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Super scoopster Todd Price broke the news that business partners Alon Shaya and John Besh have taken over the lease of Uptown restaurant Dominique's on Magazine to open up a Israeli restaurant, called Shaya, serving traditional and "more exotic" food from the Israeli culinary scene. The restaurant will open in 2015.
Known for his authentic and rustic Italian food at both Domenica and Pizza Domenica, Shaya has dabbled with Israeli dishes at both restaurants, serving a special menu for Hanukkah at Domenica and offering shakshuka, an Israeli breakfast dish, for Pizza Domenica's weekend brunch.
Shaya says that the Dominique's decor already reflects an Israeli aesthetic, telling Price, "The way people live in Tel Aviv, you can compare it to Miami. It's very art deco, a lot of sexiness."
Shaya, who emigrated from Israel at the age of four, says that this newest venture will be closest to his heart. "He's using recipes that he cooked as a boy with his grandmother. For advice on what to serve, he'll be calling his mother."
