The size and presentation of Cafe Posh’s falafel are unmistakably Israeli. Shimon Edery, who owns this attractive, modern cafe with his wife, Simona, grinds soaked chickpeas with spices, herbs, and vegetables and shapes them into big, hunky croquettes. Fried in fresh oil, the falafel are sandwiched in soft, thick pita with a satisfying amount of hummus, tahini, roasted eggplant, diced tomatoes, cucumber, romaine lettuce, and a touch of homemade red pepper harissa or zehug—a green sauce made with herbs, fresh garlic, hot peppers, and extra virgin olive oil. They are a huge favorite of mine.
I am also devoted to Cafe Posh’s hummus, made daily by mixing pureed chickpeas with creamy, nutty tahini. I am likely to order other popular Israeli dishes such as shakshuka—a thick pepper and tomato stew with eggs cracked in it and a big scoop of mild, creamy hummus on top—and a mesmerizing schnitzel panino on crusty ciabatta when they show up among the daily specials. I have tasted enough soups (for example, split pea, tomato basil, white bean with herbs, and turkey chili) and salads (including an exotic Tunisian tuna salad with preserved lemon, extra virgin olive oil, capers, and harissa) to know that the Ederys make them all from scratch.
Alon Balshan, a fellow Israeli and childhood friend of Shimon Edery, supplies the bread for Cafe Posh’s panini and sandwiches featuring steamed pastrami, chicken pesto, or rich roasted lamb with garlic, rosemary, and red onion marmalade. The small selection of impeccable croissants, biscotti, and cookies is from Alon’s Bakery as well.
Located halfway between north Buckhead and Sandy Springs, Cafe Posh has an old-world coffeehouse feel and a die-hard clientele. It will become even more significant to its community when the owners upgrade the space, the menu, the prepared foods, and the catering options by year’s end. Beer, wine, and new coffee drinks are also on the way.
To my delight, the falafel is now available Monday through Saturday (up from a limited run on Tuesdays and Thursdays), and I am looking forward to a new era of Israeli tapas tied to the renovation, when I will be able to order small portions of hummus, Israeli salad, falafel balls, walnut chicken salad, and pretty much everything else in the cold case alongside fresh pita. 4920 Roswell Road, 404-303-7303
Photograph by Caroline Kilgore
