Shabbat as Soul Food by Alissa Kondogiannis

Friday night Shabbat dinners are one of the most beloved traditions in Judaism. After a busy week Jews are invited to make a conscious, thoughful transition into the Sabbath, the day of rest, which starts at sunset on Friday until nightfall on Saturday. Candles are lit, people gather around the table, and a qualitatively different kind of space is established, one that is focused on family time, rest and renewal.

For thousands of years Jewish ritual has embedded the idea of the importance of work-life balance as one of the most fundamental practices of the faith, of setting aside time from work to create space for rest and the expression and experience of gratitude. This is soul food, the comforting meal that nourishes the spirit as much as the belly; food consecrated by the simple, mindful act of sitting down to truly enjoy and appreciate it, of sharing it with friends and family. Join Alissa Kondogiannis for a warm and delicious Shabbat dinner — a delicious mix of traditional and contemporary European and Middle Eastern flavours, showcasing Alissa’s phenomenal homemade challah.
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Challah and Hummus
Many Jewish Friday-night dinners start with fresh challah, a soft, braided egg bread. Alissa leads The Dep’s popular challah-making classes, and her beautiful loaves are some of the best I’ve ever had. Served with a light, creamy homemade hummus for dipping, and torshi, a selection of Persian pickled vegetables.

Chraime
A mash up of Ashkinazi and Sephardic flavours, this takes slightly sweet gefilte fish, a Eastern European dish of poached, ground white fish, and roasts in a spicy, tomato-based sauce popular on shabbat tables in North Africa, served warm with bell peppers, garlic and red chilies.

Baharat roast chicken with almonds, onions and roasted lemons
Chicken roasted with barahat, an Arabic spice blend with infinite regional variations, but showcasing flavours like cumin, allspice, cinnamon, coriander, clove, nutmeg, and cardamom. [Vegetarian option on request]

Coriander spiced potatoes with tomatoes and fresh herbs
Potatoes roasted with ground coriander seed and baby tomatoes, finished with fresh cilantro, herbs and lemon.

Roasted zucchini with olive gremolata
Tender roast zucchini with a tangy green salsa of olives, herbs, vinegar, citrus and garlic.

Poppyseed roll cookies
A sweet ground poppy seed paste is enrobed in a soft, tender cookie dough, rolled into log, baked and sliced; served with fruit tea.
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Alissa Kondogiannis runs a small catering company North of the Toronto, focusing on Shabbat dinners and Jewish comfort food. She has taught babka and challah classes for years, here at The Depanneur as well as in her Thornhill Community. You can find her online at Barnstar Kitchen. @barnstarkitchen

Who is it for?

All ages

Tickets :

$79 per person

How to get tickets?

Buy online

 

Date: Friday February 6, 2026 from 630-9pm

Venue & Address

The Depanneur, 192 Spadina Ave, Suite 501, Toronto

Wheelchair accessible

Street Parking

Paid Parking

Accessible by Public Transport