Einat Admony, acclaimed Israeli-American chef, opens her first restaurant in Brooklyn

It was an unseasonably warm Tuesday in Brooklyn, and unlike many New Yorkers, Chef Einat Admony — the founder of the acclaimed Greenwich Village restaurant Balaboosta and the Taim falafel chain — wasn’t laser-focused on the election. Instead, she was busy deciding which color ink she’d use for the final menu for her latest business venture.

Admony, along with her husband, Stefan Nafziger, and her younger brother, Elon Admony, were scurrying about an exposed brick-lined space in East Williamsburg, organizing the marble bar and testing out the sound system at the far end of the narrow room. Meanwhile, Einat’s dachshund, Bamba — named for the popular Israeli peanut snack — was pacing back and forth and emitting sharp little squeals. 

The three (human) business partners were scrambling to put the final touches on their vinyl listening bar and eatery that they hope will become Williamsburg’s latest hotspot. Later that evening was the intimate, friends-and-family opening of the celebrated Israeli-American chef’s first-ever restaurant in Brooklyn: Moondog HiFi Bar at 119 Ingraham St. 

“It was a dream of Stef’s to open a restaurant in Brooklyn one day,” said Einat, who has lived with her husband in Fort Greene, south of Williamsburg in the borough, for 20 years. 

The next day, Einat planned to hang a mezuzah on the bar/restaurant’s doorpost, and finalize any remaining details before the official opening on Thursday. That’s when the public could get their first tastes of Moondog’s mashup menu of Mediterranean and Mexican cuisines, a combination that the Admony siblings call “Med-Mex.”

“I love Mexican food,” Einat Admony said. “There is lots of connection between Yemenite and Mexican food.” 

The siblings’ father was Yemeni and his schug, or green hot sauce, is both a staple in Admony’s restaurants and a beloved childhood memory. At Moondog, it appears as a topping for her hummus and in the form of “s’chugichurri” — a combination of schug and chimichurri, a Latin American garlicky herbal sauce that’s served with adobo brisket. Other items on the taco-centric menu include mushroom al pastor taco, a vegan dish made of mushrooms that’s served with pickled red onions, cabbage slaw, pineapple and cilantro. 

But Moondog HiFi Bar isn’t “just” a place to simply dine or drink with friends. Admony hopes it will also be a cultural center of sorts, combining her elevated street food, art from local artists and a vinyl record listening bar, with speakers provided by Ex Machina Soundworks, a maker of high-end audio gear that is located across the street from the restaurant. The music will span the gamut from jazz, funk, soul and disco to house, techno, breakbeat and Latin. There will also be some Middle Eastern music.

“There will be old-school Israeli music, akin to The Mamas and The Papas here in this country,” said Elon Admony, 47, who has been involved in the music industry as a DJ, songwriter, and producer for most of his life. “And lots of international groups, not the normal stuff you hear on the radio.” 

The new restaurant was inspired by the eccentric New York City-based composer, performer and musician Moondog, who died in 1999. 

“He was all about music, art, poetry and performing art,” Elon said. “That is the concept of this place: to bring everyone under the same roof, and getting [together] DJs, audiophiles, people who care about the quality of sound, the quality of music and the quality of food.”

Once a week, Elon plans to bring a live jazz trio into the bar/restaurant. On weekends, there will be a DJ who will spin Elon’s collection of 2,500 vinyl records; when the DJ stops, there will also be opportunities for “deep listening,” as Elon calls it, when a full album will be played from start to finish in order to introduce guests to music they may not know. The bartender is tasked with flipping the record.

The cocktail menu will also combine Mexican and Middle Eastern influences. The Malabi cocktail, for example, is made with Mexican rum that’s mixed with lemon, a pistachio and sugar syrup, and pomegranate foam. The Jaffa Old Fashioned features tequila, chocolate orange liqueur and silan, a syrup made of boiled and macerated dates, a common sweetener in Israel and Arab countries.

Moondog has a 1,700-square-foot yard that the partners plan to focus on more fully once spring arrives. Until then, guests are greeted by a boldly painted outdoor mural by Rachael Balcanoff, an artist friend of theirs. In the next few months, they plan to open a speakeasy off the kitchen that can be used for private parties of up to 15.

Admony — who has been vocal about her support for Israel since it was attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023 — has said her flagship restaurant, Balaboosta, is “healthy and busy” and the team has not experienced any negativity as Israelis opening a new business in Williamsburg.

“We don’t want to get into anything political,” Elon said. “For employees, we are very strict about anything that promotes anything political.”

As the siblings spoke, however, Einat was wearing a yellow ribbon pin, symbolizing support for the release of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

“What about this?” she asked her brother, pointing to her pin.

“No, no,” Elon responded. “That’s not political.”