After serving the northwest Las Vegas community from 2018 until 2021 at her Desert Shores eatery, Rooster Boy Cafe, Armenian-Lebanese chef Sonia El-Nawal has finally brought her celebrated New York-inspired breakfast and lunch cuisine to Henderson with Bodega Bagel.
A love letter to the city El-Nawal studied cooking in, Bodega Bagel originally operated as a pop-up at Vegas Test Kitchen in downtown Las Vegas before opening a permanent location at the corner of Eastern and St. Rose. While El-Nawal noted that Rooster Boy Cafe fans may notice some menu similarities, Bodega Bagel isn’t just the same restaurant with a different name.
“Fans will find my Shakshuka (eggs baked in a spicy tomato sauce), daily house-made pastries, and a few other Chef Sonia staples, but Bodega Bagel has its own energy and vibe,” El-Nawal stated. “I tried to keep the identities very separate, as I didn’t want to do the same thing.”
In addition to fresh-made artisan bagels and pastries that guests can enjoy to go, Bodega Bagel offers a mouthwatering menu of deli and bagel sandwiches, breakfast dishes, soups and salads that diners can savor inside of the eatery while admiring black-and-white photos from legendary New York City photographer Weegee. Menu highlights include the Hudson River — an open-faced bagel sandwich topped with whitefish salad, tobiko wasabi, scallions and microgreens — and the Latke.
“We offer very different fare from the usual breakfast spots,” El-Nawal concluded. “We want to give the neighborhood a local artisanal breakfast and lunch spot.”
Dishes to Try:
Artisan Bagels
Hudson River
Latke
Shakshouka
Chef El-Nawal is known for her Shakshouka recipe, and now fans can make the flavorful breakfast dish at home.
Ingredients:
· 1 20-oz. can of crushed tomatoes
· ½ white onion, chopped
· 2 garlic cloves, chopped
· 3 strands of scallion, chopped + additional for garnish
· ¼ bunch of cilantro, finely chopped + additional for garnish
· 2 tbsp. harissa paste
· 1 serrano chili, chopped without the seeds
· 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped without the seeds
· 1 tsp. salt
· 1 tbsp. cumin
· ¼ cup of olive oil
· ½ cup of water
· Number of eggs of choice
· Maldon Salt to taste
· Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes to taste
Directions:
1. In a large pot, sauté onion, garlic, scallion, cilantro, chili, and jalapeño pepper with olive oil until soft.
2. Add in crushed tomatoes, harissa, cumin, salt, and water.
3. Simmer on low to medium heat for 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Take your premade Shakshouka sauce and add to oven-safe pan. Bring temperature up slightly on stove (if not already warm).
6. Crack eggs directly into sauce.
7. Place pan in oven and bake until white are cooked through. Check after 10 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and plate in shallow bowl or serving dish.
9. Garnish with Maldon Salt, Aleppo pepper, cilantro, and scallion.