We have often sung the praises of our friends in food trucks and celebrated those – like Clover and The Dining Car – who have grown into successful brick-and-mortar businesses. But perhaps no trucker has traveled further than Avi Shemtov, who started with his pioneering Chubby Chickpea truck and recently opened a second location of his Mediterranean-minded Hummus v’Hummus at The Street in the tony Boston suburb of Chestnut Hill.
I remember waiting in line at the Chubby truck, smelling the fresh felafel, salivating over Shemtov’s signature stuffed grape leaves and artichoke blossoms, and sweating out the seconds until I could enjoy a cool cup of limonana.
As the second-generation chef has so much culinary culture and talent behind him, it is no surprise that he has not only added other trucks (including the travelling beer bar known as the TAPPED), but also created an eponymous restaurant group that includes award-winning area favorites like Simcha, A La Esh and the original Hummus v’Hummus at the Speedway in Brighton, MA.
While meal bowls continue to be popular, Hummus v’Hummus takes the health-conscious concept to new places by basing bowls on Shemtov’s historic hummus. In addition to the healthy bowls (that can be filled with the area’s favorite falafel or authentic Israeli chicken shawarma…or both!) Hummus v’Hummus also offers Shemtov’s superior selection of salads, sauces, and spreads.
While those on Boston’s North Shore can learn more about Shemtov’s story and savory stuff at the Jewish Community Center in Marblehead, MA, on November 13 when he discusses The Simcha Cookbook (which is based upon his South Shore store Simcha) as part of the 2022 Jewish Book Month Speaker series (see https://jccns.org), the best way to get to know him is to taste his food and Hummus v’Hummus is a great place to start!