Israeli chef serves up a taste of home

You don’t need to travel to Jerusalem to experience authentic and delicious Israeli cuisine. Ami Jerusalem Street Food brings the rich and savory taste of Israel to Chicago’s North Shore.

Born and raised in Jerusalem, Chef Ami Sananes is committed to staying true to the flavors he grew up with, providing a true culinary experience. While he has helped open many restaurants in Chicago throughout his 30-plus year career, Ami Jerusalem Street Food–newly opened in Highwood–is the first to carry his name.

When asked if he came from a family of good cooks, Sananes laughed and said, “All Israeli moms and grandmas are good cooks. They started in the morning, making food for the evening. It’s in their blood.”

When Sananes got his start in the food industry over three decades ago, he realized people didn’t know much about Mediterranean food. “I was one of the first people to introduce this type of food to Chicago,” he recalled. “I started by making Mediterranean food for Third Coast Café and Convito Italiano, among others.”

Sananes gained a range of experience at a variety of restaurants for most of his career. He has worked with top chefs in Chicago and New York, including Charlie Trotter.

He began selling his food at farmers’ markets several years ago. “People kept asking, ‘Where’s your restaurant?'” That’s when I finally realized that if I was ever going to do this, now was the time. It’s not like I was getting any younger,” he said.

Once Sananes made the decision to open his own restaurant, he knew he had to differentiate his menu. He chose to go back to his roots.

“It was the only thing I could do,” he explained. “I [decided to be] loyal to the cuisine, and just bring it as it is. That’s how I decided to do Jerusalem street food. With Jerusalem street food, you present the Jewish side and the Arab side, because the food is very intermingled.”

Sasanes aims to bring the feeling of home to his new venture. “Food was the center of my family,” he said. “Everything good revolved around food. There was no social media, so people gathered around the table to share everything. That was the social event.”

The menu at Ami Jerusalem Street Food features food from the chef’s childhood, interpreted through a modern lens. In addition to classics like falafel, shawarma, and baba ghanoush, he offers roasted cauliflower hummus, shakshuka pita, Moroccan carrots, ribeye steak pita, sumac rotisserie chicken, crispy chicken schnitzel, and homemade filo burekas . Mouthwatering overnight short rib is a weekend special.

Ami Jerusalem Street Food is a wonderful addition to the already lively culinary scene in Highwood, and a delectable tribute to what Israeli cuisine is all about.

Rochelle Newman Rubinoff is a freelance writer living in the northern suburbs of Chicago.