10 July 30 - August 5, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | ▼ HALLANDALE BEACH KEEP IT KOSHER If you’ve driven down Hallandale Beach Boule- vard lately and noticed a line spilling out the door of the former Kosher Bagel Cove, there’s a good reason. Bakey, the Boston bakery known for its handcrafted breads, flaky pastries, and what many consider some of the country’s best babka, has officially opened its first South Florida loca- tion, and locals are already showing up in droves from breakfast through lunch. The new kosher bakery at 668 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd. marks Bakey’s Florida debut, with additional locations already planned for Fort Lau- derdale and Aventura. Bakey comes from master baker, cookbook author, and internationally acclaimed chef Uri Scheft, whose name has become synonymous with modern babka. Scheft founded Lehamim Bakery in Tel Aviv before co-founding New York City’s celebrated Breads Bakery, helping introduce a new genera- tion of pastry lovers to the rich, twisted Eastern European bread. He later published the James Beard Award-nominated cookbook Breaking Breads and launched Bakey in Boston in 2021. Now, he’s bringing that same philosophy to South Florida alongside business partner Amir Vadash, whose family operated Israel’s Vadash Bakery for more than six decades. While the chocolate babka remains the bakery’s signature item, it’s hardly the only reason to visit. Guests can choose from whole loaves or slices of chocolate babka, almond babka with German marzipan, and rotating seasonal flavors. The pas- try case is equally tempting, filled with buttery chocolate and goat cheese croissants, rugelach, cheese sticks, and golden, flaky burekas stuffed with cheese, potatoes, or spinach. Fresh challah, naturally fermented sourdough, New York-style bagels, rolls, and artisan breads are baked throughout the day, staying true to Bakey’s motto that “the oven is always on.” Bakey isn’t just a bakery. It’s designed as an all-day café where guests can settle in with breakfast, lunch, or an afternoon coffee break. The menu includes breakfast plates, freshly prepared salads, sandwiches, and grab-and-go options, along with its extensive bakery selection. Every item is made in-house using fresh ingredi- ents, unbleached flour, and natural sourdough. Coffee is equally important here. Bakey serves premium beans sourced from Umbria, Italy, roasted off-site and ground fresh in- house for each cup. The bakery has transformed the longtime Kosher Ba- gel Cove space into a bright, modern café designed by Alona Eliasi. Inside, warm wood accents, greenery, and minimalist décor create an inviting atmosphere. And, of course, the beautiful pastry displays greet guests as soon as they walk through the door. The café seats about 50 indoors and another 70 on its outdoor patio, making it an easy spot to linger over coffee and pastries or grab breakfast on the go. Bakey also offers catering, wholesale bakery services, holiday menus, and delivery through Uber Eats and DoorDash. Bakey. Open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at 668 W. Hallandale Beach Blvd., Hallandale Beach. NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR ▼ LITTLE GABLES STAR TURN If you grew up in Miami, there are a few things you can count on. Afternoon rainstorms. Cafecito. And seeing an Estrella Insurance commercial ev- ery commercial break on Telemundo or Univision. So imagine our collective confusion when the same Estrella family announced it had opened…a | TASTE TEST | ▼ Café Café Bakey Beloved kosher café and bakery Bakey has opened its first Florida location in Hallandale Beach with its famous babka, breads, and pastries. has a theory on the staying power, too. “When programs overstretch, people don’t have that drive,” he says. “The 60 days is the perfect amount of time to ignite that sense of urgency.” The prices have climbed this year, with the city costs and inflation, though not as steeply as the sticker suggests. Adjusted for inflation, that $29.99 dinner from 2002 works out to roughly $55 today, so the standard menus have mostly kept pace. The number that would have been unthinkable in 2002 is the new one – a Spice tier that starts at $95. That tier, called Miami Spice Reserve, was built for restaurants whose everyday price points never fit the standard prix-fixe model. At L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, South Florida’s only two-Michelin-starred restaurant, that means a three-course lunch for $95 on Fridays and Saturdays and a four- course dinner for $155, with dishes like foie gras royale and lobster and corn agnolotti from chef James Friedberg. The tier also covers signature experiences such as SORA’s bluefin tuna cutting ceremony and omakase dinners at Uchi Miami and Uchiko Miami Beach, plus optional pairings of Louis Pommery California sparkling wine and Château La Gordonne rosé at select restaurants. The anniversary also brings three limited- edition collaborations, including the Tank Brewing Co.’s Miami Spice Lager, a Signa- ture Xtra Heat hot sauce from Florida-based Tabañero, and Voodoo Doughnut’s Holla at Chamoy, a doughnut made with mango chamoy filling and a sweet-and-spicy chamoy and habanero coating, available at the Wynwood shop through September 30. Uber Eats joins as an anniversary sponsor with in-app deals at select participating res- taurants throughout the program, and Ca- millus House returns as the charitable partner, with QR codes on participating menus for diner donations, and the GMCVB matching the first $25,000 given. Twenty-five seasons in, Delgado puts the milestone in restaurant terms. “It’s not a secret that restaurants in Miami don’t always last that many years,” he says. “So when a program like this is successful for so long, it’s an honor. I don’t think Miami Spice will ever get old.” Miami Spice Restaurant Months. August 1 through September 30 at participating restau- rants throughout Greater Miami and Miami Beach; miamispice.com. [email protected] Baked escargot at A Fish Called Avalon A Fish Called Avalon photo provided by Miami Spice Dig in from p9 THE BOSTON BAKERY IS KNOWN FOR WHAT MANY CONSIDER SOME OF THE COUNTRY’S BEST BABKA.
