Eli Barashi will take over the helm of the restaurant at the newly-renovated café at the Mandell JCC in West Hartford.

Eli Barashi will be executive chef of the newly-renovated Cafe J at the Mandell JCC. Submitted photo

Submitted by Larah Winn, Mandell JCC

Eli Barashi has joined the Mandell JCC as the Executive Chef of the newly renovated Café. Barashi will be enhancing Café J’s menu, offering all day breakfast, fresh salads, sandwiches, paninis and pizzas, along with weekly specials.

Eli Barashi has years of experience in the culinary field. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has worked in many types of kitchens, from upscale to children’s camps. His culinary journey has taken him to New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey in the U.S., and to Jerusalem and Natanya in Israel. Eli will be moving from Paramus, New Jersey with his wife and two children, ages 7 and 3.

Café J will have a soft opening in April 2016 followed by a Grand Opening Sunday, May 15, 2016. For more information about the newly renovated Café J, contact Mitch Shakun, 860-231-6323, [email protected].

The Mandell Jewish Community Center, Zachs Campus, 335 Bloomfield Avenue, West Hartford, CT is open to everyone and supported by funds raised by the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford, a recipient of funding from the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford, and a member of the JCC Association of North America. For updates, follow the Mandell JCC on Facebook and Twitter.