Tel Aviv Groove Pop-Up’s Insider Experience of New Israeli Cuisine at SAVIDA

(Gerry Furth-Sides) “Come party like we do in Tel Aviv” read the invite from the Tel Aviv Groove pop-up, first stop in LA on a  national tour.  We expected bold new takes on Mediterranean food and high energy, lively, smartly dressed guests.   We got it, and so much more.  Three days was not enough. We wanted it to go on and on!

And what a wonderful way to showcase Israeli chefs and new Israeli food in a pop up with partnering local restaurants to continue the energy!“

A memorable languorous last-of-the-season, warm Indian summer evening took place at Chef-owner Dan Smulovitz’s intimate Savida Restaurant and Raw Bar on Montana. The intimate garden setting and gourmet feast encouraged all the guests in lively conversation with each other.

They bought a new Cobi to town! Israeli chef, Cobi Bacar.  The crazy talented chefs, each with an impressive international culinary background, created a small plate menu of refreshing crudo inspired by the colorful, innovative and eclectic cuisine of Tel Aviv. 

The two seamlessly, and to all eyes, effortlessly, created a seafood menu “filled with bounty from the ocean”  in Santa Monica blocks from the ocean itself.  The chef team of Dan and Cobi made themselves available to talk to us about the dishes and also nouvelle Israeli cuisine. 

This meal gave Owner-Chef Dan Smulovitz a chance to show why he has earned a reputation as an expert in seafood and fish.  Los Angelenos may already know him from Craft and the Hungry Cat.  He is as serious, perfect and approachable as his food.

Chef Dan took inspiration chiefly from the Mediterranean, where his original restaurant “was so close to the sea we had a variety of fresh fish and seafood daily.”   The tree-lined, posh, lively Montana Avenue, in fact, “reminds me of a street in Tel Aviv,” he told us.   

Chef Smulovitz, in fact, was twice over inspired by the middle east in this event co-created with Chef Cobi.  The two masters planned and cooked a gourmet Mediterranean celebration of fish and seafood.  Chef Dan already serves an ocean to table driven menu. His innovative and natural dishe are anchored by the highest quality fish and freshest fruit and vegetables from local organic growers, including the Santa Monica Farmers Market nearby. 

His original Seafood restaurant and raw bar Savida, itself, was founded in and formerly of Israel.  It offers ceviches, crudos, oysters  in the former Sushi Sho space that truly builds on a combined base of Israeli Japanese and California Coastal and Japanese structure. Dishes can be as varied as octopus tostada with harissa, preserved lemon, kalamata olives and tzatziki; hamachi with tomato soy yuzu kosho dressing; and flounder ceviche with aji amarillo. 

Superb Israeli wines for this inspired, gourmet dinner, and all the other Tel Aviv Groove events were from Binyamina Winery.  Wines were chosen by the chefs together with guest sommelier Efi Kotz. 

This evening with two chefs from different part of the world was in itself is a feat.  And only one of many.  Three Tel Aviv Groove events were going on at the same time.  

In this way, Orly Segal’s Tel Aviv Groove just about “performed a miracle” by bringing the best of  Israeli nightlife in dinners, parties and art to Los Angeles and orchestrating them at a number of venues simultaneous.  Maybe it’s because Tel Aviv Groove creator,  Orly Segal,has been perfecting this skill of curating such events in Israel  for two decades now!

Savida 1303 Montana Ave., Santa Monica, (310) 310-3772, savidabar.com. Savida is open from noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday.