Chef Eli behind Mesiba

The space is incredible—inspired by the Tel Aviv of the 60s and 70s with round shapes and warm colors—we found a new restaurant to rave about tucked in the Moxy Hotel Williamsburg. Mesiba first caught our eye with their endless schnitzel and frites event every Tuesday night for $28. But after a quick stroll through their website, it’s obvious they have even more to offer, so we decided to find out first-hand. Welcome to Mesiba!

Chef Eli’s earliest memories of dining out are from a restaurant in Tel Aviv called Tapas. From the meals he shared there with his family, he recalls that the combination of the lighting, ambiance, and energy felt like something he wanted to be a part of. He opened Mesiba in Brooklyn to recreate that feeling he holds dear to his heart to share it with his guests in New York. It’s true, there’s a certain magic at Mesiba in the midst of the msabbaha cart making its way around the packed dining room. And we definitely want to be a part of it.

“To know them, to cook for them, to feel the energy in the room. That's what makes me want to be a chef and host people at my restaurant.” Before opening Mesiba, Chef Eli was the chef at Bustan in the Upper West Side and opened Tamam, his own falafel spot in the Upper East Side. Throwing it back to when he was 16 years old, his first ever job was as a Pizza Hut cook. Of course, he stops by the chain ever so often to reminisce on where it all started. His kitchen today makes margherita pizzas for Bar Bedford (right outside of Mesiba). “Pizza is something that I like to eat. It's always a go-to for me. Pizza, good pizza,” he adds.

Mesiba is named after the Hebrew word for party. The mission is clear—it’s a space for people to enjoy good food, cocktails, and vibes with friends. Chef Eli finds running a restaurant rewarding when he has a “loud dining room with happy people choosing to eat and share food together.” But, of course, this wouldn’t be possible without the difficult parts of the business that we as guests never see. He mentions that the hardest part is “dealing with things that have nothing to do with customers, like plumbing and delivery problems.”

Bites to Savour

Do you have any expert advice for diners looking to discover restaurants?

"I'm someone who discovers new restaurants at least five times a week. I'm just walking in and trying places I want to try. I'm also looking for the best way to discover restaurants—maybe Shortlist is the way.”

If you were to make a dish with only 3 ingredients, what would you make?

“I would make baba ganoush with two basic ingredients and then add some fresh herbs on top. So eggplant, tahini, and fresh herbs. Delicious.”

If you could only have one item on your menu, what would it be?

“The lamb neck. It's a whole piece of lamb neck that comes with condiments around yemeni pancakes for you to make your own sandwich.”

What are your favorite restaurants in NYC?

“So I love a lot of restaurants in New York, but I think favorite restaurants are the places you're going back to very often. So it'll be Thai Diner, Sushi 35 West for me—I love them.”

What’s your go-to order at any restaurant?

“Something I'm going to order at any restaurant is beef tartare. I really like beef tartare.”

See Chef Eli & Mesiba come to life here

Book a reservation to dine at Mesiba and make sure to get the msabbaha cart, baba ganoush, and lamb neck!

With compliments to the chef,

Jenn

Co-Founder, Shortlist New York