Laser Wolf, the Israeli skewer house from Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook, will open in Brooklyn
Cook N Solo, as their company is known (with interests in Zahav, Abe Fisher, Dizengoff, Goldie, and Federal Donuts), has partnered with Chicago’s Boka Restaurant Group.
Chefs Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook will open a branch of their Israeli skewer house, Laser Wolf, at the Hoxton Hotel in Brooklyn, N.Y.
TheWilliamsburg rooftop setting, which features spectacular views of Manhattan across the East River, will have a similar menu but with more à la carte options, they said.
Opening is targeted for December.
Cook N Solo, as their company is known (with interests in Zahav, Abe Fisher, Dizengoff, Merkaz, K’Far, Goldie, and Federal Donuts), has partnered with Chicago’s Boka Restaurant Group on the project. Boka principals Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz won the James Beard Award for outstanding restaurateur in 2019 — the same year that Zahav won the best restaurant award. (Solomonov was named Beard’s best chef in America in 2017.) Boka, which does food and beverage for Hoxton Hotels in the United States, owns Chicago destinations including Girl & the Goat and Momotaro.
Laser Wolf, named for the butcher in Fiddler on the Roof (but whose name in the credits is spelled “Lazar”), opened in February 2020 at Howard and Thompson Streets under chef Andrew Henshaw. Its menu includes entrées such as charcoal-grilled lamb merguez, chicken shishlik, and beef kebabs served alongside a spread of salatim (salads), hummus, and Solomonov’s trademark fluffy, char-speckled pitas. The 90-seat restaurant aims for an informal vibe, channeling inspiration from Jerusalem’s open-air Machane Yehuda Market.
The pandemic forced the restaurant to change to takeout service and a ready-to-grill menu in May 2020, followed by outdoor dining in July 2020. It reopened for indoor dining in spring 2021.
The accolades have been many. This month, Laser Wolf made Inquirer critic Craig LaBan’s list of top 10 restaurants, as noted in The Inquirer’s 2021 “Let’s Eat, Philly” dining guide. In May 2021, Laser Wolf was named one of 12 best new restaurants in the world by Condé Nast Traveler.
Cook N Solo’s holdings are expanding in Philadelphia, as well, with a Goldie location opening Oct. 19 at 1601 N. Front St., next to its forthcoming event space Lilah, as well as the November rollout of a Federal Donuts on Cherry Street, beside the soon-to-open Victory Brewing brewpub at 18th Street and Ben Franklin Parkway.