Tampa is an excellent spot for tourists and businesses. The weather is lovely, and it’s just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Northeast (by plane). However, there was not much regarding kosher food. That is why the Chabad in Tampa approached Meir Halfon and Eyal Bareli to open a kosher restaurant in the area. Meir and Eyal partnered up and opened Pilpel in October 2020 as a kosher catering service, which has since expanded to a full-service restaurant located right next to the Chabad.
Pilpel is outdoors on a wooden deck with brown furniture. It’s the perfect setup to enjoy that nice Tampa weather. Meir and Eyal want people to feel welcome; mission accomplished.
The word pilpel means peppers, frequently used in middle eastern dishes such as beef kabobs, which like the rest of their entrees, Pilpel serves on either a pita, baguette, or a place with two sides, and a warm pita with hummus and tahini. Other entrees include schnitzel, shawarma, falafel, grilled chicken, pargiot, and burgers. The falafel and schnitzel are popular throughout the week.
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They also offer off-menu items throughout the week. Like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’ll get. It could be a traditional Moroccan dish or something Tunisian like couscous or kibbeh.
While the kitchen offers more middle eastern in their cuisine, Pilpel’s catering business offers authentic Moroccan dishes and Maghreb cuisine. Chicken tajin is a popular catering menu item.
Be it middle eastern or Moroccan, the cuisine provided by Pilpel is just what Tampa has been missing.
Anoynomous- 10/06/08
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