Tel Aviv in a Truck

Spice Boys Brings Modern Israeli Food to Sarasota

Steven Schmitt and Carl Kolber were inspired by eateries Shaya in New Orleans and The Palomar Restaurant in London and chefs like Yotam Ottolenghi.

By Cooper Levey-Baker April 30, 2019 Published in the May 2019 issue of Sarasota Magazine

Steven Schmitt and Carl Kolber

Image: Chad Spencer

Steven Schmitt and Carl Kolber, who run the new food truck Spice Boys, describe their food as “new Israeli.” Inspired by eateries Shaya in New Orleans and The Palomar Restaurant in London and chefs like Yotam Ottolenghi, they serve tahini, schug (a Middle Eastern salsa), amba (a mango pickle condiment), labneh (dehydrated Greek yogurt) and harissa (a red chili and garlic paste). Kosher they are not. Aged ham and bacon are mainstays. “We love these flavors,” says Kolber. Try the duo’s sabich, a pita stuffed with eggplant, potato and egg and flavored with tahini, schug and amba. It’s a killer vegetarian handheld—tangy, acidic and, like the truck’s name indicates, plenty spicy. 

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