By Phyllis M. Cahaly, CMD, Director of Partnership Marketing, Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism
As the calendar flips to October, we recognize the Jewish High Holidays this month. We are thrilled to introduce you to Chef Noah Clickstein, Founding Chef at Lehrhaus, at 425 Washington Street in Somerville, Massachusetts. Lehrhaus, which opened in March 2023, is an award-winning Jewish tavern and house of learning. It has already received accolades such as being named by Esquire to its list of the 50 Best New Restaurants in America and being placed on Boston Magazine’s list of best fish-and-chips in Boston. It combines a welcoming atmosphere with dynamic exploration of Jewish life. It offers a one-of-a-kind space where exceptional Jewish cuisine, craft drinks, and thought intersect. Lehrhaus is a hub for curiosity, conversation and community.
Lehrhaus interior
Chef Noah, a Winchester, Massachusetts native, discovered his passion for cooking while in high school. As a senior trying to determine his college path, he wasn’t finding any colleges that spoke to him. After a visit to the Culinary Institute of America campus in Hyde Park, New York, his path became crystal clear. “I simply fell in love with what I saw there and knew this was where I belonged. Academically speaking, food began to make everything else make more sense to me. Chemistry, math, and economics and globalization made sense when I studied it through food,” says Chef Noah. “I decided to go into the culinary arts not really knowing that being a chef would be the end goal. While my parents would have preferred I attend a liberal arts college, the culinary track was definitely more fun for me, and it changed me.”
While at the CIA, Chef Noah had the opportunity to spend his last semester in Nappa Valley, learning about wine production and understanding what it takes to become a Sommelier. Between earning his associates degree and moving towards his bachelor’s degree, he returned to Boston. “I loved the Boston food scene; everyone views it as more collaborative than competitive, and they really want their neighbors to do well. I applied to L’Espalier in Back Bay (now closed), which was a good learning experience for me. I worked there for four years and then learned about a restaurant called Juliet in Somerville and I really liked their operating model. I was there for five years, working my way up from a server to executive sous chef. Then I was contacted by Rabbi Charlie Schwartz, who was formulating Lehrhaus with co-owner Joshua Foer. He asked me to consult on this new venture and menu and I joined as founding chef.” This new venture brought together a dream team with Chef Noah, sous chef/dessert maker Alex Artinian of Asta, Oleana, and Sofria and bartending star Naomi Levy, thereby creating a modern Jewish cultural hub.
Lluevos Haminados
Thanks to Chef Noah, whose passion for food stems from the rich culinary traditions of his home, you can enjoy redefined Jewish cuisine, savor a Talmudic version of drinks, and explore the ever-changing food and dessert menus while diving into stimulating discussions at Lehrhaus . He has earned both local and national acclaim for developing inventive, Jewish story-driven dishes such as Chopped Not-Liver with eggplant, nuts, crispy onions, and warm pita, Beet ‘Pastrami’ Reuben with haus rye, Russian dressing, fries and half sour, Mac & Cheese Kugel succotash salad and their house signature dish, Fish & Chips with amba vinegar, s’chug aioli, and Old Bay fries.
Overhead Food
“The vision of the restaurant really drives the menu and at Lehrhaus, you are eating in a Jewish space which touches on the Jewish diaspora from all around the world where you find Jewish communities,” says Chef Noah. “We are moving more towards some dishes that come from our Indian, Ethiopian and Persian Jewish communities. You’ll find a Red Lentil Stew adapted from the Ethiopian Jewish that’s warm and spicey and great as the cold weather sets in, it’s served with Dabo, a wheat bread. We also serve a Persian stuffed delicata squash with an herb mixture stewed on a bed of jeweled rice for the High Holidays.”
Beet Reuben
Lehrhaus serves only quality Kosher food described by Chef Noah as “Jewish food, not food Jews eat”. The distinction being Jewish food is defined by the timing of the cycle of the calendar of what plants are growing when and how that links up to all of the Jewish Holidays, the constraints of Kosher products and space and the tradition of the food that is associated with the different Jewish cultural practices and holidays.
“We love to focus on Massachusetts products including apples like the Roxbury Russet which is believed to be the oldest continuous bread apple cultivar in the New World, bred in the Town of Roxbury. This apple product, which hails from Kazakhstan, is an important part of our High Holiday foods,” says Chef Noah. “We also focus on corn and truly, some of the best corn in the country comes from the central part of Massachusetts and you’ll find corn served in three different places on our menu right now.” One of those delectable corn dishes being the Bene Corn Chowder with coconut curry broth and haus corn focaccia.
Bartender
Chef Noah depends on two local farms for the freshest of products, Gann Academy’s Jewish Farm in Waltham, Massachusetts and Revival Farm in Plympton, Massachusetts, both educational, diversified and regenerative farms. Lehrhaus’ philosophy is to only use local produce. “We are 100% Kosher certified by KVH meaning that all food served here is to the level of dietary restrictions as prescribed by Jewish law. We are a dairy restaurant, in terms of Kosher, meaning that we do not serve meat, but we do serve fish, so we’re pescatarian and vegetarian.”
Herring Tartine
Many patrons are regulars who may stop by two to three times a week and are eager to try something new on the menu. Lehrhaus is a welcoming gathering place, where you can just walk in, cozy up in a big comfy chair in a room filled with books that surround you like a blanket. The vibe is casual and comfortable and in Chef Noah’s words, “You might not really know or interact with any Jewishness here at all, you don’t have to be Jewish to go to a Jewish Tavern just like you don’t have to be Irish to go to an Irish Pub. Or you can come here to take a class on Jewish learning and dive into the stories we are telling through our food.” The creative ‘talking menu’ at Lehrhaus is even designed to look like a page from the Talmud, offering interesting stories and educational information.
Cozy Interior Scene
“We see a great mix of people here, regulars, a place where friends meet up after work, lots of people come here on their first or second dates and we also see lots of international visitors too,” says Chef Noah. “As mentioned, we base on menu on timing and what the farms offer, what fish of the moment we are getting from Gloucester, as we tell our stories through food. It’s really a different dining experience every time you visit.” Lehrhaus also offers an unlimited, co-working space with a monthly membership fee, another way of welcoming those who may not have an office, or just wish to be part of a community. The membership includes free coffee and tea, and the opportunity for chavruta education, where two learning partners explore and discuss Jewish texts in detail.
Hevruta Scene
Chef Noah’s favorite part of being a chef is watching his staff grow. He has set systems in place to foster his kitchen staff of eight to encourage them to learn and expand their competences. “We spend more time at work than we do at home, and I would just love it if everyone would stay here for the rest of their lives, but I know that’s not realistic,” chuckles Chef Noah. “But if they must leave, I want people to leave with more capabilities, to feel that they have grown by working here, to have become better organized, able to multi-task, be creative in the food and drink that they make. Watching my staff grow and change brings me the most joy of all.”
Learning Session
Chef Noah, a self-proclaimed outdoorsman, says he would really like to visit Franklin County, and the Mohawk Trail which sounds fun and interesting to him. He loves the Berkshires and Tanglewood and has deep roots in this part of Massachusetts through his great-great grandparents who once owned Blantyre in Lenox and Camp Watitoh in Becket, Massachusetts. One place that Chef Noah would like to reconnect with is Nantucket Island where he has fond memories of visiting as a child when his dad was head of Hosteling International (now closed) on Nantucket Island.
Chef Noah likes to eat healthy with more protein filled yogurt and savory add-ons and even visits the gym many days after work. So, it doesn’t bother him that once a month he treats himself to a nice big burrito from Anna’s Taquira which he just happens to drive by on his way home!
Exterior Day
Chef Noah is accomplished and fluid in the kitchen. While he loves for friends and family to cook for him, he really prefers to do all the cooking himself. He remarks, “I really like to cook at home, to make everything from scratch and I know that what I create will really taste delicious for everyone that I am feeding. Even if I’ve cooked all day, I love to go home and keep cooking, it’s not something that I’m ever tired of doing when I get home or on the weekends when I have my days off.” L’Chaim! (“To life!”)
Dafina So Fine
Inspired by the iconic 1920s Lehrhaus in Frankfurt, today’s Lehrhaus is the perfect place for an unforgettable dinner, engaging Jewish learning, or a fun night out with a unique twist! Lehrhaus is located at 425 Washington Street, in Somerville. No reservations; walk-ins only, open Monday through Thursday, from 4:30 pm to 10:00 pm and Sundays from 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Closed Friday and Saturday.
Recipe of the Month Courtesy of Lehrhaus, Somerville, Massachusetts
Chopped Not-Liver
Ingredients:
Yield: 6 servings
1.39 kilograms diced shiitake mushrooms
2.1 kilograms bruléed yellow onion, diced
12 grams minced garlic
2 cups brandy
1.11 kilograms roasted eggplant, skin discarded and cooking liquids reserved
480 grams toasted cashew
480 grams toasted walnut
Kosher salt
1 teaspoon MSG
To Assemble and Serve:
Yield: 1 serving
Crispy onions
Fresh herbs of your choice
Pita
METHOD
For the Chopped Not Liver:
In a sauté pan over low heat, sweat mushroom, onion, and garlic until soft and translucent. Transfer mixture to a cast iron pan over medium heat. Cook until alliums are caramelized. Increase heat and cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat and deglaze with brandy. Return pan to medium heat. Cook until liquid has reduced by three-quarters. Remove from heat and let cool completely. In a food processor, pulse to combine eggplant, nuts, and a pinch of salt. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and set aside. In a food processor, purée onion-brandy mixture until smooth. Season with salt. Transfer mixture to a separate mixing bowl. Toss with eggplant and MSG. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. Transfer to an airtight container and reserve.
To Assemble and Serve:
Place Chopped Not Liver onto a serving plate. Garnish with crispy onions and herbs. Serve with fresh pita.
Download a PDF of this recipe
All photos courtesy Lehrhaus, Somerville, Massachusetts
TOPICS: Culinary Corner, Somerville
