Audio By Carbonatix
Many people dream about doing something different with their lives. Yaffa Hanouna, chef-owner of Yaffa’s Savory, actually did it. After fifteen years as the director of two preschools in Aurora, in February she opened Yaffa’s Savory, a Mediterranean cafe and market at 2200 South Monaco Parkway. See also: Photos of Cafe Byblos Mediterranean Grill, now open
The jump was not as sudden as it seems. Even as an educator, she ran baking workshops, worked as a personal chef and caterer, and sold products such as marinades and tapenades at farmers’ markets in her free – or not so free — time. But after years of fielding questions about where her customers could find her food, this Israeli-born chef decided to follow her passion.
At first, Yaffa’s was a deli that sold her full line of products, including olive tapenades, preserved lemons and baked goods. But after three months and numerous requests, she added tables and an all-day roster of soups, panini, hummus, platters and a mix of entrees that wander around the Mediterranean: Hanouna, who has more than 4,000 cookbooks in her home collection, calls herself an “explorer,” and the menu reflects this spirit.
Find out more about what the transition to full-time restaurateur for this explorer was like when my review of Yaffa’s Savory is posted on westword.com tomorrow.
When news happens, Westword is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $50,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community. If Westword matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
