Israeli restaurant 12 Chairs Cafe is hosting yet another kosher pop-up dinner series next month

Back in March, New York’s kosher food lovers flocked to 12 Chairs Café at 58 MacDougal Street for a special dinner series prepared by Israeli chef Avi Levi of Hamotzi, the renowned kosher restaurant in Jerusalem. Although not typically a kosher establishment, the downtown eatery temporarily turned its kitchen kosher and obtained certification for the occasion.

Given the overwhelming success of that pop-up—and how quickly tickets sold out—it’s no surprise that 12 Chairs Café is bringing back the format. This time, the restaurant has tapped Israeli chef Tomer Agay of Tel Aviv’s Santa Katarina to lead the kitchen. The new kosher dinner series, certified by Rabbi Sholtiel Lebovic, will run from June 9 through June 12, with two seatings each night: one at 7pm and another at 9pm.

“We liked Chef Agay’s story,” said Kate Amrani, 12 Chairs Café’s marketing coordinator, to Pretty Kosher. “He’s a big-name chef in Israel who hasn’t always cooked kosher, but in recent years he has.”

Tickets for the pop-up are available now on Resy. At $200 per guest plus tax, the experience includes a full meal and drinks.

The eatery is also preparing for a separate one-day event sure to tug at heartstrings: former Gaza hostage Keith Siegel is set to serve his now-famous pancakes at 12 Chairs this weekend. Siegel’s recipe gained attention while he was held captive, after the Hostages and Missing Families Forum advocacy group published it in a cookbook last year. His daughter, Shir, frequently spoke about missing her father’s weekend pancakes during his captivity. The story struck a chord on social media, with supporters recreating the dish and sharing photos in solidarity. Note that this particular pop-up will not be certified kosher.

Clearly, 12 Chairs Café has found a successful model. Here’s to hoping even more kosher culinary experiences are on the horizon at the Israeli eatery.