Taiim Cellar Opens in Scarsdale

When a survey of Scarsdale residents on Scarsdale10583 showed that you wanted more places to eat downtown, Scarsdale Chamber of Commerce President Carolyn Stevens made it her business to seek out restauranteurs who might want to come to the Village. She headed over to her favorite falafel shop in Hastings and asked owner Zamir Iosepovici to take a look at our town. Born in Israel and a lawyer by trade, Iosepovici opened his famed falafel shop in Hastings in 2010 and after a visit to Scarsdale planned a second venture that would be more upscale and sophisticated but offer some of the same great fare.

Now two years later, Taiim Cellar has opened in the space formerly occupied by Vaccaros Shoes and is off to a great start. Zamir and his partners did a wonderful job of building out the space into an inviting and warm wine bar with decorative touches from the Middle East. If you remember the rabbit's warren of shelves and shoes at Vaccaros, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the transformation.

The scene is lit with Moroccan lanterns, the bar features the Middle Eastern arch and there's seating on comfy Turkish ottomans. There's even a mellow Middle Eastern soundtrack playing and you can sip a Middle Eastern infused cocktail, specially formulated by a mixologist for Taiim Cellar. With names like "Arabian Night Moves" including Arak Razzouk, lemon juice, lime syrup and coriander and a "Forty Thieves Sour" with whiskey, simple syrup, lime juice and bitters, it will be tough to decide which one to try first.

Every dish on the menu hails from the Middle East and is either made at Taiim Cellar or sourced from carefully selected purveyors. The twelve varieties of hummus are cooked fresh daily, and so far, the most popular choices are the classic, basil, and truffle oil though I can't wait to try the preserved lemon, spiced cilantro and Masabacha (an Israeli hummus with lemon-spiked tahini and whole chickpeas)

Hummus selections are accompanied by Arabian pita – and Taiim also stocks fresh-baked ciabatta for sandwiches and to be served with the tempting array of salads and sides. The all-vegetarian menu features falafel, chopped Israeli salad, tabbluleh, quinoa, beet salad and more.

Another option is the cheese platter of Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean cheeses shown here. On the cheese list are Labneh, a strained yogurt cheese from Lebanon, goat and sheep's milk Halloumi, Mahon, a cow's milk cheese from Mallorca and Fioretto di Sardegna, sheep's milk cheese from Sardinia. The attractive cheese platter comes with fig jam, rose petal jam, Greek olive oil, whole figs and almonds and walnuts. What fun to meet a friend for a glass of wine from Taiim's extensive collection and munch on Middle Eastern cheeses.

There are heartier meal selections as well and Taiim offers ten innovative sandwiches accompanied by Israeli chopped salad. Here are descriptions of just a few on the list:

The Falafel: Falafel with classic hummus, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, turnips and tahini

The Cauliflower: Roasted cauliflower with classic hummus and simmered tomatoes, red peppers, onions and garlic.

The Butternut Squash: Roasted butter squash, Fioretto di Sardegna and fig jam

For dessert or a snack there's baklava and cardamon tea. What else could you ask for?

Taiim Cellar is foremost a wine bar that offers an extensive array of red, white, sparking and dessert wines by the glass and some novel selections of Israeli, Italian, Greek and even Moroccan wines by the bottle. Oenophiles will have a field day sampling the international collection of wines – and for those who like the hard stuff, the bar stocks a full array of top-shelf liquors.

All this is on the menu at very reasonable prices and you can easily have a meal at Taiim Cellar for under $20. Sandwiches are priced at $12 - $13, salads from $6- $9 and a cheese platter with a choice of three cheeses is just $15. Wines by the glass range in price from $8 - $12 and you'd be hard pressed to find food at these prices in an equally elegant setting.

Taiim Cellar is open for lunch, dinner, snacks, dessert or an aperitif from Tuesday through Sunday. Hours are below. Visit soon, before everyone else discovers this great find.

Bet-eh-avon! (Enjoy your food in Hebrew)

Taiim Cellar
Middle Eastern Wine Bar
11 Boniface Circle
Scarsdale, NY
914-723-6900
http://taiimcellar.com/

Open:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 11:30 am – 10 pm
Friday and Saturday from 11:30 am to midnight
Sunday from 1:30 – 5 pm
Closed on Mondays