Ayuni, the Israeli shawarma joint in Santa Clara that I wrote about in August, is closed until further notice; there’s a sign on the door saying so, and the restaurant’s website is down. (Thanks to the J. reader and Ayuni devotee who tipped me off.) I reached out to the owner but haven’t heard back. If I hear anything further, I’ll let you know. According to the upset reader, business was booming and locals loved it. As I wrote in August, it definitely felt a bit like a little Tel Aviv right near the San Jose airport.
(Anya Ku)
Mazel tov to Tehiyah Day School alum Elazar Sontag on his new role as food critic for the Washington Post! Ten years ago, I profiled Sontag and his friend Anya Ku, then two high school students from Oakland who had channeled their love of food into a self-published book, “Flavors of Oakland.” With photos by Ku and text by Sontag, it featured a collection of recipes from around the globe, with photos of the diverse Oakland home cooks who made the dishes. It was clear to me then, when he was just 17, that Sontag’s passion for food was going to take him places. After some years working for Eater NY, he was named restaurant editor for Bon Appetit magazine in 2022, and now he’s working in his new role in the nation’s capital.
Matt Kosoy, owner of Pacifica’s Rosalind Bakery, which I first wrote about in 2024, has just opened Jerry’s Roast Pork, a hoagie shop in the Embarcadero Center, Tablehopper reports. Perhaps it’s no surprise that this was Kosoy’s next move, as one of his first culinary jobs was in a hoagie shop. While the new place specializes in the Philadelphia/New Jersey-style hoagie, heavy on the meat, there will always be a vegetarian sandwich on the menu inspired by the nearby farmers market, plus pizzas and Rosalind’s breads and pastries. And just as Rosalind’s is named in memory of Kosoy’s grandmother, Jerry’s is named in memory of his grandfather, Eater SF reports. Jerry’s Roast Pork is at 2 Embarcadero Center, 2nd floor, S.F.