Carolyn Fath
Noosh is transforming a former Taco Bell, serving Jewish fusion food.
Noosh, the eagerly awaited second restaurant by Laila Borokhim, will officially open Nov. 12 at 1920 S. Park St. Borokhim has served dinners there already, and will host a special dinner featuring lamb from Mapleton Mynd Shropshires of Stoughton on Nov. 5, but regular hours won’t kick in until next week. Noosh will be open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wed.-Fri., 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sat., and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sun. for brunch.
Borokhim’s other restaurant, Layla’s Persian Food at 141 S. Butler St., will continue to be open for lunch weekdays and for Friday and Saturday dinners.
On the restaurant’s Facebook page, Borokhim describes Noosh’s cuisine as “Fresh, locally sourced Sephardic Jewish cuisine,” but in a phone interview, she expands on that definition: “To a lot of people, that means Spanish food, but Sephardic Jews also ended up in Iraq, Iran, Turkey.” Noosh will have a “Jewish fusion” menu, says Borokhim, avoiding both Jewish deli staples like corned beef sandwiches and Middle Eastern standards like hummus and falafel. Instead, look for a lamb bacon sandwich, chicken under a brick, and stuffed grape leaves — “not totally typical Middle Eastern,” Borokhim says.
Noosh’s site, a former Taco Bell, appealed to Borokhim as easy to reach from campus, east, and west sides, with plenty of parking, and in a corridor that’s been a traditional stronghold for immigrant cuisines. It’s just a little over a mile south of the restaurant-heavy 400-900 blocks of South Park, and next door to Taqueria El Pastor.
Downtown, the storefront that was once home to Charley’s Chocolates as well as various incarnations of the Baker’s Window at 122 State St. is reopening as a fast-food Caribbean restaurant serving pulled pork, jerk chicken and other island dishes, says building owner Harold Langhammer. Hours for the new restaurant, which does not yet have a name, have yet to be determined.
Langhammer describes the restaurant as being a part of the Fountain, the Wisconsin-themed eatery that opened in 2011 at 122 State St., which became known for hosting live music as well as political meetings. The Fountain has recently been closed Sundays through Tuesdays; Langhammer says that they have been “searching for the hours we want,” but reiterates the restaurant and bar is open Wednesday through Saturday and continues to host live music.
The SoHo Gourmet Cuisines cart has opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 2990 Cahill Main in Fitchburg (the shopping center that's also home to the Great Dane-Fitchburg).
