‘This is the place’: New Cafe Landwer in Hallandale Beach is serving Israeli cuisine with a touch of Europe
As she searched for sites for the restaurant she was planning, Oshi Katri remained firm: She did not want it to be in a mall.
A shopping center wouldn’t do, either. The Aventura resident and native of Israel wanted a building of her own, with abundant space, trees, shrubbery and a neighborhood feel.
Her husband, Tzahi, found a house being rented as an office in Hallandale Beach near the Florida East Coast Railway tracks, close to the YMCA of South Florida and Gulfstream Park. She immediately knew it was right.
“I said, ‘This is the place.’ I knew exactly how it was going to look. I was ready to build a destination,” she said.
Thus was born Cafe Landwer, the newest outpost of a chain of Mediterranean restaurants in Israel, Boston, Los Angeles and Toronto. The eatery, which debuted in Hallandale Beach in January, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is already attracting crowds, serving about 500 people a day in the past few weeks, Katri said.
The Katris moved to the United States from Israel almost 10 years ago and are already South Florida restaurant veterans, having operated two popular Israeli-style cafes called Aroma Espresso Bar in Miami Beach and North Miami Beach. Those closed a year ago, and the family became ready for a new food venture.
The couple’s accountant told them about Cafe Landwer and, after extensive research, they decided to buy a franchise. Landwer’s menus consist of food the family, which includes their three sons who work in the restaurant, is comfortable with. Much of it is imported from Israel, with an emphasis on Middle Eastern staples such as hummus, tahini, chopped vegetables, shakshuka, labneh, feta and halloumi cheeses.
Meat is kosher, although Katri describes the restaurant as “kosher-style.” The owners purchase kosher meat but also serve cheeses from the same kitchen, which Orthodox Jews would traditionally separate. The restaurant is also open on Saturdays; strictly kosher restaurants are not open on the Jewish Sabbath.
The food is reminiscent not only of the Middle East, with pita bread served puffy and warm, but also Europe. Schnitzel ($23), a breaded and fried chicken slice believed to have originated in Germany or Austria, is one of the most popular dishes.
But Middle Eastern and North African platters dominate the menu. Seafood includes Moroccan fish in a spicy tomato stew with toasted challah bread ($26). A salmon and broccolini dish ($28) is served on skordalia, a creamy Greek potato-garlic dip with almonds and za’atar spice. There are also hummus bowls, salads, sandwiches, soups and burgers.
Although about 30 people can sit inside the restaurant near Landwer’s bakery counter, Katri said she wanted the site to offer extensive outdoor seating to encourage a relaxed al fresco atmosphere. She said she sought a “Miami vibe,” with turquoise- and salmon-colored outdoor walls and the open feel she has encountered at cafes in Miami’s Little Havana.
About 70 people can sit outside on a patio surrounding a large shade tree saved by the designers from the former property. Tables are covered by pink umbrellas with white tassels as trim. There is also a bar and couches among lush plants such as anthuriums and philodendrons.
By becoming part of the Cafe Landwer network, Katri was able to access the chain’s designers, menu, architect, chefs and personnel specialists. She said the menu is flexible, such as her recent addition of a local favorite, Key lime pie, but made with halva, a sweet Middle Eastern sesame paste, and whipped cream ($13).
Cafe Landwer has 80 restaurants in Israel, three in Boston, eight in Toronto and one in Los Angeles, said Nir Caspi, cofounder and CEO. He and two partners opened their first one in Israel in 2004.
The chain is named for Moshe Landwer, who opened a coffeehouse in Berlin in 1919. In 1933, with the rise to power of the Nazis, the namesake and his family moved to Tel Aviv and founded one of the country’s first coffee-brewing houses.
“Our idea was to revive a brand that has such a great heritage and legacy,” Caspi said.
The chain is now negotiating sites in New Jersey and Las Vegas, with tremendous expansion ambitions, he said.
“Florida is a great market for us,” said Caspi, who is planning a move with his family from Boston to Boca Raton. “The restaurants feel like you are in a café from Europe, with the modern vintage and design. We are taking the food to the limit, with the coffee and tahini all brought in from Israel. We are ready to become a national chain.”
Cafe Landwer is at 805 SE First Ave., Hallandale Beach. Visit landwercafe.com/branch/miami-florida or 754-260-5113.
