Those of us who live on the eastern flank of Hyde Park were worried when the former German bakery, Grandin Desserts, closed without warning last year. Having a bakery isn’t integral to having a good neighborhood, but it sure helps. So I wasn’t the only one who was happy when work began on Koriela, an Israeli bakery that is so colorfully decorated that it feels like walking into a wedding cake.
I stopped by recently for some pastries and discovered a place that’s just as much of a destination-worthy bakery as a neighborhood one. Owner Ifat Lahyani, who grew up in Israel and graduated from Le Cordon Bleu, serves a variety of Israeli and Middle Eastern pastries, as well as espresso drinks and other specialties.
But my favorite items, so far, are the house-made bourekas (triangular-shaped phyllo filled with a variety of ingredients and topped with sesame seeds). According to the food blog immigrantstable.com, “in many Israeli homes, they’re the kind of thing you serve for Shavuot brunch or enjoy cold on Shabbat, when reheating isn’t allowed.”
On my first visit to Koriela, I ordered a few to take to work and share with the Enquirer staff. But as I was settling up, Lahyani insisted I wait a moment until a version she considers a specialty of her new bakery was ready to go. She told me it was filled with hard-boiled eggs, pickles and tahini. And, after my first bite, I wondered how she intuited that it was exactly what I needed in my life.
The perfect combination of eggs, tangy pickles and rich, nutty tahini is the answer to what I crave each and every morning (though some might prefer it as an afternoon snack). Along with an expertly made cappuccino, the portable pouch was easy to devour on my way into the office. So, welcome to the neighborhood, Koriela. I’m sure we’ll be getting along just fine.
3670 Erie Ave., Hyde Park. Hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday-Friday. Closed Saturday.
Highly Recommended is a weekly spotlight on some of food writer Keith Pandolfi’s favorite finds as he eats his way across Greater Cincinnati. Find more of his recent food writing here.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Destination-worthy bakery opens in Hyde Park. Here’s what to order
Reporting by Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
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By Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
