{"id":365524,"date":"2026-10-06T05:14:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T05:14:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/365524\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T05:14:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T05:14:21","slug":"no-democracy-with-food-says-israeli-chef-as-he-brings-naked-tomato-to-brooklyn-israel-jewish-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/365524\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018No democracy with food,\u2019 says Israeli chef, as he brings Naked Tomato to Brooklyn – Israel & Jewish News"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Oct. 5, 2026 \/ JNS)\n <\/p>\n

Eyal Shani, the Israeli chef who operates 13 restaurants in the United States and 12 in Israel, as well as others worldwide, is planning to take a page from Shakespeare\u2019s \u201cKing Lear\u201d in his new restaurant in Brooklyn, Naked Tomato, slated to open in mid-October.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the first time in my life, I\u2019m dividing the restaurant into two sections,\u201d the chef told JNS on a visit to the construction site, with the main elements of the 4,000-square-foot restaurant already taking shape on the wharf on the Williamsburg waterfront.<\/p>\n

The name of the restaurant, which will not be kosher, reflects Shani\u2019s philosophy. On its website, Naked Tomato describes its approach as \u201cnaked food,\u201d where ingredients remain at the center.<\/p>\n

Shani told JNS that when he started cooking professionally in the late 1980s, he did not like tomatoes and spent decades learning to understand them. He now considers them one of the most complex ingredients in cooking due to their combination of sweetness and acidity.<\/p>\n

A good tomato can provide acidity without overwhelming other flavors in a dish\u2014a balance Shani sees as the foundation of his cooking, in which he uses a small number of ingredients and lets each retain its character. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Naked<\/p>\n

A menu item at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.<\/p>\n

Part of that foundation is also a connection to Israel.<\/p>\n

Shani wants the Israeli chefs working in his restaurants to maintain a relationship with the Jewish state. He told JNS that he encourages head chefs to return regularly to Israel, because he believes that working in the United States can gradually alter their approach to cooking.<\/p>\n

His concern is what he calls \u201clayers\u201d between the diner and the ingredients.<\/p>\n

\u201cButter is covering,\u201d he told JNS. \u201cIt\u2019s a layer between the food and you.\u201d<\/p>\n

The idea of \u201cnaked\u201d food, he said, is about removing those layers and leaving ingredients exposed.<\/p>\n

At the new restaurant in Brooklyn, a long, unusually wide bar is to serve as the centerpiece of the space, with diners seated directly alongside the kitchen. Unlike a typical bar, this will have its own menu of smaller dishes intended for those who want to stop in for a bite rather than a full meal.<\/p>\n

The bar is one of the biggest changes from the Naked Tomato restaurant in Miami Beach, and Shani told JNS that he wants New Yorkers to have the option to come in, order a dish or a glass of wine and be able to leave without having a long or expensive commitment.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Eyal<\/p>\n

Eyal Shani\u2019s new restaurant Naked Tomato in Brooklyn in September 2026. Photo by Anna Rahmanan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to catch people,\u201d he said. \u201cI have to seduce people to see what\u2019s inside without them feeling that they are going to spend a lot of money or a lot of their time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shani and executive chef Victor Gothelf, who works at Shani\u2019s Port Sa\u2019id restaurant in Lower Manhattan, developed a new menu for the Brooklyn location based on local and seasonal ingredients.<\/p>\n

Bar dishes will be smaller than those served at tables and will be prepared specifically for the setting. Shani called them \u201cfractures\u201d of his cooking rather than full versions of better-known dishes.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou are not getting the full experience,\u201d he told JNS. \u201cYou are getting the energy and the frequency of that food.\u201d<\/p>\n

The table service dishes, intended to be shared, include pastas and pizzas designed for the center of the table. There will be a communal table that can seat up to 12, in addition to smaller tables and another larger fixed table.<\/p>\n

A potential DJ station will also be incorporated into the restaurant in the design by the Israeli firm Kimmel Eshkolot Architects. More Gelfand, a partner and New York director for the firm, worked on the project.<\/p>\n

Gelfand told JNS that the team began with what was essentially an empty, 21-foot-tall space and wanted to preserve some of its existing character rather than cover it with layers of new materials.<\/p>\n

The original floor will remain, along with concrete columns and high ceilings. The design incorporates shades of red inspired by tomatoes and greenery that will fill portions of the space.<\/p>\n

Gelfand told JNS that efforts were made to combine the \u201craw\u201d building with clean, contemporary details. Once construction is complete, large windows will open the restaurant toward the waterfront and surrounding park.<\/p>\n

The tomato theme, which also characterized the Miami location of the restaurant, will extend throughout the restaurant, including the bathroom and shelving that will display ingredients and other objects. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Naked<\/p>\n

A menu item at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.<\/p>\n

Shani told JNS that as part of his approach, he tries to avoid what he sees as unnecessary barriers between chef, food and customer.<\/p>\n

That is one reason he does not offer takeout at his restaurants in Israel or Miami and won\u2019t in New York either, he said. \u201cWhen you are delivering your food to go, that\u2019s another life,\u201d Shani said. \u201cThe food is dying in the journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also does not like having too many layers of service between him and the diner.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo waitress,\u201d he said of the food bar. \u201cIt\u2019s end to end.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Shani, the interaction between the diner and the chef\u2014or the person serving the food\u2014is part of the cooking process. He believes the exchange at the table, including a diner\u2019s reaction to the food, can shape how a dish evolves during service.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a menu, but then there is the reaction between you and the customer,\u201d he said. \u201cThat reaction makes you create.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Shani, that reaction isn\u2019t necessarily a customer offering a critique or asking for a change. It is the exchange that happens when food moves from the kitchen to the table, sometimes with Shani serving it and other times one of his chefs doing so. And then diners respond to what is in front of them.<\/p>\n

He sees that interaction as part of the creative process itself.<\/p>\n

The Brooklyn restaurant is also an opportunity for Shani to move away from some of the dishes that have become associated with him over the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI made many classics, because I have to run away from myself,\u201d he told JNS. \u201cSo many people were happy with my creations that they started copying them, and then, somehow, they called me the one who was copying.\u201d <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1 of 11<\/p>\n

\n A salad menu item at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant Naked Tomato in Brooklyn. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.\n <\/p>\n

\n MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY\n <\/p>\n

2 of 11<\/p>\n

\n A menu item at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.\n <\/p>\n

\n MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY\n <\/p>\n

3 of 11<\/p>\n

\n The menu item \u201cbaguette bruschetta anchovies\u201d at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.\n <\/p>\n

\n MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY\n <\/p>\n

4 of 11<\/p>\n

\n The menu item \u201cwhole chicken slowly roasted into the candy point\u201d at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.\n <\/p>\n

\n MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY\n <\/p>\n

5 of 11<\/p>\n

\n The menu item \u201cpoulet rouge braised with caramelized onions\u201d at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.\n <\/p>\n

\n MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY\n <\/p>\n

6 of 11<\/p>\n

\n The menu item \u201clokus chraime drifting through spicy desert tomatoes, tahini and schug\u201d at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant Naked Tomato in Brooklyn. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.\n <\/p>\n

\n MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY\n <\/p>\n

7 of 11<\/p>\n

\n A menu item at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.\n <\/p>\n

\n MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY\n <\/p>\n

8 of 11<\/p>\n

\n The menu item \u201csea creature, tomato seeds, spicy, olive oil salt\u201d at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.\n <\/p>\n

\n MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY\n <\/p>\n

9 of 11<\/p>\n

\n Gently cured anchovies, Thai chili birds olive oil at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.\n <\/p>\n

\n MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY\n <\/p>\n

10 of 11<\/p>\n

\n A berry tart at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.\n <\/p>\n

\n MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY\n <\/p>\n

11 of 11<\/p>\n

\n An Arak mojito on the menu at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.\n <\/p>\n

\n MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY\n <\/p>\n

Eyal Shani\u2019s Naked Tomato in Brooklyn<\/p>\n

A salad menu item at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant Naked Tomato in Brooklyn. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.<\/p>\n

MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n

A menu item at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.<\/p>\n

MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n

The menu item \u201cbaguette bruschetta anchovies\u201d at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.<\/p>\n

MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n

The menu item \u201cwhole chicken slowly roasted into the candy point\u201d at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.<\/p>\n

MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n

The menu item \u201cpoulet rouge braised with caramelized onions\u201d at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.<\/p>\n

MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n

The menu item \u201clokus chraime drifting through spicy desert tomatoes, tahini and schug\u201d at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant Naked Tomato in Brooklyn. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.<\/p>\n

MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n

A menu item at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.<\/p>\n

MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n

The menu item \u201csea creature, tomato seeds, spicy, olive oil salt\u201d at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.<\/p>\n

MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n

Gently cured anchovies, Thai chili birds olive oil at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.<\/p>\n

MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n

A berry tart at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.<\/p>\n

MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n

An Arak mojito on the menu at Israeli chef Eyal Shani\u2019s restaurant, Naked Tomato, in Brooklyn, N.Y. Credit: Max Flatow\/Naked Tomato.<\/p>\n

MAX FLATOW PHOTOGRAPHY<\/p>\n

Shani said that continuing to create requires forgetting what came before.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to live all your life and continue to invent, you cannot carry the weight of the past,\u201d he said. \u201cIt will confuse you.\u201d<\/p>\n

That process has been part of his work with Gothelf, who has spent weeks working closely with Shani on the new restaurant.<\/p>\n

Shani described the collaboration as an intensive process involving cooking, experimenting, visiting markets, dining together and discussing music and books.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m stamping my mind into his mind,\u201d Shani said.<\/p>\n

But he said the goal is not for Gothelf to reproduce his cooking exactly. Instead, Shani wants him to develop his own interpretation of the food.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m letting him do it according to his ability, his imagination,\u201d Shani said.<\/p>\n

Shani also wants his chefs to take risks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to put my chefs at a huge risk,\u201d Shani said, \u201cthat they will feel that they can fail any minute of the service.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Shani, that uncertainty is intentional. Repeating the same dishes in the same way may be safer, but it can also make cooking predictable. \u201cIf you are repeating and replicating, it\u2019s safe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Whether Brooklyn diners are ready for that approach doesn\u2019t particularly concern Shani.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really don\u2019t care,\u201d he said, when asked whether he thinks American diners are ready for the restaurant.<\/p>\n

After a decade of operating restaurants in New York, Shani said that he believes the chef has to make the decisions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no democracy with food,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(Oct. 5, 2026 \/ JNS) Eyal Shani, the Israeli chef who operates 13 restaurants in the United States…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":365525,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[98,100,99,9,24,63],"class_list":["post-365524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn","tag-brooklyn-headlines","tag-brooklyn-news","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=365524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/365524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/365525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=365524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=365524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=365524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}