Star Israeli Pita Restaurant Opening in Chelsea Market

A long-simmering rumor is confirmed: Israeli celebrity chef Eyal Shani is bringing his worldwide hit pita restaurant Miznon to New York City. The chain is taking over the former Buon’Italia store in Chelsea Market to feed Shani’s popular pitas and much-copied whole roasted cauliflower to 110 people at a time, the Times reports.

Miznon is in several cities around the world — Tel Aviv, Paris, Vienna, and Melbourne — and customizes its menu to each market, stuffing pita with foods popular in each place. For example, a Paris pita has beef bourguignon, while Melbourne’s uses local ingredients. Shani once told the Forward: “My vision is to take whole cities and translate them into one pita ... So in this case, to take Paris’ energies, its groove, its longings, its limitations, its beauty and its food, and express all of that in one pita.”

Here, the restaurant, co-owned with filmmaker Shahar Segal, is planning an early December debut. Stay tuned for more.

• Lobster Club, From Major Food Group, Opens in Midtown East [NYT]
• Hit Tel Aviv/Paris Pita Restaurant Hamiznon/Miznon Rumored to be Expanding to NYC [ENY]