Latest news with #EyalShani
The Age
05-07-2025
- The Age
Attacking a Melbourne restaurant does nothing for peace in the Middle East
Waking to the news that an Israeli restaurant was targeted in Melbourne on Friday night has hit me hard. A group of about 20 people – some wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh – threw food, upended tables, and smashed glasses and a window at Miznon restaurant in busy Hardware Lane, terrifying customers and staff, few of whom are Israeli. Is this who we are in Melbourne, a place that people come to escape conflict, to find peace and to celebrate diversity? Is it not safe to go out for cauliflower and sweet potato? I am Jewish, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and, as I've realised since October 2023, I carry the trauma of broken glass and hateful slogans and sudden, violent disruption. My cells shrink inside me and I feel paralysed, as though fear has frozen my bones. As a food writer, it's Melbourne's cultural richness that I love most. I eat Congolese fufu and Persian soup and Chinese noodles and Colombian biscuits, learning and drawing closer to culture and shared humanity. I celebrate restaurants as places of gathering and welcome, proving every day we can find similarities in all our differences. At Miznon, simple ingredients are cooked with care and served with joy. When I interviewed the restaurant group's Israeli founder, Eyal Shani, as the restaurant opened in 2017, he told me about the mission to source the perfect pita. He discovered a local Turkish baker and was delighted that a Jew and Muslim worked together for weeks to create the perfect bread pocket. 'We changed the whole recipe for his wood oven,' he marvelled. 'We discovered each pita has a birthmark from fire, each one is unique and its own creation. In the end I have a better pita in Melbourne than I have in Israel.' Miznon's two Melbourne restaurants – there is another in Collingwood – are part of an international hospitality group, part-owned by Israeli businessman Shahar Segal. Segal is also a spokesman for Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a food aid group backed by Israel and the US which has been widely criticised for its lack of impartiality and using aid as leverage.
Sydney Morning Herald
05-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Attacking a Melbourne restaurant does nothing for peace in the Middle East
Waking to the news that an Israeli restaurant was targeted in Melbourne on Friday night has hit me hard. A group of about 20 people – some wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh – threw food, upended tables, and smashed glasses and a window at Miznon restaurant in busy Hardware Lane, terrifying customers and staff, few of whom are Israeli. Is this who we are in Melbourne, a place that people come to escape conflict, to find peace and to celebrate diversity? Is it not safe to go out for cauliflower and sweet potato? I am Jewish, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor and, as I've realised since October 2023, I carry the trauma of broken glass and hateful slogans and sudden, violent disruption. My cells shrink inside me and I feel paralysed, as though fear has frozen my bones. As a food writer, it's Melbourne's cultural richness that I love most. I eat Congolese fufu and Persian soup and Chinese noodles and Colombian biscuits, learning and drawing closer to culture and shared humanity. I celebrate restaurants as places of gathering and welcome, proving every day we can find similarities in all our differences. At Miznon, simple ingredients are cooked with care and served with joy. When I interviewed the restaurant group's Israeli founder, Eyal Shani, as the restaurant opened in 2017, he told me about the mission to source the perfect pita. He discovered a local Turkish baker and was delighted that a Jew and Muslim worked together for weeks to create the perfect bread pocket. 'We changed the whole recipe for his wood oven,' he marvelled. 'We discovered each pita has a birthmark from fire, each one is unique and its own creation. In the end I have a better pita in Melbourne than I have in Israel.' Miznon's two Melbourne restaurants – there is another in Collingwood – are part of an international hospitality group, part-owned by Israeli businessman Shahar Segal. Segal is also a spokesman for Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a food aid group backed by Israel and the US which has been widely criticised for its lack of impartiality and using aid as leverage.
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Travel + Leisure
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Travel + Leisure
The Venetian in Las Vegas Is Getting a $1.5 Billion Overhaul and We Got a Preview of Its Best Suites and New Restaurants
Less than three years after announcing a $1.5 billion reinvention of The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, the initial phases of the project have been completed. 'We are proud to have delivered on that promise,' the resort's president and CEO, Patrick Nichols, tells Travel + Leisure . The massive glow-up introduced Las Vegas to its first Israeli dining concepts, courtesy of acclaimed chef Eyal Shani. Miznon, a fast-casual pita shop, made its debut, followed by HaSalon, a marriage between Mediterranean fine dining and Tel Aviv bacchanalia. Next came Voltaire, a next-generation nightlife venue dreamed up by the resort's chief content officer, Michael Gruber. Voltaire has already hosted sold-out shows from Kylie Minogue, Christina Aguilera, and Jason Derulo, and is now home to a limited run of Dita Von Teese's burlesque show. The culinary rollout continued with an outpost of Los Angeles' beloved farmers' market-to-table favorite Gjelina, and Nomikai, an elevated sushi restaurant complete with a tucked-away speakeasy. But the most highly anticipated additions are still to come. Soon, the property will welcome a trio of standout openings: COTE, the first (and only) Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse in the U.S.; the Las Vegas migration of José Andrés' avant-garde Bazaar Meat from Sahara Las Vegas; and a new food hall called Via Via. All three will be open by the end of the year, according to Nichols. Via Via features a curated lineup of cult-favorite concepts from across the country. Think an outpost of Florence's legendary sandwich shop All'Antico Vinaio, Nashville's hot chicken Howlin' Ray's, and New York's Scarr's Pizza. The roster also includes a revival of chef Ray Garcia's Los Angeles B.S. Taqueria, Tokyo-and-NYC favorite Ivan Ramen, and two hits from New Orleans chef Mason Hereford: the breakfast haunt Molly's Rise & Shine and the all-day counter-service gem Turkey and the Wolf. There is even a cocktail bar called Close Company from the team behind L.A.'s Death & Co. Beyond the buzzy culinary additions, The Venetian's top floors now house some of the most opulent suites in the city. Its Signature Suites collection includes penthouses, presidential suites, and the crowning jewel, chairman suites, all of which have been completely reimagined and packed with over-the-top amenities, such as media rooms, Tonal gyms, steam baths, and saunas. The living room inside the Richmond Chairman suite. Thomas Hart Shelby/The Venetian Resort 12 Best Las Vegas Hotels 20 Totally Free Things to Do in Las Vegas 'We stripped them all down to the studs,' says Nichols. 'The goal was to bring in smart technology and create spaces that feel truly residential—comfortable, luxurious, and designed for how people actually live and entertain.' To that end, four distinct design schemes were developed by NYC-based firm Meyer Davis and London's Richmond International. All marry Italian sensibilities with Vegas whimsy, featuring Venetian plaster, Murano glass–inspired lighting, and custom Italian-crafted furnishings. Butler service comes standard, along with steam showers, Japanese toilets, and Dyson hairdryers. In the penthouse suites, plush Italian fabrics, corner-framed Venetian photography, and Scarpa flooring–inspired carpets set a refined tone. The presidential suites center around a sculptural, hand-crafted resin bar and feature Moroso leather armchairs, ripple-detailed dining tables, and custom-colored pianos. The five chairman suites showcase exquisite Officina Luce chandeliers, embroidered leather dining chairs, and a woven Murano glass–inspired bar backdrop that practically begs for a negroni moment. Some suites also feature unexpected elements, such as karaoke lounges, poker tables, and private bars that feel more like members-only clubs or hidden speakeasies. 'There's a suite for every kind of traveler,' Nichols notes. 'Whether you want something energetic and fun, or timeless and elegant, we've got it.' The refresh also brings a new naming structure to the resort's towers: The Venetian now refers to the North and South Towers—the former being the original 1999 tower, and the latter opening in 2003. While the Signature Suite refresh completes the larger $550 million room revamp of these towers, Nichols exclusively revealed to T+L that the South Tower's penthouse space, which, until now, had remained an unfinished 'gray shell,' is being quietly completed. Slated to open this summer, these 78 new suites will range from two to four bedrooms and, unlike the Signature Suites, which are reserved for The Venetian's top casino customers, these will be available for the general public to book. 'They'll be some of the largest suites you can book in Las Vegas,' says Nichols. And the upgrades aren't stopping there. 'We're working on some exciting things at The Palazzo next,' Nichols adds, though, for now, the details remain under wraps.
