Nitzan Cohen knows sandwiches. The Israeli-born chef has made a name for himself in 麻豆传媒映画as the master of Mensch, his roving Jewish deli that specializes in piled-high hot pastrami sandwiched between slices of rye bread.
Now it's sandwiches of a different kind that are moving into , where Cohen is posted as head chef. The Main Street location of the local café business will now be home to , a take-away window where customers can safely order-up nourishing eats on housemade sourdough bread.
Launching just in time for picnic season - as well as a great option for supporting local small food businesses during the COVID-19 crisis - Lil Bird will start serving sandwiches and lemonade on Tuesday, May 12.
“Even before COVID-19, I wanted to introduce more meals at my Main Street location. We've developed a phenomenal food program at our other locations, but this takes it all to a new level.” says Aaron Kafka, owner of Kafka’s Coffee. “During these trying times we wanted to give everyone something quick and easy to order and pick-up, straight from our open window. It’s contactless, it’s convenient, and it’s delicious. To make a great sandwich, it’s all about fresh ingredients, layering, and making sure that each element is perfect for that sandwich. We make all our bread, sauces, and pickles in-house and get our meats and cheeses from local producers. Each bite is full of flavour.”
Those bites will have a Mediterranean influence, much like Kafka's current food menu.
To get things started, Lil Bird will be offering four sandwich options:
- The Holy Grilled Cheese, featuring a blend of cheddar, Swiss, and Gouda;
- Meat your Match with mortadella, salami, Swiss, sriracha mayo, tomato, pickled onions and greens;
- Uncle Antipasto with marinated peppers, fresh basil, tomato, fresh mozzarella, balsamic aioli and greens on;
- Super Chicken Shawarma with brined free-range chicken, preserved lemon aioli, pickled turnips, fresh herbs and tomato.
For the true little "birds" in your life, aka the kids, there's a Wee Bird Meal, which includes a small sandwich, apple slices, and a cookie.
“Kafka’s has been my second home for a while, and when Aaron approached me to help build the sandwich menu at Lil Bird Sandwich Co., I said ‘hell yes’,” adds Cohen, who regularly hosts his Mensch’s pop-ups at Kafka’s.
A percentage of sales will be donated towards the .
Lil Bird Sandwich Co. will be open seven days from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. They are located at Kafka's at 2525 Main Street in Vancouver.
