Modern Kosher Dining at Gili's Kitchen

By Lauren Titus / Photography By Amy Robb | October 02, 2018

Vegan Curry Cauliflower Salad is served with a Beet Tahini dressing at Gili's Kitchen.

Ricki Ben Simon, founder of Gili's Kitchen, started the downtown Jacksonville restaurant in 2017. While her background is in retail management, that did not stop her from pushing ahead with her dream of opening a kosher Jewish restaurant that serves affordable and delicious food with a different culinary twist. Sandwiches and burgers are served on housemade challah bread (some of the best we have found in the region), and daily specials highlight seasonal vegetables. We caught up with Ricki and Chef Gili, a 20-year veteran of the food industry, in between lunch and dinner to hear more about serving modern kosher cuisine to non-Jewish customers.

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What led you to open the restaurant in 2017 with Chef Gili?

My husband and I moved here several years ago, and I discovered the lack of kosher restaurants in Jacksonville, so I wanted to do something about that. Chef Gili (who is my husband’s cousin) had a successful catering business in Israel, with a huge following. I was able to convince him to move his business here and open up this restaurant, so we could prepare food that takes a different approach to Jewish cuisine. We also offer catering for all types of events, since there are not a lot of kosher catering services in the area. Part of our mission is to educate diners on different types of Jewish food, whether it is traditional Israeli or more Mediterranean based. A kosher diet limits what foods can be served and eaten in the same location or at the same meal, so that has been something many of our customers have learned here.

What is your vision for the restaurant?

We have three goals for the restaurant. We want to give others the opportunity to enjoy Jewish kosher cuisine as much as our family and friends have over the past couple of years. As best as we can, we strive to make the dishes affordable. And, as in any Jewish household, the portions need to be big.

Where does Chef Gili get inspiration for the dishes at Gili's?

We want to serve traditional kosher food with a modern twist. Chef Gili is not a restaurant chef but has traveled around the world and brings a variety of flavors and styles to the dishes we serve here. He can cook anything from Asian cuisine, Mediterranean food, Italian and French food and traditional "Jewish" food (East and west Sephardic and Ashkenazic food) to BBQ.

We don’t serve any dairy at all but we still want to serve familiar dishes like cheeseburgers. We use a vegan cheese and “facon,” fake bacon. We explain to non-Jewish customers why we use different ingredients and they are open to trying new things.

What has been the biggest surprise since you opened?

We have been learning what customers want for lunch and have adjusted our menu accordingly. For instance, people love hamburgers, and we hear all the time “This is the best burger I’ve ever eaten.” We didn’t think our burger would be such a popular item. On the other hand, we are discovering that our customers really like vegan and vegetarian dishes, like the Dal Stew. So we made that a main dish. And because we don't use any dairy, many of our dishes are either vegan from the start or can be modified to be made without any animal products.

How do you incorporate local and seasonal products into your dishes?

We use fresh, never frozen vegetables and try to source as locally as possible. But remember, every ingredient needs to be kosher, so finding local products can sometimes be challenging. There are some ingredients we use that we can only find in Israel.

Ready to sample some modern kosher cuisine in downtown Jacksonville? Stop by Gili's Kitchen, W Adams St # 102, Jacksonville, FL 32202, (904) 475-1400.