said he knew the area needed a kosher bakery and pastry shop that offered an assortment of breads, desserts, sandwiches, salads and coffees, all made on the premises.
“I’ve been helping behind the counter because we’ve been so busy,” said Vadash, 52, who comes from a long line of Israeli bakers.
The first Bakey opened in Boston in 2021, under the supervision of chef and baker Uri Scheft, who was born in Israel to Danish parents and grew up in both countries. There are now five locations in Boston and surrounding cities. Scheft also founded Lehamim Bakery in Tel Aviv in 2001 and in 2014, co-founded Breads Bakery in New York, where there are six stores.
Vadash said Bakey is planning two more South Florida sites, in Fort Lauderdale and Aventura, although dates and locations are still to be determined.
He said the key to the bakeries’ success is to keep the ovens on all day long, so customers who arrive at the end of the day can still get freshly made items.
“Until the last hour, you’ll see warm, hot products because of our system,” Vadash said.
Pastry chef Charlie Lo Grasso puts the finishing touches on freshly baked babka at Bakey bakery in Hallandale Beach. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
The cafe also hopes to distinguish itself with menu items not often seen in South Florida restaurants, such as the Tunisian Sandwich, consisting of tuna, hard-boiled egg, potato. tomato, preserved lemon and harissa ($18). Shakshuka is served with a baked-on-site challah roll ($22). And a “Create Your Own” section of the menu allows diners to order a custom-made plate of eggs, cheeses, avocado, smoked salmon and olives (each priced individually, ranging from $4 to $9).
Bakey is certified kosher by the Orthodox Rabbinical Board of Broward and Palm Beach Counties. The 26-year-old board is one of the major kosher supervisors in South Florida, monitoring more than 235 sites, including caterers, restaurants, senior living facilities and schools.
Cooper City resident Julie Golden, visiting Bakey for the second time, said she came back for the bourekas, a thin, flaky, filled pastry, and ruggelach, a sweet, rolled dessert often filled with chocolate, nuts or fruit preserves.
“At other places, you feel like they are trying to imitate Israeli food, but this feels different, for the taste and freshness,” said Golden, who moved to the U.S. from Israel five years ago.
An assortment of freshly baked babka is displayed at Bakey bakery in Hallandale Beach. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Many Americans began to hear about babka, which has its roots in Eastern Europe in the 1800s, in 1993 during an episode of “Seinfeld” called “The Dinner Party.” Jerry and Elaine had an energetic debate about whether to buy cinnamon or chocolate babka for a gathering they were attending.
Although the dessert has a devoted following, many say they find the dough dry and crumbly. Vadash said Bakey has conquered this problem by baking its chocolate babka with butter and adding in hazelnut spread imported from Germany and dark chocolate, giving it a smooth, creamy taste.
“We think if you don’t like babka, it’s because you didn’t taste the right one,” he said.
Customer Julie Ehrlich, an event planner, said Bakey catered a recent circumcision celebration she organized for 250 people in Boca Raton. She ordered platters of babkas, cheesecakes, “broissants” (Bakey’s babka-croissant combo), bagels and salads.
“I wanted something super-different, so I thought, ‘Let me give this new place a try,’ ” she said. “The food was unbelievable. There was nothing left.”
For those who want not just one serving of babka but several, Bakey offers a “Babka Suitcase.” In the business’s signature orange color, the suitcase is a long, narrow rectangular box with a handle for easy transport and fits eight cakes.
“You can no longer say there’s no decent bread in South Florida, no decent babka,” Vadash said.
Bakey is at 668 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd., Hallandale Beach. Go to bakeybabka.com.
Amir Vadash, co-owner of Bakey, at the new kosher bakery in Hallandale Beach. He has plans for two more Bakey stores in South Florida. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)