The Blondinit Israeli Eatery Opens in Downtown Westport

Westport has a new hotspot on the scene: Israeli restaurant The Blondinit (“Blond-EE-neet”), Hebrew for “The Blondie,” is making waves downtown as the newest place to see and be seen. After a years-long saga filled with false starts and cross-state moves, Inda and Solomon Sade arrived with a flourish in Westport less than two years ago with their two young children and immediately got to work, opening their restaurant on Church Lane in March. Named after the affectionate nickname Sol gave Inda the first time they met, The Blondinit’s concept is centered around connection and camaraderie.

“We were originally going to open the restaurant in Midtown East [in New York City], close to where we were living in 2020,” Inda, a NYC native, explains of the Blondinit’s origin story. They were ready to lock in their space and open up shop, but the lease signing was delayed, so they took a quick end-of-winter vacation in March. By the time they returned, the whole city had shut down due to Covid, and the plans fell through. “It was devastating at the time, but now I believe it was meant to be,” Inda explains. “With everything going on at the moment in Israel, now feels like the right time to open this restaurant. The support from the Westport community has been overwhelming,” she elaborates.  

A former fashion stylist, Inda designed the restaurant’s vibrant interiors herself, blending urban and tropical aesthetics with a chic black marble bar, cane-backed chairs, and a mix of green palm tree wallpaper and Millennial pink paint. “The vibe is Miami meets Tel Aviv, with the magic of the New York City bar scene,” she explains of her intention to bring strangers together over unique cocktails, delicious food, and friendly service. To bolster the space’s sense of community, the couple hosts Friday evening Shabbat candle lightings, and has made an effort to hire extroverted staff. It’s worked: “Within a month of opening, the bar was packed with strangers getting to know each other,” she shares. “I was euphoric!” 

Though the Sades had no restaurant experience before opening The Blondinit, Inda was a natural fit to run the restaurant’s front of house with her customer-facing background, while Sol, a financier with Israeli roots who was “a chef in a past life” according to his wife, gravitated towards the kitchen. The couple tapped Chef Brian Zoni, a Fairfield County culinary stalwart, to head up menu development and execution in the kitchen, lending a creative spin to traditional Israeli dishes, as his background is in other cuisines. 

One such example is his take on a classic chicken Milanese, inspired by Sol’s favorite food, chicken schnitzel. In this dish, served at dinner, a thin and crispy chicken cutlet is topped with Israeli salad and a tahini drizzle in a new take on an Italian classic. A sandwich version with cabbage slaw is offered on pita for lunch. Another creative dish, and one of our favorites, is the creamy whipped feta dip with highly dippable za’atar-spiced potato chips and pomegranate seeds for a pop of sweetness. Other notable appetizers include the crunchy Bamba cauliflower, which utilizes the popular Israeli peanutty snack similar in texture to a Cheez-doodle, and the tender baby artichokes with saffron-turmeric aioli.

Some dishes on the menu are more traditional, with a mix of staples made in house, like the tahini, hummus, and schug (spicy green sauce), as well as items imported from Israel, like the sweet-sour-savory pickles that we couldn’t stop eating. The well-salted french fries accompanying many of the proteins are hand-cut and fried to order, providing a satisfying crunch. Said fries come with all of the items on the kids’ menu, which is designed to keep littles entertained with games and drawing activities so that families can relax and enjoy their time at the restaurant. 

For those looking for a more adult experience, cocktails are highly encouraged, as the restaurant has not one but two liquor licenses, and will be operating a second bar outside on Church Lane, which we think will be a staple of the summer. We refreshed ourselves with the Haifa Spritz, made with a citrusy Israeli liqueur called Tubi 60, and the Boker Tov, Hebrew for “good morning,” their take on the espresso martini. An adventurous drinker open to a little texture might try the namesake Blondinit, a not-too-dirty martini made with feta brine, feta-stuffed olives, and pieces of feta mixed into the drink itself.

Westporters are thrilled with the new addition to the town’s exciting restaurant scene, packing the restaurant for lunch and dinner. It’s a true testament to the Sade’s persistence, passion, and courage which helped them overcome many obstacles both at home and more broadly in the world to open up what they describe as their third baby. "If you really want to do something, you'll find a way,” Inda shares. “If you feel it in your bones that you want to do it and see the vision, you'll make it happen." 

The Blondinit 29 Church Ln, Westport (203) 557-3277

@theblondinit

For reservation please email: Resy@theblondinit.com.