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Tal Mor and his Iraqi-Israeli heritage were highlighted in a recent story in the San Francisco Chronicle about the Loquat sandwich night, a monthly gathering where the Jewish diasporic bakery becomes more like a wine bar, complete with a DJ, and serves only one item: a sabich sandwich on house-made laffa flatbread.
Chron food critic Cesar Hernandez raved about the bread, saying “I fantasize about using it as a cozy blanket on a chilly night.”
Sabich is an eggplant sandwich invented by Iraqi immigrants to Israel. With its array of condiments and other fillings, just calling it an eggplant sandwich wouldn’t do it justice.
The article references Mor’s father’s background, how the Jews suffered in Iraq until they were allowed to emigrate, and how they were sprayed with disinfectant upon arrival in Israel and lived in refugee camps.
I first wrote about Loquat after it opened in the city in November 2022; co-owner Mor was in my column again in June 2024 for starting a dialogue group about the Israel-Hamas war with his Palestinian friend Sam Mogannam, owner of Bi-Rite Market. The two men recently moderated a Parents Circle event at the JCC of San Francisco, where an Israeli and a Palestinian were in dialogue, sharing their grief.
The next Loquat sandwich nights are scheduled for May 27 and June 24, from 5 to 9 p.m., at 198 Gough St., S.F.
The Che Fico team, which includes Jewish chef David Nayfeld, will open a Jewish restaurant in Menlo Park called Bubbelah, replacing a former market that sold Italian goods.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the new Bubbelah will be fast-casual and serve Middle Eastern food like hummus and the fava bean stew called ful, as well as Ashkenazi classics like matzah ball soup. I’ll of course bring a full report after it opens, scheduled for mid-May, at 1300 El Camino Real.
The new venture has no connection to Bubbala’s, the Jewish eatery that chef-owner Greg Bernson opened with his daughter Janelle Loiselle in San Anselmo in November. Neither he nor Nayfield knew about their variations on a theme. “Good luck with the venture,” Bernson said.