Chef Eric Greenspan is rolling out Mish, his new-school Jewish-diaspora deli on La Brea, with doors set to open Tuesday. The counter-first spot will stick to breakfast and lunch, roughly 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, a schedule Greenspan designed so he can still make it home for dinner and family time. On the plate, Mish is built to riff on classic pastrami-and-bagel staples while pulling in flavors from across the Jewish culinary diaspora.
According to Observer, Greenspan calls “opening Mish is a public service” and has mapped out a menu that runs from hardwood-smoked pastrami with Levantine touches to Montreal-style wood-fired bagels, plus Sephardic chicken salad and koobideh-style wagyu-and-lamb meatballs. Observer also names pastry chef Dara Yu and beverage director Julian Cox as part of the core team, and confirms restaurateur Bill Chait as Greenspan’s business partner.
A new chapter for Greenspan
Greenspan has spent the last decade building ghost-kitchen concepts, launching New School American Cheese and pulling off a steady stream of pop-up projects. He recently stepped away from the Tesla Diner to focus on Mish, as reported by Eater LA. With Mish, he says the goal is not nostalgia but a progression of Jewish cooking that folds in Ashkenazi, Sephardic and Levantine traditions.
How the menu came together
To dial in the food, Greenspan went hands-on with research and development. That included a trip to Montreal and trial runs in the La Brea space’s wood-burning oven, plus collaboration with Oren Salomon, Michael Fiorelli and Daniele Uditi to fine-tune the wood-fired bagels and other baked goods, per Observer. He also teamed up with Matt Giamela of RC Provisions to create a hardwood-smoked pastrami. RC Provisions has long supplied cured meats to L.A. institutions like Langer’s, Canter’s and Brent’s.
What to expect on opening week
Mish’s website still lists the project as “coming soon” and is collecting sign-ups, while Greenspan and his partners have locked in a counter-service model that focuses on mornings and afternoons rather than evenings. When the doors open next week, customers can expect coffee, matcha and a compact cocktail program alongside bagel sandwiches, Reubens and pastries.
